Buoyant Hearts looking to keep up momentum

Graham Rix, the Hearts coach, and his predecessor, George Burley, have said that the the small size of the squad would ultimately have an influence on their season, but with Hearts bringing in no fewer than 11 new players during the transfer window, all with impressive CVs, that is no longer the case at Tynecastle.

On Saturday, Hearts were missing Rudi Skacel, their top goalscorer, Edgaras Jankauskas, their main striker, Paul Hartley, their key midfield player, because of suspension, and Takis Fyssas, the full back. During the match they also lost to injury Julien Brellier and Mirsad Beslija, the new signing, but still managed to beat Aberdeen comfortably in the Tennent’s Scottish Cup. Coming after the impressive home win over Hibernian, the trick for Hearts now is to string together a run of results in the league that will put pressure on Celtic.

Skacel, Hartley, Fyssas and Beslija, whose injury was not as bad as feared, are all ready for selection again tonight, giving Rix an unfamiliar headache. He must decide whether to retain the side that won the last fixture or restore the players that have done so well for him previously. It is a situation with which he is comfortable. “All my players look sharp. They are buzzing. I sense they are focused, so they are all confident and want to play. The competition puts them under pressure, but I want all my players to be that way,” he said.

Rix hinted, however, that a different XI would take to the field tonight. “That was a tough game on Saturday. Very rarely are you able to play the same team every week because of injuries, suspensions. The difference now is that we have quality replacements,” he said.

Rix would not be drawn on the significance of tonight’s game in the title race. “I say this every week, we focus on what we have got to do. If we do that other things will take care of themselves,” he said.

Robbie Neilson, the defender who last week signed an extension to his contract, is looking at the broader picture, however. “It is a chance to put pressure on Celtic. It is getting to a critical point in the season. If we can keep winning it will give us a great chance to be there at the end of the season. Two wins on the bounce are good, but we haven’t done that in the league for a while, so we need to get the ball rolling again and get a run together,” he said.

Neilson also paid tribute to the club’s new signings, suggesting that they have already had an impact on the attitudes of the incumbent players. “The new signings have raised the standards. Even in training we have had to raise our standards. After training we are staying behind to improve ourselves and that can only benefit us.,” he said.

“Our places are always under threat at a club like Hearts, so we have to train hard. The European boys seem to do that more and the Scottish boys have taken that on board. It isn’t even half an hour each time, but it makes a difference and it is enjoyable.”

Hearts have already beaten United 3-0 twice this season and their lofty position has raised expectations, as Neilson said: “Going up there last season a draw would have been a good result, but now we have to win every game to keep up the pressure on Celtic.”

United, however, have a new manager, Craig Brewster, since the last time the teams met and in their last fixture they collected a creditable draw with Celtic, coming from 3-1 behind to draw at Parkhead, their third successive game without defeat.

They are likely to be without Jim McIntyre, the striker, who is still suffering from a neck injury, and Brewster, who is also injured, but retain the firepower of Davide Fernandez, who scored two of the goals against Celtic. They also welcome back Charlie Mulgrew, the on-loan Celtic defender, allowing Barry Robson to move to his more accustomed midfield role.

DUNDEE UNITED (probable 4-4-2): D Stillie — S Duff, A Archibald, D McCracken, G Kenneth — B Robson, G Brebner, M Kerr, C Samuel — L Miller, D Fernandez

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN (possible 4-4-2): C Gordon — T Fyssas, S Pressley, A Webster, R Neilson — R Skacel, P Hartley, J Brellier, D Cesnauskis — C Elliot, M Pospisil

Referee: D McDonald

Taken from timesonline.co.uk