Fans say yes. . computer says no

A RANGE of computer-generated statistics have been used to aid Valdas Ivanauskas in finalising his team selections this season - and to deflect criticism of Hearts' starting line-ups.

But former Hearts defender Allan Preston reckons something doesn't quite add up when those facts and figures mean Paul Hartley is left to cool his heels on the substitutes' bench.
Advert for scotsman.com's football briefing

The Tynecastle midfielder found himself on the sidelines for almost an hour of last week's visit of Aberdeen, just days after a disciplinary hearing with club officials, although Ivanauskas insisted the outcome of that meeting had no bearing on who made it into the side which kicked-off against the Dons.

Hartley had been suspended for the Jambos' 4-1 win over Motherwell but, with Julien Brellier picking up an injury in that match at Fir Park, it was the perfect opportunity to bring him straight back in to face Aberdeen. Instead he had to wait until the 64th minute to get the call from the dug-out, Marius Zaliukas bizarrely being given the nod to move into the middle of the park from his more familiar role of centre-half.

Hartley almost turned the match in Hearts' favour in the short time he was on the pitch and Preston says that this weekend's match against Dundee United would be the ideal time for Vladimir Romanov and Co. to swallow their pride by reinstating him to his rightful place in the centre of midfield.

Preston said: "When Julien Brellier was injured against Motherwell the other week, you would have thought that the obvious option would have been for Paul Hartley to slot back into the side after his suspension.

"Instead they played a centre-half in the centre of midfield, it just doesn't make sense to me.

"The club have been talking about these computer statistics they use to gauge how well their players have been performing but, if they looked at Paul Hartley's statistics, then I am sure he would never be out of the side.

"He should be the first name on their team-sheet every week, he gives them an extra dimension. He is a brilliant distributor of the ball and, when other people lose possession, he is the one running past them trying to win the ball back again.

"I hope Paul Hartley plays for Hearts' sake. You can see how much the Hearts fans want him to play just by the way they respond to him and sing his name."

Everyone knows the old saying about no man being bigger than the football team, but the club is getting harmed because of one man's actions."

Hearts currently have 35 players in their first-team squad and Preston believes that the rotation policy could be damaging their chances of emulating last season's success.

As well as meaning a lack of continuity in the side, Preston says there is also a real danger that the uncertainty will damage players' confidence, adding: "As a player I was always taught that, if you did well in training and played well out on the pitch, then you merited a place in the first team but that doesn't seem to be happening at Hearts right now.

"If you come into the side and play well then you can justifiably expect to be in the team the following week. When you find out that you are not it demoralises you and it can be difficult to lift yourself and that can have a knock-on effect for team spirit and team performances. I know that they favour the rotation policy but I think that they must have made something like 100 changes to the side already.

"If you ask me, that's not good for the players' confidence because, as a player, you train Monday to Friday so that you are fit and ready to play on a Saturday afternoon but a lot of players at Hearts are finding themselves sitting on the bench or in the stand.

"As far as I am concerned the rotation policy is rubbish, there's nothing better than being able to line up with the same players beside you, week-in, week-out."

The Tynecastle outfit travel to face Dundee United - now bossed by former Hearts player and manager Craig Levein - in the hope that they can bounce back from the disappointment of last week's defeat to Aberdeen.

Preston played alongside Levein in the Hearts side for a year in season 93/94, having spent the previous eight years with United.

And he says that Levein will put his inside knowledge of the Tynecastle club to good use tomorrow: "There have been a lot of changes at the club but he will still keep in touch with some of the players and the backroom staff.

"If anyone knows what is going on at Tynecastle right now, it's Craig Levein. He still knows a lot of people at the club and he will have his side well prepared for this game."

Levein seems to have finally stopped that rot at Tannadice, his side winning five of the seven games that he has been in charge of and Preston added: "Maybe his team are not the most spectacular to watch but they have been getting results and he has got them organised defensively, they're certainly not shipping goals the way that they were.

"There was a real lack of confidence at Dundee United before Craig went there and they were struggling in terms of results and their league position. I felt that was a real shame, they are a club with a great history.

"Craig has got a great track record, he did fantastically well when he was with Hearts and, contrary to what some people might believe, he did well with Leicester. He had a very young and inexperienced side down there.

"I'm glad to see him back up the road and back in management. He has always had good leadership qualities, he was the Hearts captain when I was in the team and is a real philosopher of football.

"He worked hard as a player and even back then you could tell that he would go on to become a manager.

"This weekend will be one of his biggest tests and I think that it will be very tight, United are on a high right now and Hearts have been having problems."

Taken from the Scotsman