Driver says feelgood factor has returned to Tynecastle

HEARTS head for East End Park in search of three points today with a measure of self-confidence restored, believing they can apply pressure to Rangers and Aberdeen in the chase for second place in the SPL.

Beset by problems on and off the field during October and November, Hearts experienced a dreadful run of results in which they went eight league and cup matches without a win and seemed to forfeit all hope of finishing runners-up to Celtic in consecutive seasons.
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However, a combination of slip-ups by Aberdeen and Rangers and improved form of their own under the management of Valdas Ivanauskas in December saw Hearts win three, draw two and lose just once.

After taking time off for health reasons, Ivanauskas has restored an element of stability to a previously volatile situation. Liked by the players and trusted by owner Vladimir Romanov, Ivanauskas has bridged some of the divisions which threatened to kill off the Edinburgh club's season.

According to Andrew Driver, the left-sided midfielder who signed a five-year contract earlier this season, the mood in the Tynecastle camp is much improved. With their defence of the Tennent's Scottish Cup due to begin on Saturday at Stranraer and an opportunity arising this afternoon against Dunfermline to maintain the challenge for second place, the players have found a common cause.

"Everything is getting better," enthused the 19-year-old from Oldham. "Everyone in the squad is on a high and everyone wants to play. There's a lot of competition for places and we're working really hard. Mind you, if you don't put in the effort in the SPL you've got no chance. Even when you're not playing that well, the important thing is to work hard and keep yourself in the game.

"In the last few weeks, I think there's been a better shape about the team and it seems like we want it a lot more. Now we've got a chance to catch the teams in front of us and challenge for second place. After the bad run we went through, you wouldn't think that possible. With the challenge in front of us, we've got to work even harder.

"We had a very testing game at Kilmarnock on Saturday and had to settle for a point. But with results going the way they did, the draw wasn't as damaging as we feared on first reaction. The team has done well over the Christmas period, collecting seven points from nine, which is a decent return from a busy schedule.

"We're flying at the moment and if we can keep this up, then hopefully we can go on to catch [Aberdeen and Rangers] pretty quickly. All away games are difficult, wherever you play in the SPL, so we know we've got to go to East End Park and work hard. Maybe the chances we missed at Kilmarnock will go in against Dunfermline."

Committed to playing a direct brand of 4-4-2 with an emphasis on width and attack both in away matches and at home, Hearts will again be without the services of the injured Edgaras Jankauskas in attack and Julien Brellier in midfield. Both men picked up knocks against Hibernian and the absence of their physical presence left Hearts looking slightly lightweight at Rugby Park.

Having made 13 changes in the club's two previous games, the one certainty is that the head coach will ring the changes again today. However, Ivanauskas does seem to see merit in developing the partnership of Christophe Berra and Marius Zaliukas at centre-back.

"We go into the new year with more self-confidence and belief," he observed. "Berra and Zaliukas have now played four or five games together and you can see them growing in confidence. I think the partnership is good for both players. Right now, though, you can see the value of having a big squad because we're playing a match every three days. With confidence coming back, I think we're strong enough for second place."

Knowing his strikers are going through a lean patch in terms of scoring goals, Ivanauskas has told his forwards to work even harder. He feels Hearts were unfortunate Jankauskas should be sidelined again after scoring his first goal of the season against Hibs but is hopeful the target man may return against Stranraer on Saturday. Ivanauskas also praised the return to form of Paul Hartley against Hibs, Kilmarnock and Dundee United and described the Scotland midfielder as "the leader on the pitch". Hartley also picked up a knock on Saturday, but is expected to feature against Dunfermline.

Former Hearts goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie will start today's game for the Fifers after Dorus de Vries was injured in the defeat at Easter Road. Stephen Kenny, the manager of Dunfermline, has tried to stop the rot by concentrating "on getting ourselves defensively right, competing, having more determination and aggression, and a better attitude."

However, Dunfermline lack quality as well as confidence and, despite rolling up the sleeves, they are now nine points adrift at the foot of the table.

Taken from the Scotsman