Hearts Looking For Some Good News

By Ed_Scottishfitba

There has not been much to enjoy for Hearts fans recently but they could start the year with a win over city rivals Hibs tonight.

Hearts manager John McGlynn would love to be only having to worry about football. He will welcome Hibs to Tynecastle tonight hoping to pick up all three points on offer to keep their off-field problems to the back of their minds. Apart from winning the Scottish Cup in May, Hearts must be glad to see the back of 2012 although they are still mired in financial difficulty. They lost December's most recent Edinburgh derby, in the Scottish Cup fourth round, as a 12-game unbeaten run came to an end. McGlynn is optimistic his side, who have a game in hand, could soon overhaul their capital rivals who are sitting in the number four slot in the SPL.

McGlynn said: "It's up to us to rise to the challenge. If we can win that game tonight, we would be three points behind Hibs with a game in hand. Considering the situation we've come through, that would be a reasonably good position to be in, sitting in a comfortable position for the second half of the season."

Hearts teamsheet for tonight's game will not include Ryan McGowan after the club accepted a bid from China's Shandong Luneng, believed to be in the region of £400,000, for the Australia international. Hearts could have lost him without any compensation as his contract was due to expire at the end of the season. McGowan was seen at Hearts' training base in west Edinburgh yesterday saying his goodbyes. McGlynn said: "It's disappointing to lose him but it's the state of affairs. If good offers come in, in the financial situation we find ourselves in, we need to accept them. If the football club feel we have to sell any other players, that would be the reason why. We have to get to the summer."