If there’s one game that could potentially help to restore some much-needed pride and boost flagging morale more than any other, it would surely have to be a local derby.
This weekend Hearts go head-to-head with rivals Hibs for the first time in 2008, with Hearts looking for their first win in 11 (yes, that’s ELEVEN!) games.
In years gone by (I’m thinking the ’80s and ’90s in particular here) this was always a fixture where Hearts could almost guarantee that they would get full points from. Even if we were having the worst season imaginable, it just seemed as though Hibs could not beat us, and on the rare occasions when they did, the feeling of disbelief was enormous.
Hearts had two very long unbeaten runs during that particular era, with one of them stretching to 22 matches, spanning a period of around five years. I think at one stage it was something like 4 defeats from 45 matches – quite an achievement for a fixture of this nature by anyone’s reckoning.
However in recent years the derby has become much more of what a traditional derby match really should be – completely unpredictable. Hibs have certainly been giving as good as they’ve been getting for quite a while now, and although I’m sure that we’d all rather that Hearts were winning game after game against Hibs like they used to, I would definitely say that the Edinburgh derby does tend to be a much better game of football these days. Certainly, any neutrals would definitely back this point of view, and indeed many in the media are even saying that this fixture has been much better than the Old Firm derby has in recent years, a fixture that seems to have lost some of the ‘oomph’ that is once had for some reason. I’m sure that will return soon mind you.
Eleven games without a win is an extremely barren run of results by anyone’s standards, and the nature of some of those have been every bit as disappointing as the actual outcomes themselves.
However for some reason I find myself with a bit of optimism ahead of this weekend’s derby. Perhaps it’s still the old in-built superiority complex when it comes to Hibs, and that no matter what’s happened recently and what the teams look like on paper, or what the form book shows, Hearts will win. But I’m not sure that this is entirely it.
I look across the city at Hibs, who have just appointed themselves another young manager who got off to an excellent start last weekend. But before Mixu came in they had been having a bit of a crisis themselves it has to be said, and there is still said to be problems at Easter Road behind the scenes, with perhaps more of their best players set to be sold soon e.g. David Murphy. They do have the excitement of their new manager who will give them a lift of sorts, but everything’s certainly far from rosy over there.
And then I consider what I’ve been watching at Tynecastle over the past fortnight or so, and I have to admit that things have improved a fair bit, even if draws haven’t been turned into victories.
Yes the Hearts defence has looked shaky, yes the midfield could and should have more steel in it, and yes Andrius Velicka should have a proper striker up alongside him. But I have seen small pieces of evidence to suggest that improvements have been made, and the ability is definitely there to go out and get a morale-boosting result this weekend.
Of course, I could be entirely wrong and the run will extend to 12 games after the derby, but if we don’t allow ourselves to be optimistic about games like these then we really have to ask ourselves if there’s any point in going any more.
On reflection, that is a question I’ve asked myself on several occasions this season, but we’ll not split hairs eh?! Come on the JTs!
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Well I for one feel optimistic each and every time I take my seat at Tynecastle so you’re not alone there. I hesitate to say “we’re too good to go down” but I genuinely believe we are and this recent spectcularly bad run is nothing to do with football prowess (well not entirely). Certainly the last 2 games have shown marked improvement and if this can be carried forward along with everyhting else that goes with derby games then this could kick start our season (or my tea may have been laced with something!). I perhaps fear for Michael Stewart though – if ever there was a game to try too hard in and get sent off!!
Stewart’s been off the boil lately and his frustration has tended to make him an accident waiting to happen hasn’t it? Big game for him.
Against Motherwell once he’d been booked you could see that he shirked out of challenges presumably in case he got booked again. On the one hand this is a good sign as it appears he appreciates his behaviour can’t continue but on the other it’s a complete waste of time having a playmaker who is too scared to get involved in the game. We probably can’t leave him out but perhaps if he’s told to sit and we let Reuban venture forward.
There have been times this season when I felt that a truly terrible result, a real shocker would force Romanov?s hand into appointing a proper manager, giving him autonomy etc. Now we have the kind of announcement we have been waiting for: the promise of the appointment of a manager with experience of British football who will be allowed to pick the team etc. without interference. So I should be looking forward to the Hibs game without any mixed feelings. Eh, no?.this time I?m worried that a good result, particularly against Hibs, will increase the chances of Frail being given the manager?s position!!
I can see why you’d think that, but don’t think so imcd. The impression I’ve gotten from listening to interviews from people inside Hearts is that this is a strategic (albeit belated) decision, not related to individual results. What I’m saying is, if Frail is getting the job, it won’t matter what the result is against Hibs either way. So I’m just hoping for a victory. The team needs a win for morale’s sake. Even better to do it against the wee team IMO.
No matter what I couldn’t really bring myself to wish for a defeat against Hibs (or anyone else for that matter). Like you I am very much hoping for a victory. However, it would be an interesting decision, to say the least, if we got a real hammering and then Frail was appointed the next week.
The way that some of us are thinking is weird isn’t it? As a matter of interest, you talk about never wanting Hearts to lose a match, but what if a situation presented itself whereby on the last day of the season, Hearts were to lose a meaningless match to another SPL side that would relegate one of the Old Firm? Would that change your thoughts?
I’d switch allegiance in a second (albeit temporarily)!!
Yes I would probably switch allegiance too in in the scenario you describe Mr H – but I’m pretty damn sure I’ll never have to test my resolve on this one in a real-life situation.
Pity…
You need to win this game or oyu could be struggling for rest of the season. Just dont know whats gone wrong with you!!