Mediocre Hearts pushed to the brink

RAY HEPBURN

17 Aug 1992

WORK on a Monday morning, never the most inviting prospect, will take on a new meaning for Hearts players at Tynecastle around 10 o'clock today.

Joe Jordan was not a man to tangle with flippantly as a player, and as a manager he is just as formidable without having to rely on his physical presence.

His players, having had a number of brushes with his pointed, vocal delivery already, are likely to hear a new dimension this morning.

There will be no mystery as to the reason for the Monday "Points of View" programme, despite Saturday's 2-1 victory over impressive Partick Thistle.

The form which made Hearts genuine championship contenders for much of last season, and eventually earned them second place, dipped into a shoddy shambles at times against John Lambie's players.

It was at the back that Hearts found most of their woe, with Henry Smith, Craig Levein, Graeme Hogg and Alan McLaren looking like complete strangers.

Their unrest made coping with the new pass-back rule extremely hazardous, and Thistle might have scored goals from a couple of tangles late in the game with the score at 1-1.

Gerry Britton and George Shaw contributed to the instability with their direct, tricky approach.

Behind them, David Irons, Ian Cameron and Ray Farningham had the skills and tenacity to knock their counterparts out of rhythm.

Credit Hearts, however, with the persistency to succeed amid mediocrity.

Gary Mackay insists on invading the opposition penalty area and was rewarded with his sixty-first minute goal.

Ian Baird and John Robertson, denied decent service for most of the match, persevered, with the Englishman knocking in his partner's cut-back with nine minutes left.

Sandwiched between was Britton's penalty equaliser after Irons' direct run left McLaren exposed, but that was scant reward for a team that will enhance the premier division.

Communication, warned Jordan afterwards, was a crucial missing element in his side during the match.

His players can be confident that he will not be short of skills in that department this morning.

Taken from the Herald