BIG ELVIS HAS TAKEN OVER THE BUILDING

ALL Hearts supporters retain a sense of pessimism, so come back and ask me at Christmas if I think we can win the Premier League title.

But, having owned up to that psychological problem, let me say the feelgood factor is soaring at Tynecastle, or Murrayfield, or anywhere else we play at the moment.

And momentum is a formidable force to reckon with when it goes from the supporter in the stands to the man who runs the club.

Vladimir Romanov is an influential man at our club but, for me, everything on the park stems from Steven Pressley.

The captain has created a collective mindset where everything seems to be achieveable, starting today with three points against Dunfermline at East End Park.

He's the chief and there are plenty of injuns who can lend a hand when it comes to having a warrior spirit. Takis Fyssas, Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon can all help in that department.

Iwon't deny Rudi Skacel's goals will be a miss this season while he contemplates a future elsewhere but there are players such as Neil McCann, Saulius Mikoliunas, Deividas Cesnauskas and Andrew Driver who can provide terrific service from the wide positions to the two main strikers, Roman Bednar and Edgar as Jankauskas. What I don't know is if the club will be hit with the kind of periodic conflict that saw us shed two managers, a chief executive and a chairman on the way to making it into the Champions League qualifiers and winning the Scottish Cup last season.

Internal strife and Hearts have gone hand in hand for about the last four years but in a perverse kind of way I believe it's made all of us, players, fans and management a closer-knit unit.

Trials and tribulations have increased desire and there's more to come. I'll freely own up to a personal interest because I represent Christophe Berra and Lee Wallace, but there's a lot to be enthusiastic about when it comes to the kind of young players Hearts are producing.

But there I go tempting fate after owning up to a pessimistic streak. There's so much that could impact on the club over the weeks ahead.

Will what happens in the Champions League against AEK Athens have a positive or negative knock-on effect, for instance ?

All we can hope is Murrayfield becomes our European fortress and Tynecastle is an intimidating place for our domestic visitors.

Yesterday I bought tickets for the game against Celtic and Gordon Strachan's team aren't being given a whole stand to themselves. That could be the case right across the board in the league this season and that's got to be a help in creating a competitive atmosphere for us to work in.

But, deep down, I know it's going to be a bumpy ride and I don't want to tempt fate by promising myself anything.

The squad could be doing with an addition or two to help Valdas Ivanauskas but, on the other hand, we do have this incredible mental strength that's sustained us so far.

Who knows what's going to happen? That's what makes the new season so great. The signs look good for Hearts, or should I not have said that?

MAN TO WATCH: ANDREW DRIVER

I'M sure Andrew is set to make a major breakthrough this season, just like Callum Elliot did a year before him. This is all down to the calibre of job Stephen Frail is doing with his coaching skills at that level. Driver could be a stand-out this season and his quality delivery from the wide areas could prove to be a big help to the Hearts strikers.

Taken from the Daily Record