Hearts Visit Bogey Ground

In the late '80s and throughout much of the '90s, Fir Park was a happy hunting ground for Hearts. We regularly used to go through there and give Motherwell a cuffing, even in games where we got completely outplayed for long spells, which did happen on a few occasions.

However in recent years, Fir Park has become something of a bogey ground. It has become synonymous with poor Hearts performances, shocking refereeing (and we've got Iain Brines tomorrow so don't expect that to change!) and all-round frustration for those of a maroon persuasion.

Tomorrow's fixture takes on ultra-importance for Hearts after the recent run of poor results. Ivanauskas is under no illusions and he knows that defeat tomorrow could potentially spell the end of his short tenure, despite captain Steven Pressley's call for continuity at Tynecastle.

Motherwell have not started the season as they'd like under Maurice Malpas. To be fair Malpas' job this season is an extremely difficult one, as he has some pretty big shoes to fill in the wake of Terry Butcher's departure to Australia. Butcher for me did a terrific job with little resources and he had Motherwell very difficult to beat. They had all the same attributes as Butcher himself did as a player: physically and mentally strong, they never gave up and they had no fear.

Ivanauskas is on a hiding to nothing tomorrow. If Hearts win against a side still looking for their first win of the SPL season, it will have been expected anyway. If they draw or lose, he'll get dog's abuse. It's harsh, but that's the way it is at Hearts these days.
Motherwell Team News:
Calum Elliot's loan deal from Hearts contains a clause that prohibits him from playing against his employers, so he misses out.

Motherwell will also be missing strikers David Clarkson and Adam Coakley through injury.

Player to watch: Scott McDonald
Many clubs including Hearts were linked with the little Aussie in the summer but nothing materialised. He's always dangerous and tends to play better in the bigger games.
Hearts Team News:
Neil McCann, Julien Brellier and Saulius Mikoliunas are all available again after suspension.

Jankauskas and Goncalves are still injured, with Pospisil and Driver also set to miss out.

Player to watch: Mauricio Pinilla
This is assuming he's given his chance, which is a big assumption with Hearts team selections! He's looked a really decent player and once he starts getting better service, could be a top signing for Hearts.