Halting the rot key for Gordon

CHANGE isn't always for the better but sometimes it is considered necessary. On Wednesday night a host of first-team regulars filled the seats in the Recreation Park stand as their colleagues got on with the task of defeating Alloa to progress to the next round of the CIS Cup but with Aberdeen the opposition today, they will be re-enlisted.

There is no doubting that the Tynecastle club have the numbers to make such wholesale changes, but it is the strength in depth that has been questionable. Which is why, with vital league places at stake and a trip to Pittodrie in the offing, the tried and trusted will be more than spectators. But a lot has changed in a year. Last season, the starting line-up was as predictable as it was efficient when it came to trawling for points and splitting the Old Firm but this year, only Craig Gordon, Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley could be considered automatic picks. Which is why they, along with so many others, were rested midweek. It was a welcome escape from the norm, which has seen them average two games a week for the past couple of months. It means that with only seven league games under the belt they are still well into double figures. Not something that can be maintained for long. It's something Valdas Ivanauskas is acutely aware of.

"We have this rotation system, and Paul Hartley, Craig Gordon and Steven Pressley were not in the squad because they need rest. That was good for the players to have a couple of days off and it will help us in the future and after Sunday it is a similar situation, with international games, UEFA Cup games and we need to be very, very careful. A couple of players like three games in the week but it is more difficult. I can understand players who want just games and games - but only if you have positive results, then that helps in future games. But if they are negative results then it is very good to have a rest. Now our situation is much better than before but we need to have some time so we can work hard."

And it's not just mental and physical fatigue caused by having to raise themselves for testing fixtures on the world and European stage, the crammed diary throws up other problems. Last season it was Celtic manager Gordon Strachan bemoaning the fact there was precious little time between games to introduce newcomers to each other, let alone the tactical nuances of the team. The problem manifested itself in a stuttering start to the season before the matches eventually thinned out, the players got a breather and the manager got in some meaty coaching sessions.

The fact that they went on to win the league is a fact not lost on his Lithuanian counterpart at Tynecastle, who is clinging to the hope that when he can enjoy a similar luxury, the chances of usurping them will increase. For him, training is vital.

"This is the first situation in my managerial career when there have been a lot of games. Before, it was maybe just one midweek or just Saturday, but now, with international and UEFA Cup games, it is Sunday, and Wednesday or Thursday and then Saturday or Sunday."

Defeats do not help heal tired limbs and weary brains, which is why, with the important Premierleague fixture against Aberdeen this afternoon and the crucial attempt to escape the UEFA Cup chop on Thursday to contend with, back to back victories against Motherwell and then Alloa to halt the losing run have been so influential, according to both manager and players.

"That was important for us as we felt under pressure to get a result in that game," goalkeeper Gordon said of the match against Motherwell. "It wasn't pretty for long spells but we got there in the end and that was all that mattered. We knew at half-time, when we went in, that Rangers had lost so three points was a must. We knew that a win was always going to take us back to second place in the league and that was the psychological boost we needed." It was a win made possible by a timely save from the keeper as the minutes ebbed by. "I suppose it was the timing of it more than anything that was important for the team. It gave us all three points when we desperately needed them. Hopefully that can be the wee turning point in our season and we can go on a wee roll now and pick up a few good results in a row. We desperately needed one to get us going and even though we scraped it in the end, that save at the end was timed perfectly."

It allowed the team to end on a high and with the second string securing a place in the next round of the CIS Cup, an about turn in domestic fortunes would now be savoured. As the 2006/07 season finds its feet, the main protagonists are struggling to do the same. A handful of games in to the campaign and none of last season's top three have found cruise control. Which is why they are all bunched together and unable to shake off the early pretensions of Aberdeen, Hibs and Kilmarnock, never mind the audacious advances of newcomers St Mirren.

"Aberdeen have put a few decent results together and, away from home, it's never easy for us up there," said Gordon. "But we have two wins in a row now so we can start taking a bit of confidence into games with us again." With so many teams waiting for things to click and for new players to mesh, the aim is now to be the first team to do so and get up a head of steam as Hearts did with their 12-game unbeaten streak at the start of the last league campaign.

"It looks like that. Everyone seems capable of losing points especially away from home this season. Celtic lost at Tynecastle, Rangers have dropped points on the road so it's vitally important to start picking up three points away from home and something like the run we had at the start of last season would put us right up there. That's what we are crying out for, a wee bit of consistency, a run of wins and it doesn't matter how we get them we just need to get the points on board and then that puts the pressure on the teams around about us."

Hearts are a team who have learned what it's like to perform under pressure. Last year they handled it well. This year they hope to recapture that resolve. Because then no-one will want rested and the tired legs won't feel so fatigued.

Taken from the Scotsman