Turning plaudits into points is next big step for Hearts, says Frail

Ten matches have passed since that match at Tynecastle. That still leaves Hearts three games short of their longest runs without a win – in season 1960-61, and again as recently as 1998-99, they went 13 games on the trot without a single victory – but that will come as no consolation. They need a win badly, for once it comes, they believe, the corner will have been turned, and they can look forward to a far better run of form. And when it comes to getting a morale boost from a victory, nothing is quite so effective as a win over Hibs.

"We want to move up the table and we are not that far away from doing it, but it is about a run of victories and hopefully that will start with Hibs," Frail said yesterday. "The character and work rate that they have shown over the past two weeks has been fantastic, but we have to take it on right through until the end of the season."

Hearts' marked improvement just predated the club's decision to dispense with the services of assistant coach Angel Cervenkov and give Frail more responsibility. Losing 2-1 at Falkirk would not normally be a cause of pride, but they did at least show a fight and a togetherness in that game which had been conspicuously missing from previous outings.

They then had a relapse in losing 4-1 to Dundee United – and getting three players sent off in the process – but followed that with a draw in the league against Kilmarnock and another in the cup versus Motherwell. They have freed themselves from the anxiety which marked their play a month or so ago, and Frail has witnessed that daily at Riccarton as well as during matches.

"We had to get them with a smile on their face," he said of his approach to training. "The work we do is really serious, but there are times when you can make it a little bit lighter, and we've been trying to do that.

"You can hardly walk in the dressing room, but it's noise. You hear banter, which we never had. There's more of a lift to the whole place. They're all together. We have a team spirit, but we now have to turn that side of it into winning games."

Christos Karipidis, the Greek defender, backed up Frail's belief that the lighter spirit in training has helped Hearts' performance during games. "I think in the last two games we have played better," he said.

"All the players have been speaking with the manager and we are more happy in training, we enjoy it more and we feel good in the dressing room. We play more games in training and that's what all the players want. They want to be playing games with the ball.

"Now we want to move forward and work with Stephen. All the players feel much better, all the players are happy – if you see the training you would see that. We just need one victory to get the confidence back, because in the last two games we have played well but we have not taken the three points."

While Hibs have been active in the transfer market, selling David Murphy and bringing in Ian Murray and John Rankin, Hearts have so far refrained from trading, other than to bring a Spanish trialist in for training. Frail thinks there is a good chance of that changing next week, however.

"There are one or two things we are hoping to happen next week in terms of players and seeing how far down the line we are," he said. "Hopefully we will have one or two to have a look at. We are moving in the right direction in terms of one or two players moving away either on loan or permanent. It should become a bit clearer next week. We have our targets and I don't want to mention them."

The return to the starting line-up of Deividas Cesnauskis after more than a year out has had something like the impact of a new signing, and the Lithuanian winger's duel with Murray should be one of the most fascinating confrontations of this afternoon's match. Cesnauskis has added zest and pace to the Hearts attack, and there should be more to come once he returns to full fitness.

Ruben Palazuelos also impressed when given the responsibility of being midfield playmaker, and it will be interesting to see if he retains his place in the team today. Michael Stewart may be in the playmaker's role, but Palazuelos has certainly been playing well enough to merit a place alongside him, and Eggert Jonsson may be the one to miss out.

The focus at Hearts may be about ending that long run without a win, and Frail is confident his players will go into today's match in a determined frame of mind. He warned, however, that once that elusive win is achieved, it should be regarded as no more than a first step rather than an end in itself. "Even if we win it does not mean everything is rosy in the garden again," the coach said. "We know we have a lot of work to do to get back to where we want to be."

Ten games without a win

• 12 January: Hearts 2 Motherwell 2, Scottish Cup fourth round

• 5 January: Hearts 1 Kilmarnock 1, Premier League

• 2 January: Dundee United 4 Hearts 1, Premier League

• 29 December: Falkirk 2 Hearts 1, Premier League

• 26 December: Hearts 0 St Mirren 1, Premier League

• 22 December: Hearts 2 Inverness 3, Premier League

• 15 December: Rangers 2 Hearts 1, Premier League

• 8 December: Hearts 1 Motherwell 2, Premier League

• 1 December: Hearts 1 Celtic 1, Premier League

• 25 November: Gretna 1 Hearts 1, Premier League

Pospisil on move

MICHAL Pospisil looks to be on his way out of Tynecastle following reports last night that the Czech striker has left Hearts for Belgian side Sint-Truidense. The 28-year-old is understood to have signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.

Taken from the Scotsman