Austin reflects on fallen powers

Indeed, since the much maligned split was introduced at the start of the 2000/01 season, no Hearts side has failed to make the top six while the last team to finish outside the top half of the table was in the 1998/99 campaign when they finished sixth in the old ten-team set-up.

The fact that the Tynecastle outfit currently find themselves in the position where not making the top six is a distinct possibility would have been an unthinkable proposition when the season got underway.

With seven games remaining before the split Stephen Frail's men are five points behind sixth place Falkirk and a whopping 14 adrift of third-place Motherwell who have two games in hand. It's all a far cry from McCann's time under then boss Craig Levein and he admitted that he's been shocked by Hearts' fortunes this term.

"With a club the size of Hearts the aim has always to be to get into Europe and not just to make the top half of the table," said McCann, now with English League Two side Notts County.

"We certainly always went for Europe and the possibility of the top and bottom six was never even mentioned because I think we always believed we'd be in the top six.

"I think if we'd gone out looking to first and foremost finish in the top six that would have been setting our sights too low.

"I still keep in touch with what's going on in the Scottish League and I have to say I'm surprised at the position Hearts find themselves in.

"If they were to finish this season in the bottom six it would have to go down as one of their most disappointing seasons in years."

The next few matches will shape the remainder of Hearts' season with a tough trip to Motherwell followed quickly by a visit from SPL leaders Rangers.

With three victories from their last four outings the Jambos can approach the fixtures with a degree of confidence although will know that they can afford few slip-ups.

And while McCann believes it will be a tough task for Hearts to climb the table in the time left, he insisted that there is enough quality in the squad to do it.

"If they can get a wee run going there's no reason why they can't push on a bit," said 28-year-old McCann.

"The very least Hearts need to do is get into the top six and there is still enough time for them to make it. They have enough quality in the team and enough players but it's still going to be hard.

"They can't afford to lose many more games because if they do they'll be leaving themselves with too much to do. The situation they are in just now will probably surprise the players just as much as everyone else and I'm sure they'll be desperate to get out of the situation they are in.

"They need to try and get into the top half to give the supporters a few big matches to look forward to at the end of the season.

"During my time I played away in Europe and the club had quite a few big matches. That's what Hearts should be striving towards again and I know everyone at the club will be desperate to get back to that." While McCann left Tynecastle less than four years ago he admitted that the club is almost unrecognisable to the one he was at.

Signed by Levein from Airdrie, McCann will be remembered by the Hearts support for a last-minute winning goal against Celtic at Tynecastle in April 2003 and for playing his part in a famous 1-0 win over Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup a season later.

Only Christophe Berra and Robbie Neilson were anywhere near the first team squad when McCann was at Hearts, while Andy Driver was starting to make a name for himself coming through the youth ranks. And McCann concedes it's hard to take in just how much the club has changed.

"There aren't many boys left at all – just a handful and even some of them were playing in the 21s and below when I was there," said the defender.

"It hasn't been that long since I was there either and it's strange that there's been such a big turnaround. But it was just after I left that Vladimir Romanov came in and that's when things really changed with a lot more foreign players coming in."

Since quitting Edinburgh, McCann's playing career has taken him to Boston United as well as current club Notts County where he is established as the Meadow Lane side
's first-choice left back. Although the Magpies currently languish around the relegation zone in League Two, McCann insisted that most Scottish football fans would be surprised by the potential that exists there.

"We have a 20,000 all-seater stadium which is not dissimilar to Tynecastle," said the Glasgow born defender.

"We have three new stands and one old main one just like at Hearts. It creates a great atmosphere as well and although crowds have fallen away a wee bit just now when we aren't doing as well, we still get 10,000 for some games.

"We haven't been enjoying the best of seasons but have only lost one of our last seven games as we're looking to climb up the table.

"I'm enjoying playing regularly down here and hopefully we can continue our recent form and focus on trying to climb the table. Like Hearts we're too big a club to be in the position that we're in."

Taken from the Scotsman