Tynecastle revival brings sense of trepidation to Hibs

By STUART BATHGATE
Published on Monday 2 January 2012 00:39

THIS could have been the Edinburgh derby that Hearts fans were approaching with a sense of dread.

Litle more than a fortnight ago, with the team having won just once in their last seven matches, words like freefall and meltdown were in liberal use, as the club's financial problems off the pitch were being reflected in the players' poor form on it.

In their past three games, however, Paulo Sergio's team have enjoyed an impressive revival, taking seven points out of nine without the loss of a single goal. At the same time, Hibernian are still looking for their first win under new manager Pat Fenlon, having lost three and drawn the other of the four matches they have completed since the Dubliner officially took the reins.

As a result, it is the home support who will gather at Easter Road today with a sense of trepidation. Halfway through the season, they are still just a point ahead of bottom club Dunfermline – and that thanks to a draw with Inverness Caley Thistle which Fenlon reckoned was the team's worst performance since he arrived from Bohemians.

Hibs' league position is unlikely to worsen today even if they lose, as Dunfermline, who are eight goals worse off, are at home to Celtic. But staying in 11th place would be no consolation to supporters who still believe, in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, that they should be challenging at the other end of the table. They want tangible signs of progress, and they want them now, before their club's flirtation with relegation blossoms into a longer-lasting relationship.

Already the first dissenting voices have been raised against the new manager. It may seem absurd to outsiders that Fenlon's suitability should be questioned after just four games, but it is an indication of the Hibs fans' desperation for improvement.

They have seen an almost uninterrupted run of poor form for two years. From late January 2010, when John Hughes' team lay third just a couple of points behind Celtic, they lost their way spectacularly. The decline continued under Colin Calderwood, whose run of five victories in a row from last February was the one bright spell in a year of clueless gloom. Fenlon is well aware that his most pressing need is to stop that rot as soon as possible, and few would take issue with his insistence that he needs to strengthen his squad. His first signing, Eoin Doyle, hopes to get international clearance in time to be named on the bench today, and the striker may in time turn out to be a valuable aset. But recruiting a new source of goals will not in itself be a whole lot of good unless Hibs become more competitive in midfield and more defiant at the back – and show more character throughout the team.

The kind of character that Fenlon needs in his team has been displayed in spades by Hearts in the past two weeks. They played with panache in beating Dunfermline 4-0 and again against tougher opponents, defeating Motherwell 2-0. Their goalless draw with Aberdeen last Wednesday, played in a high wind which minimised the chance to play football, was another decent result in the circumstances.

Senior players are still unpaid for December, Eggert Jonsson has signed for Wolves, Ryan Stevenson has refused to play for the club again and more players will leave soon. But, while problems behind the scenes remain, those last three results have provided some much-needed stability.

In a tight league, there is no guarantee that Hearts will finish in the top six. Even at present, they are only three points clear of seventh-placed St Mirren, and if they rush too many under-19s into the first team they can expect some difficult games between now and the end of the season.

But those two wins and a draw have sent out a clear message from Tynecastle. Hearts are still a good team: on the park at least, they are not falling apart.

Even so, it would still be galling for the Hibs fans if their own side lose today. The message from such a result would be that, no matter what misfortune befell Hearts as a team, they were still able to get the better of opponents who have long prided themselves on their sound financial management.

"I think there will be more pressure on them," Hearts left-back Ryan McGowan said. "We've been playing well, and we know that if we play well we'll be a match for everyone. We're not really too bothered what they do."

The primary difficulty for Hearts today could be maintaining the composure they need to keep playing well. In beating both Dunfermline and Motherwell, they were able to play at a relatively slow tempo, patiently building from the back. The derby is invariably played at a more frenetic pace, something which could disrupt Hearts' rhythm.

But, in his first derby in charge back in the autumn, Sergio got the balance right between football and frenzy. Confident his team had the better players, the manager acknowledged the need to come out on top in individual contests, but also stressed the need to keep a cool head. Hearts won 2-0 in some comfort.

"You have to keep your discipline," McGowan added. "But also it's a derby, so you need to make sure that you're winning all your battles and that everyone is right up for it, because we can't lose."

'Can't allow ourselves to lose' is what McGowan meant. He knows Hearts can be defeated, but, like his team-mates, is confident that, if they play to their strengths, they can leave Easter Road with the three points.

Taken from the Scotsman