St Mirren v Hearts: Midfielder believes academy graduates can help club finish top of the class

THE impact of the international break can only be understood by first looking at its context.

The temporary suspension of club football in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League can leave squads irked by the rude interruption to their campaign, grateful for a reprieve from bad form or poor health or simply at a loss for something constructive to do.

In the case of Hearts it left them alone with their thoughts. Given they had just spurned a chance to enter the break at the top of the league table that can't have been a peaceful experience; indeed, Mehdi Taouil was still sporting a furrowed brow as he brought the subject up ahead of Hearts' return to league action away to St Mirren this afternoon.

That discontent would turn to defiance as he assessed the Tynecastle side's capacity to maintain a meaningful hope of contesting the title with Celtic. The Hearts midfielder is confident of the strength of the squad, despite signs of weakness in a defeat by Dundee two weeks ago.

"Dundee was a game that I've never played in before; we had the ball the whole time, we were in their half the whole time, but just a goal was missing," he said. "It was bad because we all had it in our heads that we could go top of the league for two weeks, as it was then the break, but we didn't do it.

"Do I feel the squad is strong enough to be at the top? Yes, I think there is quality in the squad. We lost a lot of players and not many have come in but still there is quality in the group. There are good young players coming from the academy."

St Mirren can also boast to have young players worth talking about in their side. Kenny McLean finished last season with a place in the Scotland under-21 squad and a nomination for PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, but it is this term that the St Mirren midfielder must prove himself.

The performances of the 20-year-old have thus far been somewhat muted when compared to the cacophony of plaudits he earned last season, and he is aware of the need to live up to his reputation. "This season, I started okay but I want to do better. Last season, there was some expectation after getting into the under-21s squad and the nomination for the young player of the year," he said. "I think expectations are a bit higher than how I've started the season. If there is a bit of pressure there then I'm happy to deal with it in the right way."

His manager, Danny Lennon, will need him to do just that against Hearts this afternoon. "We've always had entertaining games with Hearts and I expect nothing less this time," said Lennon.

Taken from the Herald