In our first few years in the SPL, trips to Tynecastle were surprise and welcome sources of points. We won there in 2006 thanks to Stewart Kean in a classic smash and grab, while a year later we pretty much dominated and won thanks to Stephen McGinn. However, we've not won there since then and the fortunes of both clubs are sufficiently different this season to suggest that record won't change any time soon.
We head into the international break after this one and the SPL split is beginning to loom large. It is clearly a two horse race to beat the drop and, sadly, it will certainly not be sorted before the final five games. Between now and then we must get as many points on the board so that we have breathing space before the run in. If it can't be officially over, we must get ourselves in the best possible shape we can be for the end of season drama, in the off chance there is a repeat of the 2009 débâcle.
But as I mentioned, it is unlikely tomorrow will yield too many points. Quite simply, Hearts are flying this season and they will see a game against us as an easy three points in their quest to catch one of the Old Firm. The fact they've beaten us twice so far this season without even conceding a goal shows just how tough it will be.
It's at this point of the preview I play a game I like to call "Guess the team". In the last two previous I've predicted Kenny McLean would start and he hasn't. Quite why is a mystery. He was superb when he started against Rangers, did nothing wrong and was promptly dropped. He was then superb as a sub against Aberdeen and still didn't start, so I don't hold out much hope of him playing tomorrow. It's a shame as he is one of our brightest talents at the moment and a real creative force in midfield.
It is the perfect chance for him to start as Hugh Murray is apparently injured, however it's fairly likely he'll be replaced by Jim Goodwin or Paddy Cregg (it's not even worth mentioning Aaron Mooy any more). Everyone is apparently fit and it will be interesting to see how many changes there are to Wednesday's team. Apparently Jure Travner was poor, so with David Barron now fit he could be dropped - although it ma just have been a one off from the Slovenian. There should probably be other changes, with Nick Hegarty, Gareth Wardlaw and Paul McQuade among the options, but don't be surprised if the only change is the replacement of Shuggy with Goodwin.
Last time Hearts did this well was back in 2006, when they won the Scottish Cup and finished second in the league. That year they started off with a Scottish manager and it is surely more than coincidence they're doing well with another Scot in charge. It's also more than coincidence that they're doing well while Jim Jefferies has been left to his own devices rather than have Vladimir Romanov interfering at every opportunity. For those of us who like seeing teams challenge the Old Firm, hopefully Jefferies will be left in peace next season too.
However, Mad Vlad couldn't quite keep his hands to himself in the summer and it seems he played a part in Rudi Skacel coming back to Tynecastle in the summer. Jefferies was far from impressed but the Czech midfielder, who was part of the Jambos' glorious 2005/06 season, has done well in the goal scoring stakes and seems like a good piece of business from the chairman - for once. You can't really argue with a return of nine from a midfielder.
Jefferies has also been getting a reasonable amount of goals up front, thanks to Kevin Kyle and Stephen Elliott. Kyle was excellent for the 18 months he was at Kilmarnock and John Potter is probably still having nightmares about his shocking night at Rugby Park two years ago. The big forward, who was a player in the sad, early days of Berti Vogts disastrous spell in charge of Scotland, has got 10 and also likes roughing up defenders. Elliott has managed six, which is a reasonable return as he hasn't been starting every week. The form of David Templeton, who seems to be playing wide, has also helped boost the goals for column as he creates and scores. He hardly got a look in before Jefferies arrived and he must have found the former Stenhousemuir man in a cupboard.
If Hearts are good up front, they are still strong at the back. Last month, Jefferies brought Andy Webster back to the club after he was let go by Rangers and the injury prone defender has almost managed as many games for Hearts this season as he did during his time at Ibrox. He will be a solid acquisition at the back, although Ismael Bouzid and Marius Zaliukas will take some displacing. With Lee Wallace on the left and Marian Kello in goals, it's no surprise they keep things tight on a regular basis.
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