Our away form hasn't been brilliant this year and we haven't won on our travels since beating St Johnstone in October. That was only our second away win - although as the other one came against Hibs in Edinburgh we should have a bit of hope going into this one. However we haven't managed a win at Tynecastle since Boxing Day 2007 - blowing a great chance last season. It's about time that stat was consigned to the history books.
The joys of Hearts these days mean that football is often not the main issue when we prepare to face the Jambos. Back in November the talk was about the media ban and the players not getting their wages. Well, the media ban may have been lifted but the wages situation still rumbles on. The SPL have now decided to get tough by telling them to get everything sorted by Monday or else they might hold a meeting where the possibility of some sort of punishment might be on the agenda. That'll show them - although by huge coincidence when the SPL made this statement last week some of the wages were paid that day.
It must be hard being a Hearts player in this situation. You will of course want to give your all, but you're not getting paid for your work, your owner is desperate to get shot of half of you and one bad tackle could cause huge problems as you will have no hope of finding a new club. They therefore deserve great credit for their efforts in recent weeks and ironically their form has improved since the financial difficulties began - they're now fourth!
So, while we're coming up against a club who seem determined to pay their players less than East Stirling's squad get, they clearly have one of the best squads in the SPL and the money problems seem to have generated a degree of togetherness. This will be an extremely tough game and if we could get a draw against the Jambos I would be more than happy. They just sneaked past Auchinleck Talbot while we struggled against Hamilton last week so this might not be a classic!
The problem last week wasn't so much the players but the tactics Danny Lennon deployed so don't expect too many changes for tomorrow's game. Jim Goodwin or Stephen Thompson could return - preferably both - with Aaron Mooy and David Barron the most likely players to make way. However, the pair are still serious injury doubts and with another game coming on Tuesday it wouldn't be a surprise if they are rested once again. We only have three other senior fit players at the time of writing with Gary Teale the most likely of them to start if the injured pair are still missing.
The surprise decision to loan out Jon McShane leaves us rather bereft of players at the moment. By my reckoning we have just 17 fit players (assuming Goodwin and Thompson make it for tomorrow) and two of those are goalies. With McShane and Joe McKee leaving we're also rather short of youngsters to fill the remaining spaces, as potential bench warmers like Mark Lamont and Dominic Kennedy are also away on loan. Jason Naismith could fill one spot while Jack Smith - who bagged a brace in a bounce game this week - could take the other.
I've already mentioned the problems Hearts have been having off the pitch but that's just the latest in the long running saga of Vladimir Romanov's ownership of the club, who surpassed even his own bizarre antics when he sacked Jim Jefferies a whole two games into the season. Only a mad man would let his manager assemble a squad, sack him and then leave his replacement with sod all time - or money - to sign anyone - but then this is Mad Vlad we're talking about. In those circumstances - even without all the wages nonsense - Paolo Sergio has done terrifically to get his side up to fourth, just a few points behind Motherwell.
How long Sergio will be able to continue that is anyone's guess with a mass exodus expected at Tynecastle before the end of January. Eggert Jonsson has already gone - his departure apparently allowing the squad to be paid - while Andrew Driver and Ryan Stevenson may also be on their way after daring to point out that it would actually be quite nice to get paid some time soon. Rudi Skacel - who often does well against us - is out of contract at the end of the month and it would be a surprise to see that extended. Former Buddie John Sutton - a fringe player for much of the season - looks set to leave on loan, although if yesterday's news is anything to go by he won't be coming to us.
Such has been Hearts' financial woes that Ian Black had to take up a job as a painter over Christmas, prompting him to unveil an amusing T-shirt after he scored against Hibs - which their captain Ian Murray seemed to find offensive! It is the attitude of guys like Black, with his "if it moves, kick it" approach to football that Hearts really need at this time of uncertainty. It's unlikely he'll attract interest from elsewhere this month, but young forward David Templeton, goalie Marian Kello and Stevenson and Driver could be sold to generate some cash.
In footballing terms, Hearts seem to have struggled for goals this season - not helped by the continuing absence of Kevin Kyle and Sergio's reluctance to play Sutton. Stephen Elliott has scored a few, although near namesake Calum Elliot has been punted in a bid to make ends meet, while Stevenson and Skacel have contributed a few from midfield. However, no one has been regularly banging them in - so it's just as well they're strong defensively with Kello as well as Andy Webster (when fit), Marius Zaliukas and fullbacks Jamie Hamill and Danny Grainger. Many of them are Jefferies signings and are all doing pretty well under the new man, with Mehdi Taouil capable of causing problems at the other end of the park.
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