Craig Levein: Hearts' improved away form down to better players

Hearts manager Cevein, left, with assistant coach Austin McPhee. Pic: SNS

They won only five away games in total last season but have already surpassed that number this term. Victories at Cove Rangers, Hamilton, Dunfermline, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Dundee are a notable upgrade on last year’s form.

Manager Levein puts it down to an overall rise in standards after making 18 signings. The quality of his squad is now the envy of most clubs in Scotland, and consequently Hearts’ previously poor away results are now much stronger.

“Our form has been better this year,” Levein, below, told the Evening News. “Most teams do better at home than away from home. That’s normal. I think our form is just down to having a better team this year. We have better players and that’s why our form has improved.”

Levein will alter Hearts’ formation slightly for the trip to Paisley with the hope of creating a bigger goal threat. Having seen his team fail to score in their past four fixtures, he intends to remedy the issue with a change of tactics.

“I’m considering it but it won’t be drastic. I want to try and get more players higher up the field,” he said.

English winger Sean Clare is expected to start and there are no fresh injury concerns following  the international fortnight.