Clear Hearts and minds on the edge of Swiss Alps as Jambos navigate European waters in Thun
Wouter Vrancken and his players know what is required in Switzerland
The crystal clear blue rivers running off Lake Thun are a sight to behold in this part of Switzerland. As are the stunning buildings lining the streets of Thun’s old town heritage centre. Peering over the edge on one of the city’s bridges, there is the odd river rapid but it is mostly a still and tranquil setting beneath the Swiss Alps. So pure is the water, you can actually see down to the riverbed.
The heads of Hearts fans may not be quite so clear after sampling the local Feldschlossen lager, but their team arrived in the Bern Oberland region last night with minds unclouded. This evening’s UEFA Conference League tie against FC Thun is another big occasion and one they need a result from. In that regard, the task ahead is as clear as those rivers winding between the city streets.
Hearts are ravaged by injury but are determined to compete for at least a point, possibly three, to enhance their chances of reaching the Conference League’s knockout phase. Anyone outside the club viewing this European campaign as an unwanted distraction does not understand its importance. Scottish Premiership progress is the priority, however the level of investment at Tynecastle Park in recent years is not designed only for domestic achievement.
Thun Castle overlooks the city centre and, on a clear day, is visible from the Visana Stadion. It is a 10,000-capacity venue on the very outskirts of town which is almost identical to Livingston’s Almondvale ground. The astroturf playing surface is firm underfoot, which might cause some concern among the Hearts camp given they already have 10 first-team players injured - many with muscle complaints.
Those who are fit and travelled include teenagers Matthew Gillies and Gus Stevenson, both currently on co-operation loans at Stenhousemuir. They played in last Friday’s Scottish Championship defeat by Livingston at Ochilview, and could now be propelled into a Conference League debut in Switzerland. Hearts are short in numbers, but you can see their attitude is as visible as those riverbeds a few miles along the road.
“We have to be spot-on, we have to be on our level and to make the result. The result is to try to get a win here,” said head coach Wouter Vrancken. “You don't have a choice any more. You have to put the players in who are ready to play. It's not pleasant to lose players, especially important players. The last two games, especially the Rangers game, Tomas [Magnusson] and Calvin [Miller] were both the best players on the pitch at that game. Losing them in the first half on Sunday and killing the game by this is not a nice thing to experience. We need players who step up now and take the responsibility.”
Picking a starting line-up will also require clarity from the manager. “It's a puzzle. I'm always happy to see that the players we work with and play out of position or talk with are always directly motivated to do it,” he said. “They know how much they help the team by doing it. It's good to see because they take responsibility and they don't live by excuses. That's how they did it already for weeks. That's how we also get good results and good performances. Now we have to try to do it two more times before the [international] break.”
Losing to Hibs in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final was the worst possible preparation for Hearts ahead of this fixture. Vrancken is confident his team have recovered mentally. “I think so. They showed it already a few times this season that they can bounce back in performance. I think when you leave out the last 20-25 minutes of the first half, we played a good game. It's just a pity that we couldn't reward ourselves in the second half with a goal that could spin it around. I'm confident in the players that they are mentally ready to play the game.”
With picturesque surroundings above, Vrancken is not worried by conditions underfoot. “No, concern. I think it's similar to Falkirk so we have to cope with it,” he said of the firm astroturf. “We don't have to look for excuses in this way. We can train on that and go full tomorrow. I'm not thinking about injuries. I'm just thinking about winning the game.”
It remains to be seen whether he will risk defender Stephen Kingsley on the surface given the defender’s history of muscle injuries. “Kings has recovered well. During the last few weeks we wanted to rest him a few times, but each time he had to play 60 minutes. It was not real rest. He coped well with it, so we'll see what we do tomorrow and Sunday [against Falkirk].”