Former Jambos boss lauds 'accomplished' Hearts star who could be the answer to 'problem position'
The former Hearts and Rangers striker was impressed with the Jambos debutant.
After Hearts defeated Livingston 1-0 at Tynecastle to keep out of touching distance for the Old Firm, new right back Jordi Altena already looks to be another exciting Jamestown find.
The 22-year old, who just signed from RKC Waalwijk in the Dutch second tier, had an impressive debut against the Lions, displaying his abilities to get forward and help build attacks, whilst also showing quality for the cross to Craig Halkett for the only goal of the game.
Former Hearts player and manager, Steven Naismith, believes Altena’s performance could help Hearts fill the void of the right-back position, which has troubled them for a number of years. So far this season, Oisin McEntee has been forced to play there despite his preferred position being in midfield while Christian Borchgrevink has only made two league starts.
Naismith, along with fellow pundit, Peter Grant, believes his old side should’ve perhaps been more clinical in the first half and put the game to bed then, as Tomas Magnusson and Claudio Braga both had clear cut chances. The visitors settled into the game in the second half and had a couple of chances themselves, setting up a nail-biting finish.
Altena potential answer to ‘problem position’
Speaking on BBC’s Sportscene, Naismith said: “I think in my time at the club, since Michael Smith at right back, it's been a problem position. Hearts have never really had somebody who's took the position and made it theirs.
“Altena's an aggressive full-back, who wants to be involved in the attacks and has got good quality in his final action, whether it be a pass, cut-back or a shot. His delivery for the goal is really good. Every time the turnover happened and Hearts gained possession, his first thought was to drive forward with the ball.
“At times, he was playing as a winger, which then allows Braga to come inside the pitch, Magnussen to be inside the pitch. It was a very accomplished, assured debut, and I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to come from it.”
Fellow pundit and former Celtic captain Peter Grant added: “you'll find that in Holland, most of them are wingers that become full-backs and that's what he looked like today, as if he was a winger converted to a full-back. He goes into the final third, he’s got good crossing and he picks good balls out when he goes into a dangerous areas.”
Hearts should’ve been ‘out of sight’ in first half
Grant said: “It was a game of two halves. You thought Hearts were going to win it and be out of sight with four or five chances in the first half. There was some great saves, some last-ditch defending, which you're going to expect when you go to Tynecastle. But they kept going at Livingston and Hearts have found a way. They've got guys that's in there, they're experienced, they know what they're doing themselves, which is the biggest thing.”
Naismith thinks that because it is a new experience for Hearts players to be league leaders at the halfway stage of the season, that it adds a different kind of pressure they’re not accustomed to. He added: “one thing to understand for Hearts is a lot of this is new to a lot of the players - being at the top, having the pack chase you.
“A lot of these players haven't dealt with that, and that's the thing. While they’ll think they can go further ahead, they've also just lost the derby. All these wee things are in a player's head and they’ll have to deal with that.”