Hearts analysis: Better equipped to face Rangers, more goals, how to tire teams out

Momentum is strong as the Jambo juggernaut heads for Glasgow

Last time Hearts travelled to Ibrox to face Rangers was back in October. They were toiling for consistency having won three of their previous eight games and arrived in Govan following a 4-1 drubbing by Celtic at Tynecastle Park. This time it is rather different.

With the Jambo juggernaut gather pace by the week, Hearts have won all eight of their previous fixtures ahead of this weekend's visit to Rangers. Head coach Steven Naismith has harnessed the momentum to drive his team into a commanding position in the Premiership table, where they hold a 14-point advantage in third place. It is theirs to lose and they have no intention of relinquishing it.

Hearts' next three matches are away to Rangers, at home to Hibs and at home to Celtic. All three games will further test their resilience, progress and appetite to maintain a quite extraordinary 12-game unbeaten run. Naismith is confident they are in better fettle for visiting Ibrox now than last time.

Two stoppage-time goals in October saw Rangers overturn Lawrence Shankland's goal to convert Hearts' 1-0 advantage into a shattering 2-1 defeat. "We are a better team now than back then - and we were really close last time," observed Naismith, who oversaw Saturday's 2-0 victory over Motherwell to make it eight wins in a row.

"It is about understanding that when we don't have the ball we need to switched on and organised out of possession. Then, when we have the ball, we need to know where we can hurt them. We are definitely a better team, a slicker team, and a better all-round team in every area. We have improved and that bodes well for the three games coming up."

The learning process undertaken in Gorgie this season was again in evidence at the weekend. The game was goalless at half-time but supporters remained patient along with players and coaches. Shankland headed the opening goal on 67 minutes before Kenneth Vargas added a classy late second for a 2-0 win.

"The whole thing is about learning. We are all learning and we are playing slightly differently," said Naismith. "Somebody who has been turning up in the stand for the last six months can understand the things we do in games and how the game progresses.

"The first part of a game is to get a feel for it, get a foothold and tire the other team out. Teams start a game fully focused but, as you fatigue, mistakes happen. Everybody is learning. It's been a lot of learning for the players to understand.

"Spartans [in the Scottish Cup last month] is a prime example. I've played in many cup ties where you are panicking and just launching balls forward. That plays into the other team's hands. It's trying to recognise that and tell everybody that. We are getting better at it."

Players other than Shankland are beginning to contribute goals, too. Alan Forrest, Vargas and Calem Nieuwenhof have all found the net in recent weeks. "I was asked earlier in the season if I was concerned - I'm definitely not concerned," stressed Naismith.

"We not only have Natty Atkinson who could have scored on Saturday, Alex Cochrane gets advanced and Stephen Kingsley is in the final third. We will create chances which inevitably will click and lead to goals. We had two or three good ones on Saturday. The goalie saved them but we shouldn't give him the opportunity to save them because we are 10 yards out. The more we play and the more chances we get, the more people will start taking them."