Where Hearts can evolve under Steven Naismith as relentless winning run comes with 'risk' demand

Analysis from Tynecastle after Hearts played host to Motherwell in their latest Premiership fixture.

The Gorgie juggernaut keeps rolling on and even when they're not at their sparkling best for 90 minutes, this Hearts side finds a way.

Lawrence Shankland landed the first blow and Kenneth Vargas finished Motherwell off in a 2-0 success. Professionalism was shown in abundnace as they withstood attacking pressure and struck when it mattered most.

There was an expectancy lingering in the stands pre-match. Not that the playing staff would think this clash would be a simple case of turning up and winning, but a relentless romp to 10 wins from 11 games had confidence flowing and victory anticipated.

Lennon Miller's inch-perfect pass cut them open inside three minutes but Jack Vale's narrow miss proved only a warning shot. And Naismith was letting his players know exactly what he wanted.

Quick, fast, aggressive. That's what his shouts to Dexter Lembikisa to get higher and Zander Clark to get the game going quicker off a Motherwell corner seemed to suggest of his side changed to a three at the back system, and those type of demands were constant when opportunities to break arose. They were in relative control but more was being demanded of those in maroon with the possession they were enjoying.

They have developed the consistency but it perhaps pointed to the next step for this Hearts team. The winning formula has been just about perfected but can they now add thrills in the shape of fast breaks from back to front into this system which is proven to bring victories.

"To be honest the game, from the first half to the end, played out the way we expected it to," Naismith said post-match. "In the first half it just didn’t click in the final third. When we are playing three at the back, which I think has a place for us, players need to take more risk in possession to get more numbers in the box.

"You cover the pitch much better (with three at the back) and when they have three forwards, you are asking them to do a lot of work. It's then that speed of attack, that allowed them to stay in their shape. We worked them hard in the first half and in the second half you are asking them to go again, which I thought we did. Our intensity when we had the ball was really good."

Frankie Kent was carrying the orders of his gaffer out from the back. He might not have the armband but the defender could be spotted talking his teammates nearby through situations whenever the opportunity arose. Kent is the unofficial general of this Hearts side.

As a game, all that was bright about it was the floodlights in the opening half. Naismith wanted the bold and the safe pass was giving him little satisfaction. Another searching Lennon Miller move behind the defensive line prior to referee Chris Graham's half-time whistle should have been punished but the narrowly wide effort ended with a sigh of Gorgie relief.

Lembikisa was subbed at the break and Banigime going down before the whistle had Nathaniel Atkinson and Kenneth Vargas enter the fray. Like for like in terms of an attacking right-back but a forward for a midfielder again proved the thirst for creative spark.

76% possession at the start of the second half was counting for very little with zero shots on target to that point. A bombardment of Motherwell crosses early doors was withstood but the Steelmen were growing in confidence.

It was an unknown as to what Motherwell were going to turn up here, the Jeykll who shone for 30 minutes and romped into a 3-0 lead against Aberdeen midweek, or the Hyde that played the rest of the game and just about clinched a 3-3 draw.

It appeared it was the former Hearts were facing. But no matter who he is playing, nobody is able to stop Shankland right now. He hadn't had a sniff all game but Alan Forrest's free-kick turned the away defence to statues and you can't freeze when Scotland's most clinical striker right now is about.

After the goal, it was a procession. First Vargas then Yutaro Oda, there was no shortage of stars who wanted a goal. This was the Hearts that blitzed Motherwell's Lanarkshire rivals Airdrie in the Scottish Cup last week. Fir Park boss Stuart Kettlewell watched that game from the TV gantry at the Excelsior Stadium and would no doubt have known what was coming at his team after the home opener.

Even after the tempo had died down after the goal adrenalin rush, there seemed no real worry for those in the home end that this would be anything but three points. Their team had entered victory formation and Vargas' strike was simply icing on the cake, with Naismith's subs making a telling impact on this encounter.

Eight wins in a row, 11 victories from 12 and 14 points ahead of fourth. There will be bumps in the road but right now, Naismith's men are enjoying a smooth coast to third that comes partly thanks to a mindset change.

"There is definitely a mentality shift in what we expect from each other and also what we expect the outcome to be," Naismith added. "Yeah, there’s going to be bumps in the road and we will get beat and things like that, but I think we will react to those situations better than we would have a year ago."