Hearts fan favourite says club can challenge Rangers for second spot despite slow start

Kevin Kyle believes Hearts are capable of finishing above Rangers this season. | SNS Group 0141 221 3602

Former Hearts striker Kevin Kyle believes that his former side are more than capable of challenging Rangers for second position this season despite making what he describes as a ‘horrendous’ start to the new season.

Kyle scored seven goals in 19 appearances for Hearts between 2010 and 2012, before going on to play a small role in Rangers’ third division title victory a year later.

The 43-year-old, who also played for Kilmarnock, Sunderland and Coventry City, revealed that he was in attendance for Hearts’ opening game of the season when they grinded out a 0-0 draw against last season’s runners-up.

Speaking to STV Sport he said: “They (Hearts) are off to a horrendous start, I was at the first game of the season, I took my youngest up to watch the game against Rangers.

“I thought Hearts were quite good that day, but since then they haven’t quite kicked on from that or performed as well, whether that is from having the games in Europe or whether it is the new bodies trying to bed in.

“There are a few fans starting to make noises and pressure is building on Steven Naismith, but it only takes one game to turn things around.”

Hearts face the unenviable task of facing a formidable looking Celtic team in their next game but will take some confidence from their victories against them in March and December last season.

He added: “I think this happened last season as well, when they had a run of three or four defeats, and they managed to turn that around and finish third, so hopefully it’s just a blip and a bump on the road and they can turn it around and get going again.

“Some of the fans just aren’t having him, it was the same with Robbie (Neilson). The fans pay their money and are entitled to their opinions, but you can’t always agree with their opinions and have to look at it from a wider aspect.

“The reality is that Hearts need to be winning games and ultimately finishing third each year, then looking to challenge the top two.

“That’s always difficult, but I think looking at the way Rangers are just now there is no reason to say Hearts shouldn’t be up there challenging.

“They’ve got off to a bad start and puts more pressure on the club as a whole but I would like to see them give him (Naismith) time, he is a young manager and sometimes it isn’t straightforward for young managers who finish playing and then jump straight into management and there is a learning process.

“Whether he gets the time or not is up to him, if he starts getting results again he’ll be fine, but if he doesn’t then the Hearts board will have a decision to make.”