'Nobody at Hearts earns £30,000 a week' - winning mentality returns to Tynecastle thanks to different methods

No longer is the points gap spoken of inside Hearts’ dressing room. Successive wins restored confidence as a winning mentality gradually takes hold in there once more.

Managing the squad is a delicate balancing act for Robbie Neilson and his coaching staff. Unlike those they aspire to catch, Celtic and Rangers, they can’t call upon an array of superstars earning tens of thousands of pounds each week. Utilising resources is important.

Beating St Mirren last week and Aberdeen on Wednesday gives the Edinburgh club a 12-point advantage sitting third in the cinch Premiership with nine games remaining. It is the healthiest of positions to occupy, although there is no let-up.

A recent run of one league win in six is gone, replaced by a rediscovered motivation to seize what Hearts feel is their destiny. Finishing third guarantees European football and there is belief at Riccarton that the recent dip in form is over.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - MARCH 02: Hearts' Stephen Kingsley celebrates after making it 2-0 during a Cinch Premiership match between Hearts and Aberdeen at Tynecastle, on March 02, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Neilson must keep players physically fresh whilst also tapping into their minds to push his team over the line. No sooner had the final whistle sounded against Aberdeen than he was talking of winning at Dundee United on Saturday.

He is using every tool available to motivate players both physically and mentally. “We don’t talk about the gap,” he said in conversation with the Evening News. “We talk about playing at Hearts and winning every week.

“Whether you’re a point ahead, a point behind, ten points ahead, 15 points ahead, you need to win every single week. That’s it. The boys were back in on Thursday after the game on Wednesday night. We have to make sure we go to Tannadice and win the game. If we win that, we move on to the next one.

“You go through ups and downs during the season. Where we are as a club and a squad, it’s very difficult to be at the top level all the time. We had a right good start to the season, then we came off it a wee bit, then we got going again, then we came off it recently, and now we’ve managed to get back winning again.

“That’s just the nature of where we are as a club. We can’t make seven or eight changes like Celtic and Rangers can, or bring in eight international players who are on £30,000 a week.

“Players will fatigue, we will get them back up again, we bring players in and try to rotate it to keep the levels high. We have to accept that we want the levels to be up there all the time but we aren't always going to be up there. When we come down, we have to make sure we put on some sort of performance.”

The atmosphere around Tynecastle was audibly buoyant again on Wednesday evening as supporters revelled in a comfortable 2-0 victory over an Aberdeen side with a greater first-team budget. While they languish in tenth place, counterparts in Gorgie are booking time off work for potential European trips.

“Like anything in football, you move on very quickly,” said Neilson, speaking about how results change people’s mood. “We had two poor results against teams at the bottom of the league and people were saying it’s the end of the world. A few days later, we’ve won twice and people are saying we’re back in the saddle again.

“We’ve just done exactly the same thing, the only difference is we’ve scored goals. The performance was pleasing against Aberdeen but now we know that we have to go to Tannadice and win.”

It is no coincidence that Hearts recorded back-to-back wins and clean sheets in their last two matches with Craig Halkett restored in central defence. An injured hamstring sidelined him for a month, during which that aforementioned disappointing run transpired.

Fellow defenders John Souttar and Stephen Kingsley scored in the 2-0 win against Aberdeen but Halkett’s stable and assured presence was just as crucial.

“It is massive,” admitted Kingsley. “I felt a bit for Toby Sibbick who came in. We play a certain way and we have done all season for a new guy coming in who doesn’t know the rotations.

“We play to a very certain style and have done this whole season. That’s why we’ve been pretty successful. Everyone knows their job and we are comfortable in that job but then Toby comes into a harsh environment when we had had a couple of bad results. We maybe came away from that style and that made it tough for him.

“Craig has come back in and he's been his dominant self. He is so aggressive when the ball is in the air. When he has got the ball he then turns into the calm, composed player who knows his role and knows what passes to look for.

“He has been underrated this season, in my opinion, when you look at how well he has done. I’m delighted to have him back in the team.”

Neilson has even mentioned Halkett, Kingsley and Barrie McKay as potential Scotland candidates for national coach Steve Clarke. The Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon and centre-back John Souttar are certain to be included in the squad for this month’s World Cup play-offs.

“As a team, we know that if we keep putting in the performances then we are going to be in the public eye,” said Kingsley. “The Scotland manager is going to have a tough time picking his squad when you have players like John and big Craig putting in the performances that they have been.

“It is testament to the work being done here. If there is a call-up for those two boys, and maybe other players as well, then that would be fantastic. We can only focus on what is going on here and our performances here. Anything other than that is a bonus.”

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this article. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.