Steven Naismith pinpoints where Hearts have improved and why he will pick different teams for the final five games

The Premiership title could be decided at Tynecastle Park this Sunday.

Interim Hearts manager Steven Naismith is encouraged by his team’s defending as much as their attacking as he nears a month in charge. Celtic visit Tynecastle Park on Sunday in a potential league title decider and Naismith is preparing the Hearts players for perhaps their toughest post-split fixture.

He has worked on forward areas in training but defensive improvement is also obvious following the 6-1 victory over Ross County two weeks ago. “That's an area where we've been weak and conceded chances. Not so much conceding goals but conceding big chances,” he explained.

“I can't really remember many big chances Ross County had, other than the penalty. There was a header from a set-play which Zander did well to save. In open play, they didn't really create many great chances. The likes of Peter Haring and the two centre-halves were the foundation of how we were going to defend and that showed.

“Every team needs that spine [of two centre-backs and a protective midfielder] but, again, every game is different. We will need different players at different times. What all the defenders will have taken over the past two games is the fact that their performances have been good. In the first game at Hibs, we lost to one set-play that we didn't make contact with.”

Celtic’s attacking threat means the Hearts back line will once again be tested this weekend in what is a high-octane fixture in Gorgie. “Overall, the defending has been much better than where it's been,” added Naismith. “The gauge of that is: 'Where have we been, and where are we now?' It's not: 'We got beat 1-0 or we lost the game.' It's about where you've been and how many chances you have given up.

“Now we are giving up fewer chances, we are creating more, we have the ball in the top two thirds of the pitch much more, and we are playing balls into the final third quicker and more often. Inevitably, that is going to give us an advantage in the game.”