THERE may have been a crowd of nearly 17,000 spectators at Tynecastle on Saturday, but how many of them will return for Hearts' remaining home fixtures this term given the likelihood their team will be playing out the remainder of the season in the bottom six?
Back in August, when the season started, very few people would have predicted such a dismal season for the Gorgie side but the fact remains they are where they are in the table and no amount of excuses can hide the fact.
Hearts' fall from grace ov
er the previous two seasons has been quite something to behold.
In the heady days of the 2005/06 season, Hearts amassed an impressive 74 points and in that period – after 31 games played – they already had 62 points in the bag.
Last season, despite missing out on third place, they finished up with a grand total of 61 points, having had 51 points after 31 games.
This time around, Hearts are sitting joint seventh in the table with a measly 38 points after 31 games and, even if they put together a strong finish, their points total will be well shy of what they've achieved in recent seasons.
Serious questions have to be asked as to how the club have allowed standards to slip in such a significant way.
Hearts fans are used to seeing their team in the top half of the table – since the SPL was formed back in 1998 they've yet to finish outside the top six but, if Falkirk keep their nerve, the Jambos will miss out.
In truth, it's no more than they deserve.
Like most teams, Hearts have had the odd highlight to lift the gloom – their outstanding 4-2 victory over Rangers back in September springs to mind as well as an impressive win at Celtic Park in the CIS Cup but, generally, the performances have been way below what we've come to expect from a club of this stature. The 5-0 defeat at Parkhead last August was an early indication of things to come and, while the club's Lithuanian owner continued to interfere with team selection, results were predictably sketchy, to say the least.
There can be no doubting Hearts have some talent in their squad, but I would suggest this summer would be the perfect time to clear the decks and start afresh.
There are several issues that need addressing.
The success of the team over the past few years has been based largely on a strong defence, but the stats suggest things have taken a turn for the worse since last summer.
Despite the fact there are still seven games to go, Hearts have already conceded more goals this season than any of the previous four seasons.
Perhaps more worrying is that, of all the teams in the SPL, only St Mirren and Gretna have let in more goals at home. Tynecastle has always been known as one of the most intimidating grounds to play at.
But more often than not during this league campaign, teams have come away from Gorgie with at least a point.
The likes of Banks, Neilson, Tall, Zaliukas, Berra, Goncalves and Wallace all look good enough on an individual basis but, for one reason or another, the defence hasn't been doing its job and so the obvious solution is that changes need to be made.
With Roman Bednar on loan at West Brom and Andrius Velicka having left for pastures new, it's clear Hearts have a void in the goalscoring department.
Nade can be a handful and I still think we've yet to see the best of him – perhaps with a good pre-season behind him he can become a regular – but there's no doubt Hearts need at least two more forwards.
The best teams tend to have several options to choose from up front – players with either height or pace, and preferably both. The problem is that quality strikers cost money.
The question remains: Is Mr Romanov, really prepared to spend big on Hearts this summer?
The full article contains 685 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
