Plan to get two Hearts goalkeepers at Euro 2024?published at 09:19 27 April
09:19 27 April
Hearts boss Steven Naismith will consider rotating goalkeepers Zander Clark and Craig Gordon to give both the chance of making the Scotland squad for Euro 2024. (Daily Record), external
Kilmarnock v Hearts: Team newspublished at 20:07 26 April
20:07 26 April
Image source, SNS
Kilmarnock expect to be without Tom Davies, Kyle Magennis and Greg Stewart.
Hearts continue to be without Liam Boyce, Craig Halkett, Peter Haring and Calem Nieuwenhof.
'Drive within us is always to get better' - Naismithpublished at 19:22 26 April
19:22 26 April
Image source, SNS
Hearts head coach Steven Naismith wants his side to continue their high standards and break the 70-point mark before the season's end.
The Tynecastle side have 62 points with five league games remaining, and could secure a third-placed finish with a win away to Kilmarnock on Saturday.
Even if that objective is secured this weekend, Naismith insists it isn't in their nature to ease up.
“I wouldn’t say it makes a big difference because I think the drive within us is always going to be to get better,” he said.
“Getting third confirmed isn’t automatically going to make us change everything we’re doing. It might give us a bit scope to see where boys’ injuries are.
“But what it does is bring a really nice enjoyment to the last month of the season.
“I’ve been in football a long time and you don’t often get that period of time where it’s a really relaxed environment. I think that’s probably the biggest thing that would change, but there’s still a drive here.
“I think there’s a good opportunity to get more than 70 points and I think that’s realistic to push on and try and do that.”
Naismith on 70-point target, Kilmarnock & preparing for Europepublished at 19:15 26 April
19:15 26 April
Image source, SNS
Hearts head coach Steven Naismith has been talking to the media before his side's trip to Rugby Park on Saturday.
Here are the key points from his press conference:
Challenged his side to hit the 70-point mark for the first time since the 2005-06 season, a target which Naismith sees as "realistic".
Hearts could secure a third-placed Premiership finish with a win, but Naismith insists that wouldn't see them ease off in the final four games.
Is anticipating a "really tough" game, but says Hearts can "take confidence" from their two wins away to Kilmarnock already this season.
Naismith also spoke about preparing his squad for the rigours of European football next season, and says he wants to "rely" on youth players more. "We’ve shown this season we’ve got young players who can contribute."
'They can all go except Baningime'published at 13:05 26 April
13:05 26 April
We asked you which of Hearts' out-of-contract players you'd be keen to keep at Tynecastle.
Here's a taste of what you had to say:
Keir: Beni Baningime is vital to Hearts' midfield. Although he gets a lot of stick for playing it backwards a lot, he makes up for it in his interceptions and composure on the ball which allows Hearts to control games and assert ourselves from kick off. Many won't realise how good he is till he’s gone.
Ian: I don't know about Beni. If only he would push forward more from midfield like when he set up the goal against Morton I would gladly keep him, but how often does that happen? The right-back/wing-back position needs addressed. Someone who can defend as well as push forward. Up front is there any chance of getting Josh Ginnelly back ? Probably not.
Brian: They can all go except Baningime, he's the only one worth keeping.
Steve: Beni wanted to resurrect his career at Hearts but wanted to leave after three seasons, hopefully getting us a transfer fee. Due to injury he’s not put himself in the shop window, so he won’t re-sign but will move on. He would be worth keeping but we need new blood, someone to protect the back four. Would love to see Toby Sibbick, Nat Atkinson, Liam Boyce, Peter Haring and Cammy Devlin all go!
Adam: I would get rid of quite a few if possible. Atkinson for one.
Anon: Good season, not too fussed on keeping players except Lawrence Shankland.
Mike: 100% Beni should stay. Would love to see him back at his best for at least one more season. When he arrived he was different class.
Rab: The players that Hearts should move on for a variety of reasons are Siɓbick, Michael McGovern, Haring, Jorge Grant, Barrie McKay, Kyosuke Tagawa, Kye Rowles and both loan players Scott Fraser and Dexter Lembikisa.
Muray: Just keep Murray Thomas, let the others go. We've already got Blair Spittal and Yan Dhanda to improve the midfield.
Matty: Beni is still not the player he was before his lengthy injury. He rarely commits in a tackle. He can show fantastic talent at shielding and then positively releasing the ball in a very hectic midfield. However, he can be very slow and can get pickpocketed easily. Would keep though to see if he can get back to his best.
Fraser: Hearts need to strengthen the midfield and defence. Keeping Baningime would be a big help although an extra attacking midfielder would be massive. Haring can go he’s been a good servant to the team but his time is up.
Premiership game of the weekend: Kilmarnock v Heartspublished at 12:00 26 April
12:00 26 April
Hearts must put the disappointment of their defeat by Rangers at Hampden behind them if they are to end in-form Kilmarnock's lingering hopes of denying them a third-place finish that has for so long seemed inevitable.
Kilmarnock won the corresponding fixture 2-1 a year ago, but since then, they have failed to win any of their four meetings, drawing both visits to Tynecastle.
Steven Naismith's side have come out top twice already at Rugby Park - once in the League Cup and once in the Premiership.
Another win in Ayrshire would secure third spot and also match their best points total since 2016.
Kilmarnock, though, are unbeaten in four games, are seeking to win three consecutive Premiership matches for the first time since October 2020 and have only lost once - to Rangers - in their latest 11 home games.
They could also qualify for European competition for the first time in four years depending on their own result and St Mirren's on Sunday.
Who comes out on top could have much to do with who wins the head-to-head battle between Lawrence Shankland and a Killie defence seeking a third successive blank.
The Scotland striker has found the net 21 times and assisted in four others in the Premiership this season, which means he has been involved in 54.3% of Hearts' league goals.
The 28-year-old is the only player to be directly involved in at least half of his side's goals in the division during this campaign.
Who would you keep at Tynecastle? published at 17:46 25 April
17:46 25 April
With several players out of contract in the summer, clubs up and down the country are considering who they want to be involved next season.
Hearts have just four players out of contract - Beni Baningime, Michael McGovern, Peter Haring and Murray Thomas.
How important is keeping Baningime, and who would you be happy to wave goodbye to? Let us know here.
Kilmarnock v Hearts: Pick of the statspublished at 12:41 25 April
12:41 25 April
Image source, SNS
Kilmarnock have won just one of their last six league meetings with Hearts (D3 L2), a 2-1 victory in April 2023.
Hearts have won three of their last six Scottish Premiership away trips to Kilmarnock (D1 L2), more than their previous 12 top-flight visits beforehand (W2 D5 L5).
Kilmarnock have won both of their last two league games, last winning three in a row within a single season in the Scottish Premiership in October 2020.
Hearts have won 62 points in the Scottish Premiership this season, their most in a campaign in the division since 2015-16 (65).
Lawrence Shankland has scored (21) or assisted (four) 54.3% of Hearts’ Scottish Premiership goals this season (25/46), the only player to be directly involved in at least half of his side’s goals.
Choose your Hearts XI for Kilmarnock trippublished at 17:17 24 April
17:17 24 April
Hearts will be looking to bounce back from Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final defeat when they travel to Rugby Park on Saturday.
Who should be in the starting XI to face Kilmarnock?
Put yourself in Steven Naismith's shoes and pick your starting XI here.
Hardship can help Hearts, says Atkinson - gossippublished at 08:48 24 April
08:48 24 April
Hearts defender Nathaniel Atkinson tells his team-mates they perhaps "have to go through the hardships" like Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Rangers to inspire them towards success. (Record), external
'Hampden defeat not unexpected but still missed opportunity'published at 11:26 23 April
11:26 23 April
Greg Playfair Fan writer
You can’t say Sunday’s defeat to Rangers was unexpected, but I can’t help feel it was a missed opportunity.
Of course, a few pints deep after the trip along the M8, I like many thousands of Hearts supporters had the beer-goggles vision and optimism we could beat Rangers if we played to our capabilities and they were under-par.
There was justified ground for optimism given the travails Rangers have had recently with just two victories from their last eight matches, but one thing I had overlooked was the fact that they have defeated us on all five previous encounters this season.
Rangers didn’t have to be at their best; they just needed to contain Lawrence Shankland. It was so obvious in that game with a nullified Shankland, our attack was fairly meek and truth is we could still be playing now and I don’t think we really would have threatened Jack Butland in the Rangers goal.
Add in the fact I don’t think either Rangers goal was well worked; even with Cyril Dessers’ first strike, there will be two or three Hearts defenders thinking they should have done better and stopped him slaloming his way through our defence.
I don’t think we played as badly as some Jambos have reacted with on social media, I just feel that we lacked the belief we could get back into the game with the early setback and Shankland marked out the match.
I feel that if we had a more physical target man to call upon; like Rangers have with Dessers and the other two semi-finalists Celtic – with Adam Idah and Aberdeen with Bojan Miovski – had, things might have been different and we would have had a focal point to aim for.
It shouldn’t be lost that this season has still been a success, with guaranteed European group-stage football all but confirmed, the most away league wins in over 30 years and having reached two cup semi-finals, potentially losing to the eventual winner in both competitions.
We need to finish the season strong, to carry the momentum generated in the last five months to ensure we start well in both our European and league efforts.
As long as we avoid defeat to Kilmarnock on Saturday, we will be guaranteed third place and that should be our immediate focus. Achieving this will mean we can perhaps blood in a few fringe players or youngsters before the summer transfer window.
Hearts fans have seen this movie before - McGowanpublished at 16:16 22 April
16:16 22 April
Image source, SNS
Former Hearts defender Ryan McGowan says the Tynecastle side's Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers was a missed opportunity.
Steven Naismith's side went into the game having lost just one of their previous seven games, while Rangers had lost to Ross County and drawn with Dundee in the week before the tie.
However, Cyriel Dessers' early goal put Philippe Clement's side in control, and the Nigeria international scored again in the second half to knock Hearts out.
"That early goal definitely settled Rangers down and got them into that groove," McGowan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
"But with Hearts, the way they've been playing, the players they've got, the season that they've had, it was a real opportunity for them to go down and put a marker out there and really give it a proper good go.
"Kind of like what Aberdeen had done on Saturday against Celtic - give it a real effort and a real go.
"I think a lot of Hearts fans will probably be coming back from the game being a bit like 'it was a good performance but we've seen this movie before'."
Slow start cost Hearts again - Grantpublished at 11:08 22 April
11:08 22 April
Image source, SNS
Failure to get off to a fast start was again Hearts' downfall in their Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers, says midfielder Jorge Grant.
A goal after five minutes from Cyriel Dessers made an uphill task more challenging almost instantly for the Gorgie side.
Hearts suffered from a similar lapse in February at Ibrox when Mohamed Diomande's second-minute opener prompted a 5-0 drubbing.
"We wanted to start fast and didn't do that," Grant said. "Unfortunately we've given them a goal again like we did last time.
"We're disappointed with the goals, especially the first to put us on the back foot. We've got to start better, that killed us [on Saturday] and last time we played them.
'Criminal' and 'predictable' - your views on Hearts' cup exitpublished at 09:17 22 April
09:17 22 April
We asked for your views on Hearts' Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers.
Here's what you had to say:
Andy: As usual the tactics were wrong. We let Rangers have an extra man in midfield and never changed the set-up. They were there for the taking but we failed yet again.
Max: Hearts have an inexperienced manager and a patched up squad. They have done really well this year; next year will be the crunch. That will make or break Naismith.
Chris: This game highlights the mentality needed to compete at the top level; we just don’t have it. We have no real spark, Shankland is blowing cold and if anyone thinks third place in the league is a gimme then watch this space. It’s going to be a nervy run-in.
Ian: Started so slow again, it's criminal. What do the players need to be told to be up for it from the start.
Kuptin: Predictable. Recently, Naismith has been pretty good at reading games and reacting to adversity, but I think the problem was weakness in midfield, not up front. Grant, Devlin and Baningime were simply overrun. Maybe Hearts missed a bigger physical presence there - Haring, for instance, even Cochrane. Perhaps Spittal will help next year.
Naismith on lessons - gossippublished at 08:45 22 April
08:45 22 April
Steven Naismith says Hearts, including 18-year-old midfielder Macaulay Tait, can only benefit from another bruising Hampden experience against Rangers. (The Scotsman)
Image source, BBC Sport
Image source, BBC Sport
