I can't see Celtic and Rangers doing one thing so here's my message to the Hearts bubble's burst brigade – Ryan Stevenson
The former Jambo has responded to those writing off the men in maroon
It was after 9pm and my phone was lighting up. Yer bubble’s burst, big man. Nae luck.
Everyone wanted to have a pop on Wednesday night. Hearts were losing at St Mirren and some of my pals just couldn’t wait.
Well the bubble didn’t burst. And do you know what? Digging out that draw was almost as good as winning because you can’t tell me players won’t have sensed that there was the same attitude around the country, too.
Football fans across the land thinking: Ah, Hearts have folded under the pressure. I took great delight in sending back responses telling folk that, er, that didn’t happen.
I’m convinced the fire that will be in the bellies of Derek McInnes’ boys to go out and steamroller Dundee on Saturday and so it should be. As the two big Glasgow teams prepare for their semi-final on Sunday, Hearts going nine points in front will keep it all rolling along just nicely.
Watching this Hearts team at the moment is amazing. I just think they are a brilliant watch, real value for money stuff and it’s all down to the simplicity of the manager. Instead of all that over-complicated, pass it back, pass it in the middle, recycle the ball, all this garbage, it’s fast and it’s aggressive.
Football is changing again and Del is all over it. You see it in the English Premier League. Use Newcastle as an example. They’ve got a striker in Nick Voltemade who is about seven foot tall, so why would you not launch a long throw into the box. It’s the same with Brentford. It’s effective football, just as Arsenal are showing at the top.
Everyone got blinded by Pep Guardiola for so long because of the way he played.
It’s taken four or five years for some to turn back away from that, but it’s happening. More sides are getting back to the game’s basics and, let’s be honest, despite what all these car salesmen and clipboard coaches want to tell you, it’s not rocket science.
Hearts have a terrific front three with movement and ability, so Del wants them fed as quickly as possible with hard workers in the middle and a solid defensive base that you can actually work from.
I remember playing midfield alongside Ian Black and Rudi Skacel. Rudi would be horse s**t for some 90 minutes and still score a hat-trick.
Me and Blackie would be running about daft, getting it, passing it and Rudi would just turn from 30 yards and bang one into the top corner. The whole of Tynecastle would be chanting “Rudi, Rudi” and Blackie and I would go into the dressing room knackered while he was fresh as paint.
But it was what it was. I understood, we as a team understood. Andy Webster or big Marius Zaliukas would give it to me or Blackie, our first instinct was to get it to Rudi. Or wide to wee Suso or David Templeton. If you were ever struggling, get it to Temps, he’ll go and take it for a run.
That was Jim Jefferies’ way. Simple. It takes a lot for me to say Del is a better manager, but they have the same eye.
Temps is better at running at people than I am, so why the hell would Jim ask me to do it? Del’s the same. Simplicity. Even just basic things like he’s not wanted to change the team.
Boys are using their own brains. Cammy Devlin and Beni Baningime have been a man light against some systems, yet Claudio Braga or Lawrence Shankland just drop in to help them.
That doesn’t even need to be coached. These boys are top players, they take responsibility on the pitch and, honestly, when a manager trusts his players, they will actually become better.
Hearts know their strengths, they are playing to them and they’re great entertainment.
The Celtic win was outstanding last Sunday, but the point in Paisley just as important. To come back twice was big.
Oh the bubble’s burst? Really? Everybody’s trying to shoot Hearts down, so if they ever needed motivation to get stuck into these next two home games, that was it.
Paisley gives them that wee fire. It was a night where it was a bit hairy and they got out of there with a point with the unbeaten league record unscathed. Now go and deal with Dundee.
The biggest thing for me is that, whether or not they lost to St Mirren, I’d still be confident for the game against Dundee because Del knows the score. Even when Hearts have a blip, and they will, I don’t think it’ll be a big one because I don’t think Del will allow it. They’re going to get beat at some stage, but the wheels are not going to just blow off immediately afterwards. Not in my mind, anyway.
Here’s the other thing. Celtic and Rangers won at the same time as Hearts were drawing with Saints, but I just don’t see either of them going on a 10-game run of victories.
Del's team can afford a couple of off-days so long as they get straight back onto it and I’m convinced the manager would ensure that indeed happened.
The bubble didn’t burst for Hearts in Paisley. It hasn’t burst. Take care of Dundee with some authority and I don’t see it bursting anytime soon.