In order to win five straight games, Hearts will need to defeat Rangers to snap an 11-game losing streak.
In the course of four weeks, Tynecastle overcame Rangers twice in historic fashion thanks to guts, conviction, and intelligence.
In the final moments of his playing career, Steven Naismith recalls accomplishing the double over his former team. He scores in the first of those matches and credits the large attendance for helping to sink Steven Gerrard’s team in a maroon tide on Gorgie. Hearts have amazingly not experienced a win against the Rangers since the league and cup doubleheader shortly before the early 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, there have been three managers and eleven meetings.
Now that he is in the driver’s seat, though, Naismith says he can see a determination in his players’ eyes that they are prepared to break that run.
For 89 minutes at Ibrox back in October, it appeared that Rangers would win the match thanks to penalties from James Tavernier in the 89th and a goal from Danilo in the 93rd. A week later, they lost the Viaplay Cup 3-1 at Hampden, scarcely making a dent on Philippe Clement’s side.
However, Hearts have won four straight league games, vaulting them into the top three and boosting their confidence ahead of Wednesday’s much anticipated third vs second match. When asked if he thought his players had the confidence to hand Clement his first loss, Naismith replied, “Yes, without a doubt.” The semi-final serves as an excellent indicator that we didn’t put any pressure on them.
Therefore, we must go past that and return to some of our Ibrox activities. We didn’t just sit there after realizing the objective. We created extra opportunities by moving the ball around and holding onto it.
“Things are different at home. Being on the opposite side of that as a player can be difficult at times because you have the crowd behind you and an intimidating atmosphere.
“That time we defeated them—I believe we did so in the league and the cup—was due to our willingness to take chances when pursuing them and our bravery while controlling the ball and creating difficulties for them. There are numerous components to it.
“First, you have to have faith. It’s possible that you will lose. However, I’ll accept that for what it is right now, and the outcomes will start to materialize, if you can leave the pitch knowing that we gave it our all, that we battled them, and that it was extremely close. We genuinely think we can win tomorrow, and we are ready for it. We’re having a great run.
“We need to make the most of our location at Tynie. We need to agitate them as much as possible and, ideally, take a chance when they present themselves. When we have the opportunity, we must possess the coolness in the last third. Even while my goal in that game came from being cool and taking chances, Liam Boyce’s winning goal in our previous victories against them was a demonstration of pure talent and control.
“What we’ve done is achieve four successful outcomes, which gives us confidence to take on this challenge and give ourselves a chance.”
With a flawless Premiership record in November, Naismith won his first Manager of the Month title, so he should enter Tynecastle on Wednesday with a certain confidence. But he asserted, “I’m not stupid. Two weeks from now, I might lose my job again.
That’s the character of Scottish football and our current situation. The fact that daily labor is paying off is the most satisfying aspect.
Till the break is a big phase inside the season for every team, as Jamie McGrath in Aberdeen admitted they were “shooting ourselves in the foot” and that he was due for a bad day. It outlines your goals for the break, what you must accomplish, and whether you are in a position that will set you up for success.
“We have a solid foundation from which to work. We now have to carry it out for the upcoming month. Confidence is bred by momentum. The most important thing, though, is to act bravely when necessary.
“We are playing one of the league’s top teams. Saying, “Let’s defend for 90,” is a really risky move. Both the supporters and the club will not accept it.
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