Fear of Blue?- The Curious Case of Tyncastle Blues- Opinion

Tynecastle is without doubt one of the toughest grounds to visit within the SPFL. Our own gaffer, Ange Postecoglou will attest to this after a baptism of fire playing there in the first game of the season last year and suffering a day one defeat against the Jambos. (Albeit with a side in transition). The close proximity to the stands, the narrow confines of the pitch make it a difficult place to play football. Yet some teams tend to do better than others.

The Rangers have managed to win 5 out of their last 8 matches at Tynecastle since 2017. Hearts are a good SPFL team, and it’s pleasing to see them gain points in the Europa Conference League recently also. Robbie Neilson is a top coach at SPFL level and generally has his players well organised and up for the challenge. Yet in some games against The Rangers, especially last season, the fight displayed against ourselves and others seemed to have disappeared. Perhaps they still hold on to the notion that so many teams still do, that the Gers are a team that they need to have every man back against, needing to stifle their creative and clinical genius. Yet it is strange that the venom put into challenges by some of their players against us seem to be missing when they play against the team in blue.

Perhaps I’m being a little unfair, after all we know ourselves that any team can have an off day. It just seems strange that these off days never seem to occur against us.

With a two-point lead and a home game against Motherwell, this should be a weekend where we look to pick up points in the title race. I hope the Hearts team are up for it.