Home is where the Hearts are
We can’t wait to get back to Tynecastle says Goncalves
ESMAEL GONCALVES insists the season starts next week for Hearts and says there’s plenty of time to catch Hibs despite a 10-point gap to their city rivals.
The Jambos have suffered a wretched campaign so far with Ian Cathro sacked before a ball was kicked in the Premiership and the team forced to play four home games at Murrayfield.
A move to Scotland’s home of rugby came due to a delay on construction work in the new Tynecastle main stand.
But Craig Levein and his side will return to the Gorgie ground after the international break with Partick the visitors on November 19.
Goncalves was on target against Kilmarnock at Murrayfield on Sunday but it wasn’t enough as they went down to a 2-1 defeat against Steve Clarke’s side.
Hearts are still in the top six but only on goal difference after just four wins in the league this term and Goncalves admits they must improve.
The 26-year-old shares the frustration of the fans but is hoping the return to Tynecastle will spark an upturn in form.
He said: “We are in a moment where everything is going wrong but hopefully things will get better when we go back to Tynecastle.
“We are going back to our home and the season begins there now. Hopefully things can click there because we are working hard, we are trying hard and giving everything on the pitch.
“Playing at Tynecastle can help us a lot with our fans behind us. We are a big club and we have a massive support.
“It’s difficult to play at Murrayfield when it’s not full because it’s such a huge stadium. But we could hear the fans and feel them on the pitch.
“It was still nice to play at Murrayfield with our fans but of course its different from Tynecastle.
“At home, things are more compact, the fans are closer. It’s like a 12th player.”
While the Jambos have lost three games on the spin, rivals Hibs have won their last four matches to rocket up to third in the table. But Goncalves said: “The season is far from finished. We are starting now. The gap to Hibs is quite a lot but it’s not impossible to catch them. We haven’t played at home yet and they’ve had six games at home.
“Nothing is finished. We have a good run of games at home which we must win and get closer.”
Hearts were booed off at Murrayfield and Goncalves admitted: “We are not doing perfectly so it’s normal the fans are angry. “But we are trying to improve and they must see this also and keep staying with us. We could hear and feel the fans who were there.”
Goncalves cancelled out Kris Boyd’s opener on Sunday but missed a one-on-one with keeper Jamie MacDonald seconds before Adam Frizzell netted the winner.
And the Portuguese striker, who also hit the woodwork twice, said: “Of course I should have scored. If you don’t score another team might score. I’ve not seen it again but I’m not happy about it.
“Now it’s finished. I can’t change it so I must go forward and think about the next game.”
At our stadium the fans are much closer, it’s like having a 12th man ESMAEL GONCALVES