Jambos are NOT too good to go down

Hearts are only better off in goals than bottom-of-the-table Accies and recent history tells club not to assume they will avoid relegation HEARTS

ARE Hearts too good to go down? History tells us that’s a dangerous assumption to make.

The Jambos sit joint bottom of the Premiership table, just three goals better off than 12th-placed Hamilton, albeit with a game in hand.

The recruitment done over the summer was generally well received by fans, with the additions of Conor Washington, Glenn Whelan, Ryotaro Meshino and Steven Naismith on a permanent deal leaving Hearts looking pretty strong on paper.

On grass, it hasn’t gone to plan with only Hibs and St Mirren having been defeated in the league.

Champions Celtic visit tonight before a clash at Hamilton on Saturday. Then comes the capital derby on Boxing Day before Aberdeen end 2019 for Hearts – also in Gorgie.

Daniel Stendel’s team need to pick up points from that run of games. Defeat to Accies would be particularly damaging and leave no one in any doubt Hearts are relegation contenders.

That they find themselves in this position after assembling their “strongest squad in years” according to Craig Levein should be a source of embarrassment.

Anyone of the opinion they are too good to go down doesn’t have to look too far back in order to find evidence that explodes the often repeated footballing myth.

In 2014 with Hearts deducted 15 points for entering administration

HEARTS will make late decisions on fitness doubts Christophe Berra and Jamie Brandon.

Uche Ikpeazu is suspended but Jake Mulraney returns from a ban. Steven Naismith, Aidy White, Callumn Morrison, Peter Haring, John Souttar, Ben Garuccio and Conor Washington remain out.

RYAN CHRISTIE is fit to return from a knee injury for Celtic but Mohamed Elyounoussi misses out again (foot).

Celtic will make late decisions on Jonny Hayes and Mikey Johnston after they also missed the win over Hibs. Hatem Abd Elhamed, Jozo Simunovic and Daniel Arzani are still out. and forced to field a team primarily made up of youngsters due to a transfer embargo, the season was really about who could avoid going down with them.

Rivals Hibs shouldn’t have been in the equation but ended up relegated by Hamilton via the play-offs.

Two years later Dundee United also slipped out of the top flight – their relegation confirmed after an agonising 2-1 defeat to city rivals Dundee at Dens Park in May 2016.