Stendel needs 18 months to heal Hearts
Diamonds gaffer Murray plotting an upset
IAN MURRAY expects an improved Hearts on Saturday – but still reckons Daniel Stendel might need 18 months to sort the problems he’s inherited.
The former Hibs and Rangers defender takes his high-flying Airdrie side to Tynecastle for a tie that looks loaded with danger for the Premiership basement boys.
Jon Daly and Glenn Whelan reacted angrily to being freed by Stendel with skipper Christophe Berra also among the players not wanted by the new Jambos manager.
Murray backed his counterpart’s right to wield the axe – but hopes the process of change will be a slow one as the Diamonds bid to pull off a fourth-round shock.
He said: “It’s a fantastic test for us. There are a lot of dynamics in the fixture for Hearts. They’re going through a huge transition period, probably bigger than people are realising.
“They’ve had three weeks off to work on things, so I expect an improvement in them.
“But I also know you can’t sort the problems Hearts have in three weeks – it takes about a year or a year and a half.
“The manager’s hands are tied to a certain extent. But it looks like he’s made his intentions clear and he’s quite within his rights to pick and choose who he wants to work with and who he wants to play.
“He’s an experienced manager and it’s going to be a great test for us and a tough test.
“But equally, it’s a game where Hearts are heavy favourites and don’t have a lot to gain from it, apart from progressing in the
Cup. Daniel has had a tough start. He’s got one point out of 15, it’s a terrible return but he’s also working to try to find his best formation and best players.
“And those five games did include Hibs, Celtic and Aberdeen.
“To experiment and gain results is a difficult thing but I certainly expect them to be stronger now after the last three weeks.”
Meanwhile Aidan Keena admits he knew after just 45 minutes under Stendel his Hearts days were over.
The Irish striker, taken off in the 1-0 defeat by
St Johnstone, said: “I started the manager’s first game but I was brought off at half-time.
“I thought, ‘I might have to find myself somewhere else’.
“I hadn’t started a game in over six months and hadn’t played more than five minutes in over a month. There was no way I could be match fit.
“But the new gaffer does get his point across and you do know how he wants you to play, so I hope it works for them.
“He likes people to press and get after the ball. That suits some people. The ones who are still there it suited.”