Hungry Hearts go in for seconds
Ozturk sets sights on overhauling Aberdeen
ACRUSHING Friday night at Tynecastle may yield consequences beyond a tattered title challenge for Aberdeen. Those Hearts fans who appropriated the away support’s ‘we’re-coming-foryou’ chant were not just mocking the Dons’ ailing efforts to challenge Celtic, but sensing an opportunity of their own to chase down the team in second place.
Derek McInnes did not quite raise the white flag on Aberdeen’s Premiership bid after the 2-1 defeat, but the manager conveyed the air of a man who knows the game is up, admitting it would take a ‘dramatic collapse’ for Celtic to cede their position at the top of the table.
Like the home fans, Alim Ozturk ended the night with a distinct whiff of blood on his nostrils.
The Hearts captain senses his team are gathering momentum and victory in their rearranged game against Inverness Caley Thistle on Tuesday night would cut the gap between the teams to six points with five games to play, one of which will be contested between the two sides.
‘I am really pleased because we went into the match with Aberdeen 12 points behind them, although we had a game in hand,’ said Ozturk.
‘I think the first 15 to 20 minutes was not good for us but after that we played well. We fought for each other. We were better than Aberdeen and we deserved the win.
‘This was such an important match — but if we don’t follow it up with a win on Tuesday, then it doesn’t matter. We want to keep the pressure on Aberdeen.’
A night which started with questions over Hearts’ physical fortitude following the virus that swept through the squad in midweek ended with Aberdeen’s weaknesses being exposed.
It is fashionable to cite a lack of ‘bottle’ for a team’s inability to win games but, more often than not, that is a lazy pronouncement. Aberdeen’s inability to get closer to Celtic can at least partly be explained by a lack of resources.
Having raced into an early lead through Simon Church’s goal, nobody could question the team’s character as they laid siege to the Hearts goal for the next 20 minutes.
Even when the balance of play had levelled out, there was nothing special in what Hearts did for the equaliser, Ozturk’s speculative long-range shot being spilled into the path of Juanma by goalkeeper Scott Brown.
The Englishman started the season as deputy to Danny Ward, who was recalled by parent club Liverpool in January and would have been less prone to making such a basic error.
The Dons failure to strengthen in the January transfer window — when Celtic were showing clear signs of weakness — may ultimately be the greatest source of regret to chairman Stewart Milne.
When McInnes turned to his bench to try to alter the game, there were precious few options.
Peter Pawlett and Adam Rooney were absent, while the loss of skipper Ryan Jack to a knee injury was another blow the manager could have done without.
Not that any of that accounts for the calamitous sight of Kenny McLean gifting Hearts possession from a quickly taken freekick as Graeme Shinnie attended to fellow defender Ash Taylor’s cramp.
With half the back four out of commission, Hearts broke and an unmarked Juanma nodded in the winner.
‘We took an early free-kick when it wasn’t on to do it, but these things happen in football,’ Shinnie admitted.
‘But the really frustrating part was that we stopped playing after the first half hour.
‘We had clear-cut scoring chances but we didn’t take them and the game changed. We just couldn’t get to grips, couldn’t get the ball.’
Without a goal since January, Juanma ended his drought by elevating his performance from that of a snarling nuisance to borderline unplayable. The goals gave the 25-yearold Spaniard 12 for the season and, while another booking took his campaign card count to the same number, Ozturk believes the former Alaves forward is learning to thrive in Scottish football.
‘I prefer to have guys like him in my team,’ Ozturk continued. ‘You play against men, not boys, and you need to be ready for that.
‘Juanma was running everywhere, he held up the ball, and that was very important to our performance.
‘He’s definitely not shy but that is what you get from him and you need that character in a young team. He drives us on and motivates others.
‘The young boys can look at that performance and say: “This is what you need”. You can play nice football, but sometimes you need to fight on the pitch and gamble.
‘We were always behind Juanma during the difficult spell. People expect strikers to score a goal in every game but it is not that easy. It is his first season here and he needs time to adapt, but he is a very good player and I believe he’ll get better.’
While Ozturk loves Juanma’s approach, he is less approving of the garish white stripe that adorns his team-mate’s head.
‘I don’t like his haircut,’ he said. ‘When he walked in to the dressing room, I was shocked. As captain, I think I’m allowed to fine him.’
Should Hearts successfully navigate Tuesday’s trip to the Highlands, they will approach their pursuit of Aberdeen in the five post-split fixtures with optimism.
And there remains an outside chance that the SPFL fixture computer could throw up a third visit to Tynecastle for McInnes’ side when the season’s remaining matches are generated at Hampden later this week.
Shinnie, arguably Aberdeen’s best player this season, won’t give up on the title but is fully aware that Hearts mean business.
‘Hearts are behind us chasing and we’re behind Celtic chasing them — that’s the way football goes.
‘It’s going to be tough but all we can do is try to win as many games as we can.’
I’m pleased because we went into the match 12 points behind them