Stendel’s men find a little Heart and soul
FROM the go-karting track and the army barracks, the training ground to Tynecastle.
There is at least a fresh spirit surrounding Hearts, whipped up by new coach Daniel Stendel, who wasted no time during the winter break creating an environment fit for a revival from relegation.
Whether it was days out for a laugh, team-bonding exercises with the troops at Redford or tactical drills at Riccarton, the German has given the club and its squad the shake it so desperately needed.
This confidence boost gained from thrashing a League One promotion candidate in the Scottish Cup on the way back into the serious business of Premiership survival is a helpful stepping stone.
A harmony lacking in so many Tynecastle displays, as Hearts plummeted to the bottom of the league, was plain to see, with big characters Steven Naismith and John Souttar returning — and young promise flourishing around them.
Sure, Stendel’s team did only what a top-flight team should have done yesterday but there were important feel-good stories and a vibe that rock-bottom has been left behind.
A beautiful Sean Clare finish was his first goal since the end of August, Naismith scored on his inaugural outing as official captain and 19-year-old Euan Henderson netted his first for the club.
There was an energy and urgency which the home crowd fed off more than they would normally in an early-round tie against lower-league opponents.
‘I told (coach) Andy Kirk and (assistant manager) Jorg Sievers before the game started that the feeling in the changing room was good. I can feel more passion, more mentality and more power in the room,’ said Stendel.
‘We needed time to get this feeling back in the group, but I can now feel it in every training session.’
This was a first win for Hearts since November 9. Stendel will now go in search of his first victory in the league as manager at Ross County on Wednesday with renewed hope — and perhaps even a new striker as he seeks to snap up Kosovo forward Donis Avdijaj.
The German has tried to change much but purging the place of an injury curse is perhaps too big an ask at the moment.
As big guns Naismith and Souttar returned from lay-offs, Uche Ikpeazu went down in the warm-up. By half-time, Aaron Hickey and
Michael Smith also fell victim, forcing Stendel into reshuffles, with Ben Garuccio and Ollie Bozanic on as replacements. Hickey and Smith are now doubts for Dingwall.
Alongside the upturn on the firstteam’s social scene, there was clearly time for set-piece drills during the top-flight shutdown and that practice made for a perfect Hearts start after seven minutes.
Andrew Irving worked a shortish corner to Naismith just inside the area. As the club’s new captain was barged to the turf by Dale Carrick, penalty shouts went up.
Naismith wasn’t complaining for long. Irving collected the return from his skipper to steer a low shot that crept inside the far post.
A carbon-copy crack at doubling the lead followed. Airdrie cleared Irving’s drive as far as Souttar, who returned fire just shy of David
Hutton’s right-hand post. None of this acted as discouragement to the visitors, who were pumped up to perform by a lively old Edinburgh derby technical area double act in former Hibee Ian Murray and ex-Tynecastle favourite Colin Cameron.
Indeed, the moaning from ‘Micky’ drew a caution from Don Robertson late in the first half.
The frustrations stemmed from a couple of decisions going against Airdrie while they enjoyed a period of ascendancy and good chances came and went.
Paul McKay’s near-post flick from a corner was all their own work, Craig Halkett testing his own keeper, Joel Pereira, a potential bonus.
Neither chance produced an equaliser and, thanks to Clare’s touch on a Carrick volley, Hearts survived to the interval.
Being the defensive hero on that occasion, playing at right-back, didn’t mean Clare had forgotten his roots.
Not long after his signing, then manager Craig Levein felt Clare could become ‘a Colin Cameron’ type for Hearts with a goal threat from the middle of the park.
Ironically, Cameron had the best view of Clare’s stunning goal on 54 minutes — but won’t have enjoyed it.
One of the best performers under Stendel despite the position switch, Clare volleyed an Airdrie clearance on the drop straight into the top corner of a rooted Hutton’s net.
Just in case Hearts took fright at the novelty of being two goals in front and tossed away this confidence-boosting opportunity, Naismith stepped up to put matters to bed.
He had been denied by an offside flag when tapping home after Hutton had brilliantly turned a Lewis Moore shot on to a post. Naismith made up for that disappointment as he applied the finishing touch to Henderson’s darting run and cross.
Naismith signed off for the day by providing the pass for Henderson to force in his first goal for Hearts on 71 minutes.
Halkett piled on the misery for Airdrie in injury time, powering in a header from an Irving corner.