Halliday focus on own journey
Hearts star hits out at form and demands improvement
ON THE day Andy Halliday’s first footballing love, Rangers, effectively completed The Journey, he was more concerned with ensuring Hearts reached their own promised land in timely fashion. After all, there is much work to be done when they get there.
The 29-year-old has been in this movie before: starring for a prestigious club in the Championship, cantering to promotion and beginning to consider how they will fare in the top flight.
In 2016, it was when he was on the books of his boyhood heroes in Govan – and it would be fair to say their Premiership return was a trying and, at times, chastening one.
Just ask the supporters gathered outside Ibrox this weekend to toast title 55, catharsis seeping from every pore.
That lesson remains engrained in Halliday’s mind. Yes, Hearts are now 15 points clear at the summit following a 2-1 victory over Dundee, but the combative midfielder knows they must improve.
With three draws prior to Saturday’s triumph – which was, in itself, a nervous one in the end – he contends they are not an oven ready Premiership outfit. The pedigree is there, the performances are too often not.
“We need to improve, given the individuals we’ve got here,” he said. “I think the squad is good enough, but we have not found that consistent level we had in the first 10 to 15 games of the season.
“There’s been a lull, which the majority of teams have had.
“Whether that’s down to the lack of fans or what, I’m not too sure, but we’ve got enough experienced players within the squad to make sure that doesn’t happen – and we’ve let it happen too often.
“We’ve got the quality in the squad to go up next season and compete but we need to improve.”
Halliday’s assessment is typically candid and, to his credit, he casts the same critical eye over his own displays.
He opened the scoring with a clinical header against Dundee, converting an Armand Gnanduillet delivery for his fifth goal of the season, a tally he is far from content with.
“I’m disappointed in the number of goals I’ve scored this season,” he continued. “I keep saying to the boys: ‘the cut-back ball, the cut-back ball!’ because when you play these teams and get wide, defenders naturally sink into their six-yard box.
“That cut-back I’ve been screaming for the last few weeks eventually came from big Armand. If I’d missed that I’d have taken some stick.”
Halliday also struck the woodwork, as did Liam
Boyce. Gary Mackay-Steven, meanwhile, scuffed a shot into the arms of Jack Hamilton from six yards with the goal gaping. A true classic of the sitter genre.
However, the gangly, imposing Gnanduillet did ultimately double Hearts’ lead, meaning Jason Cummings’ inevitable goal at Tynecastle, from the penalty spot, would prove a mere consolation.
There was some late drama to speak of when Peter Haring was sent off for a late lunge on Declan McDaid – albeit due to misplaced enthusiasm rather than malice – just 60 seconds after entering the fray as a substitute.
Halliday adds: “What did I say to him? Well, ‘what ye daein?’ for a start! The big man puts himself about and I love that about him but my initial thought was that it was a poor tackle.”
Dundee rattled the woodwork themselves through Paul McGowan and saw Craig Gordon produce a wonderful double save from Osman
Sow and Jonathan Afolabi in the dying embers, leaving the visitors conflicted after a Jekyll and Hyde showing.
They did not do themselves justice for 60 minutes yet could have snatched a precious point in the end.
“Going 2-0 down seemed to wake us up a bit and we started to get going,” said winger Paul McMullan.
“But Jase’s [Cummings] penalty gave us a little bit of momentum and we had a few chances to take something from the game.”
ENGLAND’S medical staff are investigating Jofra Archer’s ongoing elbow problems, with head coach Chris Silverwood revealing the issue could require “long-term” management.
Archer played two Tests in England’s 3-1 series defeat by India, but was unavailable for the second and fourth games after pain in his right elbow.
The paceman has experienced problems with the joint ever since the triumphant 2019 World Cup, breaking down on the subsequent tour of South Africa and later being diagnosed with a stress fracture.
He is back in training ahead of the Twenty20 series against India, and is signed up for a full Indian Premier League stint with Rajasthan Royals, but it is his fitness to withstand the rigours of five-day cricket that will be occupying England’s minds.
Archer is seen as the future leader of the red-ball attack, once James Anderson and Stuart Broad eventually pass the torch, and is inked into play a central role in next winter’s Ashes.
“I wouldn’t say concerned, no, but his elbow did flare up a little bit and the medical staff are managing that at the moment,” said Silverwood. “Obviously we’ll monitor his progress. The medical staff are talking about how we deal with this long term. I’m not sure surgery has come up yet, I’ll be guided by the medics on that.
“The important thing for me at the moment is that Jofra gets every resource we can provide to make sure he does have a long and successful Test career. I’ll be guided by the medics.
Regardless of fitness, there is a chance Archer will not be part of England’s next Test side. The dates of the IPL season were officially announced yesterday with the final set for May 30.
That is earlier than initially predicted but any England players involved in the knockout stages would still be unable to take on New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2.
If Silverwood does harbour any frustrations about a clash, which could also draw in the likes of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Sam Curran, he is keeping them to himself.
“It’s difficult to change anything. so they’ll be staying for the whole IPL as it stands,” he said.