Players to slow down the Jambos rollercoaster

where it’ll be nearly all about quality, and not about numbers.

“That’s probably the first time that’s happened in five years.

“When I look at the turnover of other clubs, it’s the same.

“Things have changed in football.

“There’s not the same attachment from players to clubs and clubs to players.

“A lot of teams in our league are dealing with players who come in through free agency, maybe stay a couple of years, and then do the same thing again.

“It’s much more difficult to keep a team together than when I played.

“But we’ve got to a position where, if we can get all these players signed up and committed for the next three years, I feel we’ve got a real chance of getting a level of stability.

“That will allow us to climb the table and stay there.

“I think I need four players, and they would all need to be much better than what we have.

“That’s the challenge.

“I feel good about that, though, because I don’t need to worry about the rest.

“I don’t need to concern myself with back-ups for this position or that position. I think we’re well covered in most areas.

“So, if I can get four players of significant quality . . .

“It’s hard to say what would have happened this season without the injuries we had.

“But the quality is what’s important now, which is a good position to be in.”

Levein’s side is aiming to notch their second derby win of the season today, having won 1-0 at Easter Road back on December 29 thanks to Olly Lee’s goal.

That would see them go level on points with Hibs with three games to go.

For Levein, that would set up a desperate race for capital supremacy.

“We want to finish above Hibs in the league every season,” he said.

“We want to win every time we play them, we want to finish above them in the league, that’s just what we have to do here.

“It’s the way we have always looked at it.

“People just look at the derby matches, and see how you have done during the season in those.

“They have become really important, and once you have been here for a while and understand the nature of it, you realise that it isn’t just another fixture.

“People say it is. I don’t believe that.”

Hearts will need to balance their desire to finish above Hibs with their preparations for next month’s Scottish Cup Final.

But Levein doesn’t believe there’s any need to use the Hampden showpiece as a carrot to motivate his players between now and the end of the season.

He said: “I don’t think I need to. The players know.”