Ex-Hearts man Sandison suggests backing of Gorgie natives could help

No wins and only two league points garnered from a possible 12 at Tynecastle this season is most unlike a team known as a regular home banker. Jimmy Sandison, the former Hearts and Airdrie defender, believes the Gorgie natives have a significant part to play in forcing the monkey off their team's back.

In contrast to home results, Hearts' away form in the SPL this season is quite exceptional. Victories at Hamilton, Inverness and Aberdeen were interrupted only by defeat at Celtic Park and, for now, they are underpinning the club's position in fifth place.

Defeating both St Mirren and Kilmarnock, sitting bottom and third bottom respectively, would remedy some of the disappointment over previous home results. However, as Sandison observed, expectation can be the biggest obstacle at Tynecastle.

"I've been speaking to a lot of people on the streets this week who've been saying, 'this should be an easy six points'. Right away, there's an expectation Hearts should win both these games against St Mirren and Kilmarnock. If it's 0-0 for a long spell and there isn't that free-flowing football, then the crowd can either hinder them or help them.

"I think back to my old Airdrie days when we used to go to Tynecastle. We would try to intimidate the crowd by stifling the home team, stopping them playing, getting in their faces and getting the crowd on our side by booing Hearts.

"I think St Mirren and Kilmarnock will do that over the next two matches. They will try to unsettle the home players and spark that nervousness. If our players get a bit jittery then that's what we don't want. I think the crowd can play a huge part over the next two home games.

"We can score goals, we've seen that this season, and we've just had an excellent result at Pittodrie. I think we just need a resounding result at home to keep the pressure off. It's just education. I think most supporters know they have to be patient during a game of football. We always talk about patience before a European game but we need that at home domestic games too.

"If you're down there and you know there's 14,000 people not happy with the football you're playing, it does get to you. There isn't a footballer in the world it doesn't get to."

Sandison witnesses Hearts home matches first-hand this season in his new capacity as co-commentator for Hearts World. He will take his place in the media gantry again this weekend when Danny Lennon brings St Mirren east. A straightforward home win would ease much of the angst over this season's form at Tynecastle. Sandison, though, has cause to recall his own playing career in maroon, and the pressure brought by public expectation.

"I remember playing at Tynecastle for Hearts and there is always an expectancy amongst the fans. The home support do put you under a bit of pressure to win and I think there is a certain freedom away from home because it's a smaller band of fans. The pressure is slightly less.

"The other side of that is that you're probably less expected to win when you're away from home, so that adds a bit more freedom with the pressure off. At home, with 14,000 Hearts fans, you are expected to win unless it's the Old Firm visiting.

"When the players aren't delivering in the first 20 or 25 minutes there is a disgruntled groan from the crowd which can make the players nervous.

"They won't play as free-flowing football as they would when there's no pressure on them. That's a certainly a problem.

"The crowd have to get behind them, even when they maybe aren't playing their best football. The home support should be the 12th man and try to roar them on to a good result."

Draws with St Johnstone and Dundee United and then defeats by Motherwell and Rangers somewhat eroded the confidence Hearts have previously enjoyed at Tynecastle. In each of the three seasons prior to 2010/11, they recorded a minimum of seven points from their opening four home fixtures.

Sandison has detected a certain uneasiness within the players during the opening periods of matches at Tynecastle this year, which, he attributes to public pressure. "You can see from the players' mannerisms and their body language that there's a nervousness there," he continued.

"Like anything, when you aren't full of confidence you maybe won't want the ball as much. I'm not saying anyone's hiding on the park but as soon as you give the ball away you can hear that disgruntled feeling amongst the crowd.

"When you're away at another ground and you make the odd poor pass, there's maybe only 2000 people there who won't give you such a hard time. When 14,000 see you misplacing a pass it's really difficult. That adds to the whole feeling within the stadium and it doesn't help the players.

"We want to get the team playing some free-flowing football knowing that the crowd will accept if the ball is occasionally given away and still support them throughout the whole 90 minutes.

"If you give the ball away and you have a group of supporters on your back, it's difficult to then go and take possession again.

"One guy who was really good at that was Kenny Black. It didn't matter if he lost the ball, he would always go and get it again. You tip your hat to players like that because it's very easy to be frightened of giving it away again."

There is no reason Hearts should fear the forthcoming arrivals of St Mirren and Kilmarnock given their disciplined triumph at Pittodrie last weekend. The feeling is that one convincing home victory will bring an end to the apprehension in the Gorgie air.