How Hearts are planning to deal with revitalised Aberdeen in crucial match

It has only been a few months since Barry Robson took charge at Aberdeen but he has already imprinted his personality on the team currently occupying third place in the cinch Premiership.
Steven Naismith knows his Hearts team will have to be right at it against Aberdeen at Tynecastle.Steven Naismith knows his Hearts team will have to be right at it against Aberdeen at Tynecastle.
Steven Naismith knows his Hearts team will have to be right at it against Aberdeen at Tynecastle.

That makes facing them a tough proposition, if the man who will occupy the opposition technical area tomorrow afternoon is to be believed.

“I actually get on well with Barry, we were international team-mates. He’s really funny with a dry sense of humour,” said Hearts’ interim bossSteven Naismith.

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“I think his team plays like he did. He was someone who worked really hard and had an aggressive streak about him. And I definitely see those traits in them.”

As players, they were on different sides of the Old Firm divide and, while both only recently took the step up to first-team level as coaches, they had already had to pit their wits against each other at age-group level.

“Aye, he was under-18s manager last year so we’ve crossed paths often,” added Naismith, who followed him up the ladder to take temporary charge following Jim Goodwin’s departure from Aberdeen and then Robbie Neilson’s Hearts sacking.

“From me taking this role I have an appreciation of what he’s done since going in there, as interim first of all, and then getting the job. He’s done well. That’s why they’re in the mix.”

A side that was being dumped out of the Scottish Cup by minnows Darvel and losing 5-0 and 6-0 to the likes of Hearts and Hibs, Aberdeen were not viewed as a major threat to the Jambos’ third-place ambitions when Robson entered the picture in February. But, since then, they have leapfrogged Hearts and, with three games of the campaign left, they enjoy a five-point advantage. Which is why this weekend’s meeting in the capital is so important.

If Hearts win, they still have a chance to pip their rivals to the post. Lose and they will see out the season tussling for fourth, while a draw would all-butsignal the same.

Getting all three points will not be easy for Hearts, even if the Pittodrie side’s record at Tynecastle is pretty grim. Aberdeen have not tastedvictory there in five years.

Naismith, though, is expecting a different challenge from the 5-0 game in January. “Their style is different, their personnel has changed a bit in terms of the manager and some of the players, and, inevitably, when you win games you get confidence. So that’s changed. But we’re also different to the team that lost 3-0 up there as well.”

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And, with so much on the line, Naismith says there will be clarity around what is needed and expected of the players.

“Obviously we know what we have to do, but I’ve felt this way in every top-six game,” he said.

“I’ve gone into them all thinking we want to win as that will give us a better chance.

“This is another pressure game, but there’s alwayspressure at Hearts.

“I noticed it when I came here, there’s pressure to produce at home to give the fans something they’ll buy into and get behind.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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