Gary Mackay: Who needs magnificent seven when whole team is superb?

They say in football that you need six or seven players playing well to have a good chance of getting results, but right now Hearts don't have a failure anywhere in the ranks.

Goals are coming relatively easy, the defence are not conceding and the goalkeeper is playing with a lot of confidence.

There's no 'I' in team and that seems to be the key thing about Hearts just now. Everybody is doing their bit to make sure they are not letting the side down and it's paying massive dividends because the team are simply flying at the moment.

People are rightly talking about the flair players like Rudi and Temps, but I don't think anyone would have predicted that we would find ourselves on a run like this with Ruben Palazuelos and Eggert Jonsson as the two full-backs. It's testament to these guys and the management that the team is functioning so well.

We also spoke a few weeks ago about the subs playing their part - and that was in evidence again as Arvydas Novikovas came on and scored a great goal. He's had to bide his time but he's clearly desperate to do well and it's full credit to him that, despite not playing for a wee while, he's come on when the team are cruising to victory and still showed that hunger and desire to make an impact.

Having a settled team is massive because everyone wants to keep their place, while those on the fringes are desperate to get themselves involved. The whole thing can snowball in a really positive manner. The other thing that strikes me about the starting XI is that it's a really experienced group of players. Only Jonsson and Templeton can really be considered youngsters, but Temps learned his trade at Stenhousemuir and Eggert has been around the first team for years, so the fact we have a good amount of experience has got to bode well.

The attitude in the changing room is so important in a period like this and this is where the management come into play. In Jim Jefferies, Billy Brown and Gary Locke, we now have a really professional group of people in charge of the football side of things and that is shining through in the way the team are operating at the moment. The management have ensured that the team are playing with confidence and maybe even a touch of arrogance - although not over-arrogance. There's no substitute for having professional people at the head of affairs to ensure everyone is pulling in the same direction.

People are saying that the trip to Motherwell has come at the right time because they don't have a manager, but I think every game for Hearts at the moment is coming at the right time simply because they're playing with such confidence just now. People were suggesting that Aberdeen having a new manager might give them a lift, but it really didn't make any difference because ultimately Hearts just overpowered them and that's what they'll be looking to do at Fir Park. Going into the first Old Firm derby of the season everybody was raving about the momentum Rangers and Celtic had because they had both won all their games up until that point. But I really don't think Hearts are far off having that level of irresistible momentum at the moment.

That momentum will be tested to the full this week as we have two really tough games against Motherwell and Inverness - but the Hearts players should have nothing to fear. These two sides have done exceptionally well this season because they have a terrific work ethic.

But if Hearts can overcome the desire and work ethic of these two teams, then they should win the match because they have better players than Motherwell and Caley.

I really hope we can get a positive result tomorrow night because that would set up an absolute cracker against Inverness on Saturday between a Hearts side enjoying an unprecedented run of results and an Inverness team who haven't lost away for over a year. Something would have to give but the desire from both sides to keep their records going would make for a real mouthwatering spectacle.

It's no coincidence that in Terry Butcher and Maurice Malpas, Inverness are also led by a couple of really professional people. It just goes to show how important it is to have the right people in charge of the footballing side of any club. I'm not one for talking about splitting the Old Firm but if I was a Hearts player at the moment, I would be looking at where the likes of Motherwell and Inverness are in the table, but I would also be looking at where Celtic are. I really hope the players are aspiring to go as high as they can.

I don't think they should necessarily be coming out in the papers talking about splitting the Old Firm but I'd like to think they will be talking about that possibility in the privacy of the dressing room.

I know some fans are starting to believe it's a possibility and hopefully the maroon army will show how much this run is appreciated by turning up in their numbers at Fir Park.

It's a Tuesday night game live on TV in the lead-up to Christmas, and Motherwell's not always the most-populated away end from Hearts but I think on this occasion we can expect a really good crowd to make the journey through tomorrow night and roar the boys on to another clean-sheet victory.