Hearts feel Tangerines are ripe for picking . .

THERE was a time not so long ago when Dundee United would strut around Tynecastle routinely lashing goals into the Hearts net. They were once an exasperating nemesis, an efficient and potent outfit marshalled by the wily Craig Levein.

In 2007, they recorded 4-0 and 3-1 wins in Gorgie with alarming ease as the talismanic Barry Robson and Noel Hunt proved no match for hapless individuals like Linas Pilibaitis and Christian Nade in the home team. Thankfully, those days are gone.

That 3-1 success in October 2007 remains United's last victory over Hearts at Tynecastle. The domineering swagger now belongs to Jim Jefferies' players, who are overwhelming favourites to secure third place in the SPL ahead of tomorrow's meeting between the clubs.

The visitors will arrive in Edinburgh expecting a tough examination of their credentials, in stark contrast to previous strolls at the same venue. They might have finished third and won the Scottish Cup last season, but outwith the Old Firm Hearts are the team to beat this year.

It would be fair to say they have exceeded their own expectations since Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown returned. Generating team spirit and supplementing the squad intelligently has seen Hearts assume United's mantle as best of the rest with a bullish approach to their football. No longer are they pushovers in their own backyard, no longer do they look frightened when caught in bright tangerine headlights. Brown, Hearts' assistant manager, acknowledges that others now take his club a lot more seriously. Neither he nor Jefferies expected such a significant margin between third and fourth place - Hearts are currently 15 points ahead of Kilmarnock - and to that extent they have performed beyond their predicted level. Togetherness is a key point.

"At the start of the season you look at what you've got and you never know how it's going to pan out, but it's panned out well for us and we're absolutely delighted we have the points we do have at this stage," said Brown. "I didn't envisage us having that number of points but we certainly deserve it. Our play in general has deserved it and it's not a fluke. You don't go 15 points clear of the third place team being a fluke so we deserve it and it's great to be in this position.

"When we came here last season it was a struggle to be in the top six and whether we deserved to get into the top six I don't know. But we certainly deserve to be there this year and it has exceeded our expectations to be honest.

"When we started the season, we didn't know we were going to be third, let's be honest. Football is a funny game, Hearts are a big club and realistically we should always be up there challenging for that spot. We were not last year, we just scraped into the top six. You never know how it's going to turn out but luckily enough things have gone really well for us.

"The players have been different class here and, yeah, I'm quite surprised we are that far clear in third position.

"There is a togetherness here at the club that has been a big benefit, the enthusiasm with the way the lads train and they've taken on board the way Jim and I want to play and I think it's suited them and they like it.

"We have a real happy environment here and I think it's a big benefit to the results we've had. The enthusiasm at the training is great and it's a good place to be."

United must counter that feel-good factor tomorrow to have any hope of replicating the kind of success they used to enjoy at Tynecastle. With only one defeat in their last 12 matches, they have reason to feel confident.

"Dundee United have picked up. They have a stronger team than what they had with Craig Conway back so it's a big game. A game we have to win," continued Brown. "Playing Hearts is always a big game coming to Tynecastle, it's a great atmosphere and notoriously it's a difficult place to win at. That in itself makes it difficult. The fact we have had such a good run, teams maybe view us differently. Tynecastle is a hard place for teams to play at but we've only been beaten by Rangers and Celtic away from home this season. It's unbelievable. We have only got six home games left this season, it's not a lot so we have to make the most of them.

"Dundee United have a lot of games in hand on us, they have four. If they won these games they would still be ten behind us so for us to beat them on Saturday would be a big blow to them as they finished well up the league last season and they'll be aiming for that again. These are big games, games against teams that can potentially get near you.

"We aren't looking at the Old Firm, all we are concerned with at the moment is trying to nail third place. The quicker we can do that the better then we can view other things after that. You can't take anything for granted in football but, from the position we're in, we can only throw it away. But you have to keep winning, teams are not going to make it easy for us. It's a good position to be in that teams are wary of us."

After three and a half years without a win in Gorgie, United's trepidation would be understandable. The days of regular routs away at Hearts are consigned to the past.