It was more league frustration for Hearts after losing the Edinburgh derby to Hibs at Tynecastle. Whilst the Jambos have reached both cup semi-finals, they’ve underperformed in the league this season. Particularly given their well documented start.
Super start to seriously struggling
It was a start from which they took 26 points from a potential 30 in their opening 10 matches. From the following 23 that came before the split, they’ve taken just 24 points. Incredibly, their first 10 games they were better than in the following 23.
Wins like Dundee away and Aberdeen at home just seem to paper over cracks for Craig Levein’s team. (photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
Tynecastle is so often a fortress for the Jambos and a pivotal part as to why Hearts’ expectations and league showing is normally so high. This season however, their home form has been painfully average.
Of course, their derby defeat is evidence of that. Hearts are sixth in the Premiership table and also in the home table, below four sides that are above them along with Livingston.
Winning ways become disappointing defeats
Another disappointment from the weekend is the dropped points from a winning position. However, of the 16 times Hearts have been leading this season, they’ve only lost twice and both came at Tynecastle. First was Rangers in early December before Hibs on Saturday.
Steven Gerrard’s Rangers came from behind to beat Hearts thanks to an Alfredo Morelos winner. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
So Craig Levein’s side may have reached the League Cup and Scottish Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2004-05 and for the third time in the club’s history, but the omens don’t bode well for the Jambos. The previous two times they’ve reached this stage, Hearts have lost out in both semi-finals.
Scottish Cup could salvage the season
Club legend John Robertson’s Inverness Caledonian Thistle stand in the way of Hearts getting the better of history repeating itself. Whilst the bookmakers may have the Premiership side as favourites against Championship opposition, Hearts struggle to break teams down that sit in against them. The draw has been kind to them but Hearts still needed a replay to get the better of Partick Thistle, a worse Championship side than Caley.
Craig Levein’s looking to win the first trophy of his football career. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
That’s not to say that Inverness won’t have a go but Hearts have ‘dropped’ 23 points against the bottom six Premiership sides this season. It would be very ironic should Hearts go on and reach a cup final in a season where domestically they’ve been poor for so long.