Aberdeen have been enjoying an incredible season of late and comfortably sit second in the Premiership table.
But they’ve only picked up one point from their last two games – the last a thrilling 3-3 draw with Hibs – as Jimmy Thelin experiences his first minor wobble in form.
It’s not a major issue by any stretch of the imagination. However, Aberdeen fans will be conscious of the club’s horrific recent record at Tynecastle as they prepare to face Hearts on Sunday.
The Dons haven’t won a game in Gorgie since May 2017 when Derek McInnes still had four years to go as manager.
Midfielder Leighton Clarkson admits that needs to be rectified quickly on Sunday as he cut a confused figure when trying to work out why their record at Tynecastle has been so bad.
Leighton Clarkson on Aberdeen’s Tynecastle hoodoo
As quoted in The Press & Journal, Clarkson said: “I haven’t won at Tynecastle – which is something that needs to be changed quickly. To be honest, I don’t really know why we haven’t won there recently.
“Hearts are still a really good team. Even when they were near enough down and out when they came up here (when Aberdeen won 3-2 in October), they still gave us a really tough game.
“We played against most of those players before and they had beaten us before at their place, sometimes quite comfortably.”
Clarkson knows Hearts boss Neil Critchley well
Clarkson will come up against Neil Critchley at the weekend and that brought back a very fond memory for the 23-year-old.
Clarkson recounted: “I know Critch well as he was under-23s manager at Liverpool when I was in the under-18s.
“He gave me my debut for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup against Aston Villa away – it was when the first team went to play in the Club World Cup and Critch took over the side.
“His advice to me just before I went on was to be calm, and to take the quality I have and show it. I will always be proud of that moment – and he was the person who gave it to me.
“I know the coaching staff he has brought to Hearts as well, as they were all in the Liverpool academy.”
“I don’t know if he has changed since I was at Liverpool. Obviously when you are at Liverpool, you feed off the first team.
“So you play how a Klopp team plays and try to filter that down. Critch might have tweaked a few things to suit how he wants to play now.
“When we come to the Hearts game, we will have done our debrief to see how they play.”