Gary Mackay: I reckon Ross County trip is a cup final for Hearts

Wednesday night is a cup final for Hearts. Ross County are wounded after losing in the Scottish Cup at Ayr United, while we are buoyant having put five past Ian Murray’s Airdrie. We desperately need to build on that result.

The word “desperate” paints all sorts of pictures but right now that is the case. It’s about getting points. The Scottish Cup draw has been reasonably kind to us but, whether we play Arbroath or Falkirk, it’s not until February 8. We have four crucial league fixtures before that.

The psychological hurdle for the players is that, right now, even if Hearts win one game they aren’t climbing up the table. They need to win two to do that so it will take some really strong characters to get the team out of this position because they have five points to make up.

The manager has identified how he wants to play and he must feel he can play that way now because he has shuffled the personnel around. He is probably as close to the correct personnel as he can get from within the current group of players.

They have responded to him so imagine what he could do with some of his own players interspersed through that squad. And, further down the line, imagine what he could achieve if he has a full summer to work with the players and teach them his methods.

Ultimately what matters is that, when the summer does arrive, he is working with players who are looking ahead to a Premiership campaign, not Championship fixtures.

With all the changes within the club in the last few weeks, the manager has not had an awful lot of time to work with players but the winter shutdown would have been helpful. From that aspect, you couldn’t have asked any more on Saturday in terms of the final outcome. Winning a cup tie 5-0 should really help confidence.

The concern is that we picked up another couple of injuries to players who are crucial to the team – Michael Smith and Aaron Hickey. That means others may need to step in on Wednesday and stake their claim. If they respond like Sean Clare, who has bought into everything Stendel has done so far, they won’t go far wrong.

The nature of the injuries to Smith and Hickey haven’t been confirmed but if they are muscle-related issues, it raises questions about what the squad’s basic level of fitness has been up until now. Itpoints to the fact that what the new manager has demanded hasn’t been possible for those two guys’ bodies. That would be a concern but nobody will be getting too ahead of themselves until the diagnosis is confirmed.

I hope to see both Smith and Hickey back as soon as possible because they have been important players this season. That will continue until the summer. If Hearts are to get out of trouble and stay in the top flight, I think both of these players will be crucial over the coming months.