MICHAEL Stewart bore the look of a man who had alighted from the frying pan into the fire following Monday night's Edinburgh derby. The 26-year-old Hearts midfielder left Hibs in a fug of controversy this summer after being implicated in the player revolt against John Collins, the Hibs manager. Adversity seems to stalk the flame-haired midfielder, but he has the character to cope with, even thrive, on it.
No-one plays for Hearts (while on loan from Manchester United in season 2004-05), then moves to Hibs, then back to Hearts again without having an edge to their personality. Stewart was his usual tigerish self on Monday, snapping at the heels of former team-mates and driving his side forward. Unfortunately, he was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing overall team performance, which saw the Tynecastle side lose 1-0 in the season's opener. "It's bitterly disappointing to start the season off with a defeat, but it's done and dusted now," he said. "We need to look to Sunday against Aberdeen and try and rectify what went wrong."
Hearts' lack of punch in attack was the most obvious deficiency. The pairing of Andrius Ksanavicius and Ricardas Beniusis, both making competitive debuts, failed to provide sufficient firepower. It begged the question of why Andrius Velicka was released by the club this week. Velicka may not have been a world beater but would surely have offered a more reliable alternative to either of last night's pairing, in particular Beniusis, a prolific scorer for FBK Kaunas who was booed from the pitch when replaced by Michal Pospisil after 70 minutes.
"I think it was quite clear that we didn't pose a big enough threat in front of goal," reflected Stewart. "I don't think we looked sharp enough in the last third and these are things we need to work on in training."
The home fans also turned on the Hearts management team of Stephen Frail and Anatoly Korobochka, but it was the booing of Beniusis which was the most obvious sign of their disgruntlement. "When we talk about the fans turning, the only time I noticed it was when big Benny was getting taken off, which was disappointing," said Stewart. "The supporters want instant success and big Benny bore the brunt of that, which was unfortunate, but he's a big lad and I'm sure he'll understand what the fans want and be able to bounce back."
The return of Christophe Berra and Laryea Kingston from suspension should bolster Hearts in coming weeks, while Bruno Aguiar and Roman Bednar will be welcome returns from injury, though the imminent loss of Craig Gordon will leave them further depleted. Stewart is adamant that the squad has sufficient quality to get their season back on track. "From my point of view, there is definitely enough quality in the squad. There are obviously players who are injured at the moment, very good players, but it's a case of waiting till these boys are fit and getting them out on the park," he said.
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