Preview - Hearts (h)

It has to be said that regardless of who is to blame for what went wrong against St Johnstone the players should have been hurting in the last few days. We might not necessarily win this game but if the team don't come out with the right attitude and visible will to win it can't be seen as anything other than an indication of a major problem at Fir Park.

Team spirit needed

We will still be without McLean, Lasley and O'Donnell but Darren Smith could be available again meaning Malpas has a large squad from which to choose. Along with those who started the match on Wednesday there are McBride, Clarkson, Keegan, Quinn, Molloy, Vadocz, Kinniburgh and even Fagan who will all feel they could do a job if given the chance.

Whether they could or not is debatable but if Malpas keeps largely the same team and it goes wrong again, the finger of blame will be firmly pointing at him. However one change is enforced upon us as Scott McDonald is suspended. We have struggled without him in the past and it would be a major surprise if we don't again.

Hearts are now ten points behind second place so that looks beyond them but they are only three behind Aberdeen in third. Indeed, if they win by four goals they'll skip the Dons. But off the field the Jambos are a shambles. There is no need to go into it in detail here but how good a chance we have depends a lot on which players they draw out of the hat to play and how their attitude is given whatever has happened to them in the past. They will have a new coach in charge and it remains to be seen whether or not they react positively to this.