Hearts manager Craig Levein is confident his side will bounce back from their disappointing display against Rangers and give their usual effort in Sunday’s Edinburgh derby.
Ticket sales for the away section at Easter Road have been unusually slow with Hearts on a three-match losing run in the Ladbrokes Premiership, which included a home defeat against in-form Hibernian.
That game was close but Hearts were poor in last weekend’s 3-1 home loss to Rangers, however Levein is sure his players know exactly what is required in Leith.
“Last week was an annoyance because we didn’t do the things we normally do for some reason,” Levein said. “I will look at that when the end of the season comes and I look back on matches.
“But in terms of consistency our attitude has been really good and I expect us to bounce back from last week. What I expect from the game is the same as we always get.
“A lot of the players have been here for a while and understand the importance of it and also understand the way the game will go.
“Sometimes in this fixture there is a sustained period of dominance but that isn’t the case at the moment, so this game will come down to individuals – one moment of quality, one mistake. That’s sometimes how these games go.
“I think we just have to go in there, do our best, work our tails off, and when we get opportunities, we need to take them.”
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