HEARTS legend Gary Locke today called on the club's supporters to forget their frustrations and get right behind their team when they host Hibs tomorrow.
The Jambos have struggled to find form in recent months and in their last home game – a goalless SPL draw with Falkirk – the team were booed off the pitch at the full-time whistle.
However Locke doesn't expect a repeat performance from the suppor
ters and instead believes that they can act as a 12th man for their side in the first Edinburgh derby of the season by roaring them onto a precious victory.
Locke said: "This weekend the team really needs the fans to be right behind them from the word go.
"I know that in the last home game against Falkirk, some supporters were beginning to show their frustrations but, to be fair to them, I don't think that there is any danger of that happening again tomorrow.
"When Hearts are playing Hibs, particularly when it's at Tynecastle, the supporters are always right behind them and cheering them on. It'll be a sell-out as far as I know and I expect the fans to play their part in helping them get the right result.
"Hopefully they can spur them onto a victory because it would be coming at just the right time."
While results may not have gone their way in the opening games of the season, Locke does not feel that Csaba Laszlo is too far away from finding the right formula.
And he reckons that just that the right attitude, combined with the little bit of good fortune that has been missing this season, could see them bag all three points against their bitter rivals, adding: "I don't think that we're that far away right now.
"There have been some decent performances that have been decent, last week against Celtic I thought that the players, right through from one to 11 were first-class. If we can repeat that kind of performance then I don't think we'll go too far wrong.
"The problem is that, too often this season, we have not had that consistency.
"I would like to think that everything will fall into place on derby day because the atmosphere will be electric and everyone will be well up for it.
"I think there have been a few changes in personnel and Hearts lost a lot of good players at the end of last season. Bruno Aguiar was a fabulous player, Christos Karipidis was always so reliable and Robbie Neilson, as well as being consistent, was a really great guy to have out on the pitch and in the dressing room.
"We've lost a lot of experience and maybe some of the boys who have been brought in have not been as good as the ones who have left."
The Tynecastle side go into the game 11 points behind Hibs in the table and Locke conceded that they can't afford to allow John Hughes' side to increase their advantage any further. "It's a massive gap to have, even at this stage of the season – but I don't think that it will have any effect on the players tomorrow.
"I think that the form book goes out of the window when it comes to these games, as the last few have proven, and it really comes down to who wants it most on the day.
"We really need to start picking things up now because if we fall 14 points behind then we're really struggling.
"I think everyone looks forward to a derby though. I had a decent record against them as a player and I know that all of the supporters look forward to them, no matter how the table looks. I have to admit though, it's always better at the end of the game and you're celebrating a win. Hopefully that'll be the case this weekend."
