Hearts v Inverness Caly Thistle
Football : Scottish Premier League
Saturday 26/11/2011 - Kickoff 15.00 (local)

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Hearts

I think it's really time to start worrying for the future of Hearts as things are now looking pretty serious.

It is clear that there is just no money at the club despite the owner being a multi millionaire. It seems every month there is a struggle to pay the players wages and now for the first time Mad Vlad Romanov has mentioned that he may have to put the club up for sale or look for a joint venture type of relationship.

Mind you what was funny was his valuation of the club at £50m, this made me chuckle as I suspect you could buy every team in Scotland for that price and still have change!

On the park Hearts are not doing any better, they have suffered a poor run that now finds them down in 6th place after a winless 4 game run. Putting the ball in the net is the problem, as Hearts have not even got a goal in any of these 4 games which is not really a surprise as the relatively new manager just doesn't seem to fancy any of the strikers currently at the club as he tends to play midfielders as make shift strikers.

Ian Black will miss this game through suspension and Darren Barr, Kevin Kyle, Gary Glen, Suso Santana are all still out through injury.

Possible Hearts lineup : (4-4-1-1)
Kello, Grainger, Webster, Zaliukus, Hamill, Jonsson, Mrowiec, Skacel, Stevenson, Templeton, Sutton

Inverness CT

Following Terry Butcher's priceless "Assult by fingernail" comments about midfielder Greg Tansey's sending off last week they have won their appeal against his dismissal. The ref has admitted he got it wrong and Tansey is now free to play against Hearts.

Inverness will be looking to add to their first away of win of the season earlier in the month after their freak 6-3 win at Kilmarnock, but if we take that win out of the equation they had actually lost 5 in a row on the road.

I can see Butcher fielding the same team that lost at home to Celtic last week but actually put in a really good performance. Especially the power of Tade and Foran looking to be a handful in attack.

Possible Inverness CT lineup : (4-4-2)
Esson, Tokely, Proctor, Hogg, Meekings, Tansey, Hayes, A Shinnie, Davies, Tade, Foran

THE BETTING VERDICT

I'm going to go with Hearts to get a home win here as it is desperately needed to stay in touch with the teams above us and try to claw back at Motherwell in 3rd position that is the ultimate goal this season.

Hearts have not lost 3 games in a row since 2007 so I don't see them losing this game. Biggest problem is scoring a goal but without falling foul of that betting faux pas of saying they are due a goal - they are!

A Hearts home win at 1.95 against an Inverness team with 5 away loses aready this season is a bet I'm willing to take.

The Pick :

Hearts 1-0 Inverness CT

PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE :

Hearts 55% - Draw 28 % - Inverness 17%

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Main bet:
Take Hearts to win at 1.97 (Pinnacle)