Fixture adrenaline would sink a lesser manager

It will not have escaped your attention that Motherwell, who host Celtic on Saturday, are above us in the table and have lost only once in their last six outings (at Tynecastle).  They won a point from Ibrox and left Livingston with three more than we took.

Ange Postecoglou will not be short of adrenaline when he looks at this fixture list.  Having already played two of the top four away from home this season, he is away to the other two (Motherwell and Hibs) in his next three league outings.  For a team still basking in their first away league win since February, that is a challenge.

The visit to Hearts came a week before we were ready, the visit to Ibrox was a missed opportunity that should have ended better than it did, the loss at Livi was abject, even that away win, at Pittodrie, was far from a classic performance.  This start would sink a lesser manager.

Tynecastle, Ibrox, Pittodrie, Fir Park, Easter Road and the Plastic Pasta Park is as difficult a mix as you could get from your opening round of fixtures.  When he leaves Easter Road later this month, Ange will know the remainder of the season will be easier that the round he has just completed.  The priority between now and then is to stay in touch.  A win against an in-form team at Fir Park on Saturday would go a long way towards the season’s objectives.