Hearts have been told to focus on their trip to Ross County this weekend rather than European endeavours.
The Jambos are currently on a poor run of results but performance levels rose despite a 4-3 defeat to Celtic on Saturday. They have RFS to come in their penultimate Europa Conference League Group A match this Thursday but after that comes a long trip to the Highlands against the Staggies.
A loss against the current basement club in Scotland's top flight could see Hearts become just two points ahead of Malky Mackay's men and Ryan Stevenson says that's a prospect enough to frigthen Robbie Neilson's men into a priority shift. They need to win against Latvian opposition to maintain their post-Christmas European ambitions, but Tynecastle hero Stevenson wrote in his Daily Record column: "Hearts’ biggest game of the season has just become Ross County. And if anything sums up the rut the Jambos find themselves in then it’s the sudden importance of Sunday’s trip to Dingwall.
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"Sound strange? Maybe. But Hearts are in a helluva rut and if the losing streak continues against the rock bottom Staggies then there’ll be just two points between the sides.
"Then it really would be panic stations in Gorgie. The Europa Conference League is a bonus and Thursday’s clash with RFS at Tynecastle offers a good chance for a morale booster. But Ross County is much bigger.
"If Hearts don’t start picking up league wins regularly and getting in the groove then by the World Cup break they could find themselves in a real s****y position. And that’s only four games away."
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