Hearts v Hibs: Eva Olid outlines new objective and expectations for Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle

That’s the clear message manager Eva Olid has been delivering to her players this week. Expectations have changed. For years Hearts were in the shadow of their neighbours, not even in the same league.

The transformation under Olid in a short space of time has been remarkable. The coach from Barcelona has strengthened her squad, made her team very difficult to beat and instilled resilience and self-belief in her players.

Hibs won both derbies at Easter Road and Tynecastle last season. But they are no longer to be feared. The inferiority complex has gone. Hearts have been above Hibs in SWPL1 all season and are determined to stay there.

“It is true that with the top three and Hibs we have extra motivation because we want to be as high in the table as possible,” Olid explains. “They are attractive opponents for us and we are looking forward to this Sunday.

“The objective last season against Hibs was to compete. That was the most important thing. We had a very young and inexperienced team. It was difficult to expect the win. Now, the most important thing is the three points. Totally different from last season. We know that we can get the three points if we perform well.”

Olid expected progress, of course, as the transition towards full-time professional status continues apace. But perhaps not as quickly as this. Hearts still have a largely amateur squad, but have managed to compete against Glasgow’s big three this season, drawing with Rangers and only losing 2-1 to Celtic. They see themselves differently.

“We have worked together since July and we are starting to see really good performance levels,” adds Olid. “The final third is something we have to work on. We have to score more goals. But I know we will improve on that front soon.

“The numbers show that we have a solid defence and Charlotte Parker-Smith, our goalkeeper, is doing an excellent job this season. The good thing is the balance between attack and defence, which has improved.

“The difference this season has been the four or five experienced players we have brought in, like Emma Brownlie. The rest are young players. We still have an inexperienced team. Half of our team are still amateurs without a professional contract. But the five experienced players have made a difference. The young players are talented, but you always need experience. That combination between youth and experience is good.

“For me, our best performance against the top three was against Glasgow City. That is the game where we played much better. It was just simple mistakes that cost us. Beating Partick 4-1 in the cup in our last game was another really good performance too and that makes us go into this Sunday with confidence.”

The Edinburgh rivals drew 1-1 at Easter Road in November, Crystal Thomas equalising six minutes from time for Hibs after Brownlie had put Hearts ahead in front of an 8,066 crowd at Easter Road. The home side went on to win a penalty shoot-out to claim the Capital Cup as a bonus, but Hearts were satisfied with a point in their quest to claim a top six place ahead of the SWPL1 split.

Olid’s team were ahead of their rivals in the table back then and have led the race for fourth all season, but Dean Gibson’s Hibs have narrowed the gap. Just three points and one place separate the Edinburgh rivals in the table. The stakes are high, with league points taking precedence, even though the Capital Cup trophy is also up for grabs.

“Our main objective is the league and if we win we know we will go six points clear,” Olid added. “That is important. The Capital Cup is an extra and means women’s football is being supported, so that is positive.”

Olid is not shying away from the spectacle, the potential for a record-breaking crowd and what it might say about the progress of women’s football in the Capital. But her focus is to win and her players know what is expected.

“We are feeling very positive,” said captain Georgia Hunter. “It’s a massive game and the girls have been working very hard. The transition over the last year into this season has been positive. Sitting in fourth place shows how hard the girls have worked and hopefully we can continue that. The experienced players are hard-working with a lot of talent. They have definitely helped the team grow.”

More than 12,000 free tickets have been ordered for a match likely to be high on drama and entertainment value and a new record attendance for women’s football is expected.

“Playing at Tynecastle will be huge,” added Hunter. “It will be great to play in front of the Hearts fans and it will be massively different from other games. We don’t expect it to be a shock though. We are hoping to come away with a win and show the fans how well we have been doing.”

Interest in the women’s Hearts-Hibs derby took a significant jump last season. The clubs decided to each host a SWPL 1 league game at their home grounds. A domestic Scottish record attendance of 5,512 took in the match at Easter Road, while over 3,500 watched the return fixture at Tynecastle – Hibs running out 3-0 and 3-1 winners, respectively.

Hearts are determined to show that things have moved on since then. Off the pitch and on it.