I know I’ve been talking him up but I wasn’t really surprised to see John Souttar left out of the Scotland squad.
There’s no doubt with his ability that he can be an international player and he will be back involved. But it's about him playing regularly now for a good number of months and playing well, which he is doing just now.
There’s good boys in there in his position now as well so it was always going to be difficult for him to come straight back in, especially after the international boys did so well over the summer.
As much as he might be disappointed, I think Soapy himself might have been more surprised if he had been called up. I would imagine Steve Clarke would have talked to him beforehand.
If he does play well regularly, I’d expect him to be back in for the games in October. The biggest thing for John is to stay fit. It’s not as if it's been niggling injuries that have kept him him out, they’ve been serious injuries.
He’s thriving in a back three at Hearts and that's obviously similar to the system Scotland play, but I think he’d slot back in there regardless.
John’s one of these players that are few and far between; a centre half that can be dominant and is also very good on the ball. He's composed, he can see and play passes, he can come out from the back with possession and break the lines. There aren’t many of those about.
When you look at the goalkeepers, there’s no doubt who’s Scotland’s number one now. It’s got to be Craig Gordon, hasn’t it?
For Craig last year, the fact Hearts were in the Championship and as much as he’s done in the game and the standards he was setting, with Marsh playing regularly it was always going to be a tight battle.
Now that he’s back in the Premiership and doing what he’s doing, it’s an easy call.
Zander Clark’s been brilliant for St Johnstone in Europe, but I don’t think there’s any question over who’s number one.
Gordon wasn’t overly busy against Aberdeen at the weekend but in fairness, neither was Joe Lewis at the other end.
It would have been a great three points for Hearts to get but at the same time, Aberdeen are a tried and tested top three or four team in Scotland; Hearts were in the Championship last year.
Having taken the lead, they’ll have been disappointed to have lost the goal but I think Aberdeen dominated the last quarter of the match.
Given they’d played in Azerbaijan in midweek and done a lot of travelling, it might have surprised a few that they finished stronger than Hearts.
But I was thinking about this yesterday and remembered the sheer amount of nervous energy we used up before playing in a big game at Tynecastle. You were that hyped up about the game.
Some of these lads haven’t played in front of a full Tynecastle for over a year and some of the new boys haven’t done it all.
So all that rolled into one; the nerves, the pressure they’d put on themselves thinking ‘I want to go out here, play well and win,’ has an effect.
If you’d offered anybody seven out of nine points to start the season, especially with Celtic and Aberdeen in there, they’d bite your hand off.
Tannadice on Saturday could be a sticky one. I always hated going up there. They're a big club with a good stadium but I always found it difficult. I don’t know why.
Maybe it was the pitch. It was on a slope and I’d get there and think: ‘I hate this place!’
I loved playing against them at Tynecastle and always had good games against them there, but hated playing them away.
It’s a bigger game than the St Mirren one just because of United’s stature, but if Hearts are going to do anything this season, they need to be going there and getting three points but they’re capable of winning.
I’m sure Ben Woodburn will be involved at some stage and he looks a decent signing. I’ve been watching his YouTube videos and he looks lively.
You never know with these types of signings but if he hits the ground running, the fans will take to him.
You can’t play for Liverpool and be a bad player. Robbie will have done his homework on him, much like Beni Baningime and Alex Cochrane.
Hearts clearly like that market; young Premier League players who maybe aren’t quite at first team level down there.
Listen Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe and keep in mind who’s in front of Woodburn there. Youre talking global superstars.
It’s an opportunity for both parties. It’s a big chance for him and if he does well then it;s great PR for Hearts. It’s not as if you come up to Scotland and playing Mickey Mouse football. He’ll be playing in front of 20,000 every other week.
