Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has told his players that he is expecting maximum points from back-to-back home games against Livingston and Motherwell.
The Gorgie side, who are just one point adrift of Rangers at the Premiership summit, maintained their unbeaten league start to the campaign after coming from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Ross County last weekend.
That was on the back of an entertaining goalless draw at Tynecastle against city rivals Hibs but Neilson admits he will be disappointed if his team come away with anything less than six points from their two games before the next international break.
He said: “We’re six games in and undefeated and sitting near the top of the league, and we’ll keep trying to win games.
“The key thing for me was that if you’re not going to win the game, make sure you take a point out of it.
“The home games are so important for us this season, we have two home games coming up and we have to make sure we win these games.
“I would expect full houses, good atmospheres and if we put the Ross County performance on again in terms of possession we’ll win the games.
“We want to win games away from home too but if you don’t win it, make sure you get the point and go back along the road.
“We’ve had three tough away games (against St Mirren, Dundee United and Ross County) and taken seven points from them and now we have to focus on two home games coming up.
“We’re pleased where we are, we want to win every single game but it’s not going to be like that. We’re six games in and undefeated so we have to be positive.”
Neilson, meanwhile, admits he could not have been any more happy with Barrie McKay ’s performance against County after handing the former Rangers, Nottingham Forest and Swansea winger his full debut in Dingwall.
The 26-year-old joined as a free agent just days after the transfer window closed and made his maiden appearance in a maroon jersey as a substitute against Hibs.
Neilson added: “We spoke to Barrie before and thought we’d get 60, 70 minutes from him but he was playing that well that we thought, ‘if we take him off, we’re losing an attacking threat’, because I thought he was outstanding.
“The chances he created and the movement was top quality.”
