Laurent Mendy has insisted injury-hit Hearts can overcome the odds and be the talk of the Thun this week, writes Scott Burns from Switzerland.
The stretched Jambos are on their travels for their latest Conference League group game. Wouter Vrancken is already without several key players but if Calvin Miller and Tomas Magnusson don’t make it, his absentees could rise into double figures.
Belief and Mindset
They take on the Swiss shock troops who won their domestic title in their first season back in the top-flight. Mendy insisted: “Yes, in every game, regardless of if it is a European game or a league game, you always have to go with the belief that you're going to win.
“That's the mindset that we're going to go with. We're going to go there and we're going to perform the way we've been performing.”
Thun will go into the game confident after a rousing weekend fight back. They had been 4-1 down to Lausanne before they came back to win a nine-goal thriller.
Bouncing Back from Hampden
The midfielder acknowledged: “That's going to give them confidence, but we don't fear anyone that we play. We just go, turn up and do what we do best and stay true to our identity.”
Mendy has vowed that hurting Hearts will bounce back from their Hampden heartbreak. The Gorgie side was left stunned by their city rivals in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
Vrancken’s threadbare side went to the national stadium as red-hot favourites but were dumped out by out-of-form Hibs. The midfielder claimed: “We came out believing that we could win the game.
“We had chances, just couldn't get it in the back of the net. Yes, 100 per cent. It's not just them, it's us as well. I think everyone that supports Hearts, that's at Hearts, the staff, the players, everyone's going to take it a bit badly that we lost on Sunday.
“But we have to remember that it's a long season and good things can happen. That's what we're going to look to do to bounce back. Yes, it's hard to take, especially because it was them.
“We beat them before, so we had the belief that we can do it again. Sunday wasn't our day, it was theirs. We just have to suck it up and focus on the game on Thursday.”
Injury Woes and Next Steps
Hearts tried to get back into the game in the second half but couldn’t get the equaliser they craved. The frustrated Frenchman admitted: “Yes, I feel like we tried to do that in the first half, but they were getting away with it.
“They kind of sussed us out and had a bit more bodies in the middle. That's how I feel like they were getting out.
“But in the second half, we struck our back and we just went for it. We were 2-1 down. I was like, you know, boys, let's just go and get it.”
Hearts haven’t been helped by a catalogue of injuries. It has left Vrancken without almost an entire starting XI. Mendy claimed: “Yes, I feel like we've been getting unlucky with that.
“It feels like every game there's one or two players getting injured, and it's not just a little injury. It's always a couple of weeks, a couple of months. We just have to bounce back, keep believing in the players that are fit, and carry on going.
It has opened the door for many of Hearts’ fringe players. Mendy reckons it is up to them to show they should be in the team longer term.
He added: “Yes, because now we just have to believe in the players that haven't played, that are probably going to step up now.
“We just have to stay strong together and believe in each other. Whoever's going to play, whoever's going to be in a starting XI, can do it for the team. I strongly believe that.”
The ex-Forest Green Rovers player could be the only fit central midfielder for Thursday’s clash with Thun in the Conference League. Mendy has no concerns that his team will still be strong, regardless of who starts.
He confirmed: “No, we work out our training, obviously. I don't just have to, obviously, we both have to talk to each other and stuff, but it's not just me telling them what to do.
“They can also tell me what to do at times. It's a partnership. Whoever I'm playing with, regardless if they've played a lot or not, we work out training and try to do our match there.”
The next game is a trip to Switzerland to take on their champions Thun. It is part of a back-breaking European and domestic run. It is a gruelling spell for Hearts but Mendy knows he and the remaining fit members of their squad will continue to give everything to get them through to the other side.
The Hearts player claimed: “It is and it's not at the same time, because I feel like we haven't had time to really rest like other teams have.
“We've been having two games a week, and it's been a lot, especially with the injuries as well. But like I said, we just have to believe in each other and keep digging and keep going strong.”
