Craig Halkett insists a Europa Conference League baptism of fire against Istanbul Basaksehir could still prove a blessing if they put points on the board against Riga.
The Scotland defender sat out of a 4-0 demolition by the Turks on Thursday night due to a hamstring injury but admitted it was a sobering lesson on the step up in class against continental opposition at Tynecastle.
A first group clash for the Jambos in Europe for 18 years may have been a painful watch for the 27-year-old. But he’s already targeting a return to the side for the clash in Latvia in midweek and believes the club is on a steep learning curve with Riga a destination that can get their campaign off and running. Halkett said: “We knew from the minute the draw was made we’d be facing teams of a high level and Thursday was an example of that.
“Nobody underestimated the size of the challenge as it’s been 18 years since we’ve been involved at the group stage of a European competition. It’s all about enjoying this journey, we want to put as many points on the board as possible but we also need to make sure we enjoy the experience and learn as much as we can from it.
“Thursday night will be another experience and we want to try and make it the starting point in claiming as many points as we can. Istanbul were the pot one team in our group, getting a result against them was always going to be difficult and because the game was at Tynecastle we hoped for the best.
“Everyone who was at the game saw how good they were as they more than showed their qualities. Now we are going away to Latvia to face the pot four team and we were seeded above them so these are probably the two games which we will look at as being the best opportunity for us to pick up points.
“That said, we can also look at some of the results from across Europe on Thursday night and see the top seeds can struggle against those in the lowest seeded pot. Riga managed to earn a draw in Italy against Fiorentina so they’re no mugs themselves, we know how difficult it’s going to be.”
Halkett’s recovery from a hamstring injury sustained in the early moments of the Europa League play-off against Zurich in Switzerland is a timely boost for Robbie Neilson’s side as they attempt to halt a run of just one win in all previous six games.
The absence of the defensive mainstay has coincided with a run of results that includes a Premier Sports Cup exit to Kilmarnock but the former Livingston man is adamant it hasn’t punctured morale as they aim to right a few wrongs against Riga.He said: “We’ll now have another week of rest before this game and we’ll also get the chance to look back on the game against Istanbul and do the analysis and find out exactly where we went wrong.
“All of that can only help us as we go through this sticky patch. The recent results haven’t been great but the vibe among all of the boys in the dressing room is still really positive.
“You look at the teams in our group and Istanbul are the top seeds, the rest of the clubs may have some great individual players but not the same depth as the Turks who have a squad of top internationals.”
Neilson spoke of his players needing to show a clinical edge if they’re to make any progress in Europe and against Basaksehir there were chances that weren’t taken before a second-half implosion. But Halkett is adamant there’s a novelty at this level for so many of his team-mates who need to show they are fast learners.
He said: “We’ll look at all aspects of the game but this is a new experience for the vast majority of players within our squad. Boys like Craig Gordon and Andy Halliday have been involved in big games in Europe but for 90 per cent of this squad it’s been a step into uncharted territory. It’s a massive learning curve for us all.
“What we must not do is underestimate the level of the teams we are playing against and the level we are playing at. Istanbul Basaksehir may be a relatively new team but they’ve already shown the quality they have during recent campaigns in both the Champions League and Europa League. They are also doing pretty well in their own domestic league.
“For Hearts and for the staff and players, it’s about learning as we go in what is also a relatively new competition. We need to learn quickly about the differences and demands at this level and grow as a team as we go along.”
READ NEXT:
