Captain Calamity!

Hearts season started badly as they crashed 2-0 to Dundee United at Tannadice last night. A Danny Cadamarteri double condemned the Gorgie boys to defeat in front of the ESPN cameras, his first being a penalty after only THREE MINUTES when Eggert Jonsson brought down Hibs fan Danny Swanson.

His second came five minutes before the end after a counter attack from United left Cadamarteri one on one with an advancing Marian Kello and the former Everton striker coolly slotted home from long range.

Stewarts red card came after two bookings and it's his fourth sending off in a Hearts top. Not the ideal attitude from a captain. Last week I made a point that Stewart should have been considered for George Burley's Scotland squad and I make no apologies for the comment. I believe Stewart is a big game player - he's played at the highest level and has the ability to mix it with the best. But this was not what I wanted to see.

I also made a comment that perhaps Stewart and Marius Zaliukas, who Csaba Laszlo has said will share the captains' armband for this season, were maybe the wrong choices due to the amount of time they serve for suspensions. I topped it off with a comment that perhaps the half time draw prize should be the skippers armband and even although this was in jest, with Stewart getting sent off seven minutes after the restart, my jokey prophecy wasn't far wrong.

Let's not get carried away. We won't be the only team to lose at Tanandice this season, it's just a pity in which we did that grates. Our skipper sent off barely 50 minutes into the start of the season and a penalty moments after the game had kicked off is not what the Tynie faithful deserve.

Okay, we could have scored if only Jose Goncalves had connected with Suso's cross, we should have had a penalty when Suso was brought down and Marian Kello mad a couple of decent saves. However, United had a claim for another penalty and too often they looked to expose our defence.

It's clear we need out new signings to gel, we need more new signings to help the case (Darren Barr from Falkirk would be a start). A striker is a definite and Ruben Palazuelos should be promoted to skipper.

We can take positives form the game, but as we gear up to face Croatian champs Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday then play host to Rangers on Sunday, is there enough time to turn things around? I think so. And at the possibility of losing the first three games of the season within seven days, I hope so to!

Things can only get better! And they will!