Just top six is not good enough

Hearts welcome back defender Ismael Bouzid after suspension for the game against the Accies. But Ryan Stevenson and Eggert Jonsson are still banned while Stephen Elliott (hamstring) remains a doubt. Andrew Driver (knee) is still two weeks away from returning to training while Gary Glen (hamstring) and David Obua (groin) should be back in full training next week. Bouzid will not be satisfied if the team scrape into the top six for a second successive season. The side endured a troubled start last term before Jim Jefferies returned for a second spell in January to replace Csaba Laszlo. Hearts had to fend off St Johnstone to reach the top half of the table and then had to settle for a sixth-placed finish, but Bouzid is now aiming higher. The 27-year-old said: "We were in the top six last season but I think we can do better. We have got a lot of young players and, for me, they have the quality. I hope we can have a better season to play well and be good. We have the possibility to be better and have a better finish. Why not in the third position?''

Bouzid remembers the club's last visit to Hamilton for all the wrong reasons - but he is confident there will be no repeat. The centre-half was one of five people red-carded in a fiery encounter last December which culminated in a post-match tunnel brawl. He said: "I remember this game. But every game is a new game and is different. There were a lot of red cards, but sometimes it can happen in football. We now have a new season and new players and we will try to not have the same situation again.''

Hamilton boss Billy Reid has an unchanged squad for the game at New Douglas Park. Skipper Alex Neil continues his recovery from a hip operation while stopper Mark McLaughlin (ankle) and David Elebert (hamstring) miss out again. James Gibson is still out as he recovers from a cruciate ligament operation. Reid is confident Hamilton will recover from last week's "blip'' at Aberdeen.

Accies got their season off to a dreadful start as they conceded three penalties in a 4-0 loss at Pittodrie. But Hamilton boss Reid put the defeat in context as he looked for his players to get back on track against the Jambos. He said: "We are not down, we are disappointed but who wouldn't be after all the work we did in pre-season? I read in some papers that Aberdeen dominated from start to finish but I don't agree with that. We played well until we were caught with a sucker punch with the first penalty. It's not often that a team concedes three penalties in a game and you can't legislate for that. But it's a blip. We've been there before and we've been through the hard times. But it's only the first game of the season and I still have a belief that has stood me in good stead for five years. In addition to the five players from last season who left - Trent McClenahan, Brian Easton, James Wesolowski, James McArthur and Mickael Antoine-Curier - we were without Alex Neil, Mark McLaughlin and David Elebert who were injured. So it's obvious that we are going through a transitional period. We have had to move players around and I didn't think I would have to do that so early in the season but we will be stronger when Neil, Elebert, and McLaughlin come back. I would like to add one or two more players before the transfer window closes and I'm hopeful but I can't say anything more at the moment.''

Reid is anticipating a battle when Jefferies brings his Hearts side to Lanarkshire. The Accies boss said: "I think Hearts will be direct. If Kevin Kyle plays then I think they will bang it back to front, they will not play it in to feet. So it is important that we match them and win the second balls and if we do that then we will be okay.' Hearts are a big club, just like Aberdeen. We are still 'wee Hamilton Accies' and people expect us to get turned over but we will be okay.''