'Positive signs' for new-look Hearts - Halliday

It may have been a bruising start to the season for Hearts, but former player Andy Halliday has seen "really positive signs" for new head coach Wouter Vrancken. Opening with four successive defeats, the much-changed Edinburgh side registered a first win on Sunday, demolishing Dundee United 4-0 at Tynecastle. Halliday gives his old team no chance of turning round a 6-1 deficit against Benfica in Europa League qualifying on Thursday, but does think there are grounds for optimism for the remainder of the campaign. "You always look for passages of play and I've been impressed by some of Hearts work in possession," he told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast. "Against Benfica, I don't think there was much expectation that they could have gone through. "But Hearts were outstanding on the ball at times in Lisbon. They kept it well, got the goal, hit the bar, got into the penalty area on quite a few occasions. "Out of possession, they look really open, although I think Benfica can make you look like that. "They backed that up with a resounding victory and we saw that other side of the game, keeping a clean sheet and restricting United to zero shots on target." Having been knocked out of Champions League qualifying by Sturm Graz, Hearts now face the prospect of dropping into the Conference League play-off against Rapid Vienna or Paide Linnameeskond. On Benfica's second-leg visit to Tynecastle, Halliday added: "Fans will want to see a certain level of performance, a level of fight and desire, just do whatever they can to make it difficult on the night."