Keep the momentum, says Alex

The men in maroon are heading north to the city of discovery for a Christmas Eve clash with Dundee United. Hearts returned from the World Cup break with a bang last weekend, seeing off Kilmarnock 3-1 in Gorgie, with Alex keen to maintain momentum on Tayside.
 
“The Killie win was important. It took us closer to Aberdeen and Rangers which is the main thing,” he told the press ahead of the match. “We were maybe a bit sloppy in the second half, which we know, but we’re happy to have gotten the result and the three points. Now we move onto Dundee United which will be another tough game.
 
"Considering the injuries we’ve had, to be in the position we are is a credit to the squad and the good players that we have. You can’t just cruise and hope that you’ll get third place, you want to challenge the teams above and make it as competitive as we can.
 
“It’s always tough going away in this league, but away form is something we need to pick up on and we’re aware of that as a playing group.”
 
Robbie Neilson’s maroons face a Dundee United side battling at the bottom of the cinch Premiership table. The Tannadice Terrors have only taken 12 points from 16 matches this season, but Alex knows all about the threats presented by Liam Fox’s team.
 
“It’s a surprise, seeing them down there,” he added. “They’ve got a very talented squad. They’re fighting for points and looking for results. Tannadice is a tough place to go but we’ve had some good games against them since I’ve been here. We have to be at it from the start and get a positive result to move up the table.”
 
You can catch Alex’s full pre-match press conference on Hearts TV.