Hearts boss reveals who will be goalkeeper v Dundee

Steven Naismith, however, still has a target to achieve. He spoke of that when he sat down with the press ahead of Saturday's clash with Dundee at Tynecastle Park. He also revealed who will start between the sticks and why players won't be handed opportunities unless they have earned it.

Read everything the Hearts said coach below...

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Is the message to put the foot down and finish the season on a high?

When it looks like you’re going to get third and European group stage football you are looking at how to keep the players engaged. We’ve spoken about 70 points and I really think we can get there, which would be a great achievement. But the element of achieving what you set out in the summer to get and having that done, I found as a player when there is not that pressure you have freedom to play and it’s enjoyable. The consequence of losing doesn’t really affect us. That’s what I’m hoping for these next three games. The intensity and pressure are there all season, it’s how you manage it. We have an opportunity where there is nothing riding on it for us other than what do we want to do and achieve as a group. We have three games in a week, over the season as a whole we have rotated bits, and that will be the same this week. That’s not us saying we’ll just give players minutes, we’ll put teams out we believe can win. But inevitably the team will change over the three games.

On the flipside, you will face three teams with something to play for and the pressure that comes with that?

That’s why they will be tough games but within those games you can use that pressure. If we have the ball and are attacking them and causing them problems, they know what’s on the line if they don’t get a result, which hopefully we can use to our advantage. But all season our performances have been good. I think tomorrow will be a really good atmosphere after third getting sealed and the weather is getting better, which inevitably makes everyone feel better.

Will there be opportunities for some of the younger guys to get minutes?

There’s always opportunity, and that’s every day, but I am not just going to put players in and say: ‘Look, we have academy players’. That’s not going to happen. If there are boys in the squad from the academy and I think they deserve a chance then they’ll play. But there will not be loads of opportunities for the kids. The guys who have been performing in the B-team and have been in and around the first team for the past month, they’re the ones who are most likely to be involved. And then you have Boycie coming back from injury who needs minutes, Barrie needs minutes. We changed shape against Livingston and he was reality good, but because the shape has changed and he has come on as a sub from that point, hopefully there will be an opportunity for him.

Will you change goalkeeper?

We’ll change goalkeeper tomorrow…I wasn’t going to say that! But Craigy will play tomorrow. But Zander will also play as well at times. It’s a fine balance at times, both of them obviously want to play and go to the Euros. Zander has been the one who has had the jersey because he has been consistent. He’s held it and been a big player for us. But both of them are comfortable with the plan going forward.

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Will you hope for a more quiet game against Dundee after the last two encounters being 3-2?

I’d like them to be more entertaining to be honest, but us being on the attack. That shows you the danger they cause you. They have had a really good season, they have loads of energy in their team. And when they attack they commit to it, it’s not like they’re waiting on someone to do something. They put bodies in attack so we need to guard against that. But in those games we have scored a lot of goals ourselves, we need to still have that pressure going forward.

Will Liam Boyce get minutes between now and the end of the season?

Hopefully. He will be in contention for the squads. He has worked really hard over the last few weeks to say: 'No, I want to be involved. I'm not just going to ride the season out.' Him and Halks have done the same so we'll wait and see. There's no pressure but they are looking good from when they've come back.