Our wretched Rangers record at Hampden utterly shocked me but it's time to puncture Hearts hoodoo – Ryan Stevenson

Here's a stat that might worry Hearts fans before Sunday’s Viaplay Cup semi with Rangers – the Jambos have never beaten the Ibrox side at Hampden.

I’m not sure if that’s common knowledge but it surprised me when I found out this week. In fact, the only time the Gorgie men have ever recorded a cup win over Gers on neutral territory was that glorious day back in 1998 when Jim Jeffries’ side lifted the Scottish Cup at Parkhead. If you want to find the only other time Hearts have managed to topple Gers in Glasgow in a knock-out tie, you have to go back to 1894! Yes, EIGHTEEN-NINETY-FOUR!

Frankly, Hearts’ record in the cups against Gers at the other end of the M8 isn’t good enough. But what’s happened has happened and these records are there to be broken. And there’s no better time for Steven Naismith’s team to puncture that Hampden hoodoo than this weekend’s clash. Let’s be honest, Naisy has still to convince a good portion of the Tynecastle support he has what it takes to be a top manager.

Hearts have played 17 games so far this season and lost eight of them, which isn’t the kind of record that is going to win over the doubters. The only way you get folk to start believing in you is by winning games, big and small, on a consistent basis. I hear people going on about, ‘Oh we played well but we lost. I can see what the team is trying to do’… Sorry but football is about results and if you don’t get them you’ll end up in trouble.

Just ask Lee Johnson, Michael Beale and Steven MacLean. Naisy will know that himself. That’s why Wednesday’s win over Livi will have been crucial. The fixture list the club has head to deal with in the league recently with the derby, then both halves of the Old Firm, has been horrendous. That then