Hearts of Oak: Another loss and the murmuring resurrects

Accra Hearts of Oak from all indications are struggling to find their rhythm in the 2012/ 2013 Glo Premier League and that is so obvious.

After changing their technical head few games into the league, many were of the conviction that Hearts were set to turn their fortunes around but that seems to have been a mirage. After five games, new coach, David Duncan is yet to string successive victories and to invoke absolute confidence in his charges.

It might be too early a call for Duncan to get things right but after some silence in his first four games, the Hearts of Oak family seems to be raising their voices of frustration about a technical head again.

Coach C.K Akunnor had been replaced with a fresh sense of belief that Hearts were set to strike the right chords with David Duncan.

Duncan in his first competitive assignment had played a somewhat frustrating game against rivals Asante Kotoko in Kumasi to return home with a point.

At that stage, all indications pointed to a strategy set for convincing score lines back home on the much favoured Accra turf since their biggest task away from home had been expertly executed.

Coach Duncan did not disappoint as in the next game, he made mince meat of city rivals, Liberty Professionals at home beating them with two unanswered goals.

The magic wand seems to have slipped through the fingers of the supposed 'Mourinho of Ghana football'. Coach Duncan is not getting it right in subsequent games; at least this seems to the voice of some agitated fans of Hearts of Oak.

It might be too early to question the tactics of the manager but as the saying goes, coming events cast their shadows. Coach Duncan might not be any better than Coach C.K Akunnor if current events are anything to consider with all seriousness.

Hearts have been held by Amidaus at the Tema Park, lost for the first time in 17 years at home to Ashanti Gold (Duncan's former side) and on Sunday, December 16 lost away to Heart of Lions at Kpando.

Five games; one win, two losses and two draws. The initial 0-0 away draw at Kotoko is counting for little now. The man on the bench didn't really have any hidden magic to wield in subsequent games.

Hearts of Oak found little difficulty against Heart of Lions on match day 16 in the 2011/12 GPL, beating them 1-0 away from home, but here they stood, stuck up with no ideas as to how to beat Heart of Lions at Kpando or at least force a draw.

The murmurs sit within the phobian family and if the new man at the helm of affairs doesn't get things right on match day 12 against in-form Aduana Stars, the low toned agitation will erupt into something bigger and worse.

On a day perennial rivals, Asante Kotoko had come from a goal down to win their home game 3-1, Hearts of Oak fans had expected their team to at least pull a draw but that was not to be.

Their local rivals are leading the pack and going stronger as the weeks pass by but the rhythm they so much look for can't be found. The nineteen times league champions sit a disappointing 12th on the league log after match day eleven with 12 points to show; just four points above fifteenth placed Berekum Arsenals.

For a side that is expected to wrestle for top spot on the league table, David Duncan leading his charges to garner only five points from a possible fifteen leaves much to be desired.

To erase the pain that comes with this appalling statistics, Hearts of Oak led by their new manager need to get things right with games against Aduana Stars, Medeama SC and King Faisal yet to come.