How Rangers loss showed the two sides of Naismith's Hearts

It was a night of frustration in Gorgie for the home side. They did a lot right out of possession in the first half but didn't give the club's support much to get excited about in terms of chances in either half.

Hearts Standard looks back at the encounter, where it went right and where it went wrong for Steven Naismith's men.

READ MORE: Steven Naismith Q&A: Tactical change, Hearts 'yes/no' competing answer, added time

Without the ball

Connor Goldson picked up the ball on the edge of the Rangers box and leathered it up the pitch and out of play. There were just seven minutes on the clock but Hearts had, within that time, signalled their pressing intent on a few occasions already.

The visiting side had effectively two choices: go long or play risky passes and try to beat the press in their own defensive third.

Alex Cochrane pushed up high on James Tavernier. Kyosuke Tagawa buzzed about with a focus on Goldson. Jorge Grant followed John Lundstram and Lawrence Shankland ensured Leon Balogun wasn't an option.

This wasn't a one off. This happened again and again. It was something the away side knew would be the case. Rangers boss Philippe Clement noted: "We knew the pressing would be like this."

Within 40 seconds Ridvan Yilmaz was forced to go long.

Even when it went into Tom Lawrence before his injury you can see Beni Baningime right up his backside with Hearts essentially going man for man to prevent Rangers building out from the back. There was a clear plan and strategy.

When Rangers got out of their defensive third they were finding it difficult. Any suspect pass and Hearts were ready to pounce as they did on Lundstram when Lawrence gave him a hospital ball.

And when the visitors progressed higher up the park they were left frustrated. Lundstram was forced to turn back after nine minutes but it was best encapsulated by Goldson who advanced but then had little option other than to turn back before expressing his frustration.

On the few occasions Rangers got good possession in the Hearts defensive third, the home side packed the box ensuring there was little space for clear shots.

Then came the goal which started from a goal kick. Hearts once again pressed high up the pitch. This time Rangers played a riskier pass and it came off as James Tavernier played a one-two with Ross McAusland. Yet, when looking at the situation, the ball McAusland played is high and Tavernier receives it at his chest. That should allow for him to be closed down but it is excellent, direct play from the Rangers captain to control and drive on before playing a superb pass in behind the Hearts backline.

However, there are three issues at play for the home side. Firstly, Cochrane over commits in the corner. If he stands his ground he likely prevents Tavernier for getting to the return pass.

Up the other end of the park it seems Nathaniel Atkinson, making his first start in two months, fails to tell Stephen Kingsley that Abdullah Sima is making a run in behind him. The duo had a long conversation after the goal. As for Zander Clark, he comes to narrow the angle, stops, hesitates and then takes a step back. He makes the forward's decision up for him.

From a Hearts point of view it is a very messy concession having made it very difficult for Rangers up until that point.

READ MORE: Hearts analysis: Rangers wait goes on, Atkinson and Clark, positive changes, Tagawa

With the ball

As soon as Rangers scored, Hearts were up against it. Of the 14 previous league games they had scored more than once just four times and they hadn't got a draw, let alone a win from a losing position.

Prior to the opening, and only, goal of the game, Hearts had the best chance of the match. There were moments of luck involved when Atkinson got away from Jose Cifuentes and Yilmaz on the wing but prior to that there were good moments when Calem Nieuwenhof played forward to Jorge Grant.

When Cochrane shoots there are seven Hearts players in the box. The only time Naismith's men get so many in and around the box from open play.

The home side didn't do enough across the game to trouble Rangers. They were unable to turn the high pressing into turnovers and chances. While as Naismith alluded to after the game his team were guilty of playing safe passes.

Hearts have a big issue transitioning quickly. There is a lack of acceleration and pace in the middle of the pitch. Both Beni Baningime and Nieuwenhof are tidy players but need to take on more responsibility in trying to drive the team forward. One of the most eye-catching - for the wrong reasons - moments was in the eighth minute. Baningime gets the ball behind two Rangers attackers and has space to drive into...

 ... But turns back. At that moment the away side had every man behind the ball.

It is indicative of there being players in the team whose first thought is on either playing backwards or protecting the ball rather than the mindset of 'can I progress play straight away?'.

This has a knock-on effect. It makes the team one-paced and makes it more difficult to play the ball behind defences for the likes of Tagawa, Yutaro Oda and Kenneth Vargas to run onto. In open play, Hearts made just four passes into the Rangers box. As for individual touches in the box, Rangers' Danilo had the same number as Shankland, Tagawa and Vargas combined. Kye Rowles had the most of any Hearts player with seven.

Between Cochrane's chance in the 25th minute and Vargas' in the 70th minute, Hearts added just 0.15xG from four efforts. That is just a geeky way of saying, the team created very little for 49 minutes when you include the four minutes added on at the end of the first-half.

HT Changes

On reflection, the change in personnel and formation didn't work for Hearts. Atkinson wasn't a surprise casualty of the double change at half-time. He looked very rusty. But in Jorge Grant, Naismith subbed the team's best player in the opening 45 minutes. 

He used the ball better than any of the midfielders and forwards and he showed real positivity in breaking forward and running beyond the ball as can be seen in the examples below.

Naismith added pace and width higher up the park but the team had little control, both with and without the ball. The team's press was no longer as cohesive and assertive and the game became much more open with Todd Cantwell getting more involved having been a mere background character in the first-half. 

It became a harder game to analyse because there were no discernible patterns or plans, certainly to this untrained eye. It was more around individuals with Rangers looking to hit Sima in behind with Hearts playing a high line. 

Alan Forrest had a positive impact off the bench and was far more direct than any of his team mates with the ball. It was his run and cross which set up Vargas for his effort which was repelled by Butland. However, Forrest finished at right-back with Barrie McKay making his return from injury.

The encounter as a whole was a reminder that this Hearts team is very much still a work in progress. Defensively, they are sound and a difficult team to break down. Yet, as an attacking force there is still plenty to improve on. The goals for column makes that pretty obvious with only bottom-place Livingston and a St Johnstone side who have drawn a blank in eight of their Premiership matches having scored fewer than Hearts' 14.

Now, the following is not the reason Hearts failed to take something from Wednesday night's game. However, three minutes added on time at the end of the second half was galling.

In reality it should have been double that. HeartsTV commentator Laurie Dunsire revealed to Hearts Standard, having tallied up the second-half stoppages, there should have been a minimum of six minutes added on. That included Willie Collum urging Rangers to take a free-kick quicker three minutes after the interval, a stoppage of one minute and 40 seconds as Rangers made a double change, a further 60 seconds for another Rangers sub, 35 seconds and 40 seconds respectively for Alan Forrest replacing Kyosuke Tagawa and Barrie McKay replacing Stephen Kingsley. The stoppages which followed yellow cards for Alex Cochrane and Kenneth Vargas? 45 and 50 seconds. Yilmaz's booking saw the game stop for another 40 seconds.

Then in stoppage time it was 50 seconds following Forrest's foul on Sima for the winger to be booked and then for Rangers to take the free-kick. 

Collum blew on three minutes with fourth official Euan Anderson staring at his watch for 15 seconds as it ticked towards the three minutes, almost providing the referee with a countdown.

No wonder fans don't trust Scottish officials when they fail with simple tasks such as timekeeping.

Imagine it was the other way round. Hearts were leading 1-0 at Ibrox. Would there ever be just three minutes added on? If only there was a similar situation this season. Oh wait. There was. James Tavernier had netted a 90th minute penalty to equalise. What followed? Nine minutes. A point made from a member of the Hearts staff which could be heard in the press room after the match.

Make it make sense.