How the worst possible start set up Hearts for Rangers loss

The team got off to the worst possible start, conceding to Cyriel Dessers after five minutes. They grew into the game as the match progressed but couldn't find the goal that was required before Dessers grabbed his and Rangers' second in the final quarter of the match. At that point belief and hope began to evaporate.

Writers Joel and James look back at Hearts' second time of coming up short at the semi-final stage this season.

READ MORE: Hearts will guarantee European group stage with 3rd-place after Aberdeen loss

Missed opportunity

Hearts had broken records and ended long waits for certain achievements coming into this encounter at Hampden Park. Adding a first-ever win against Rangers at the national stadium would be up there with the most satisfactory for the team and Steven Naismith.

The team walked off the pitch at Hampden Park in November with regret after losing the League Cup semi-final to Rangers. There may be a tinge of regret after this one as well. Not because they didn't lay a glove on Rangers but because they missed a great opportunity to end their long, long wait to beat the opposition at Mount Florida. They weren't very good. Yet, Hearts simply didn't take advantage of the opportunity in front of them. To get at a vulnerable and nervy side. Even after they went in front early on they looked disjointed. 

Between the first and second goal, Steven Naismith's men built into the game. It took too long with so much of the first half played in front of the Rangers defence when they had the ball but once they did they did begin to be more adventurous space opened up and opportunities presented themselves. But the ending would be all too familiar.

The worst start... again

The one thing Hearts did not want to happen. Not even five minutes on the clock and the team found themselves 1-0 behind. And once again there was a strong element of self-affliction. A goal down early on and a mistake. Let's look back at comments made pre-match.

"I think when we've had poor moments against Rangers it's been largely us to blame and down to us making mistakes in critical moments," Stephen Kingsley said.

Head coach Steven Naismith said: "It's the small margins, moments within the game that will decide the flow. If we start fast and we are putting pressure on, it puts a bit more nervousness on them to defend."

Such a situation is why when it comes to occasions such as these, namely playing Rangers at Hampden Park, all comments are treated with a pinch of salt by fans. They have seen this movie on a number of occasions.

There was a very early warning when Cyriel Dessers turned a cross over the bar. Moments later he didn't make a mistake. Alan Forrest reacted well to a Stephen Kingsley interception, poking the ball away from James Tavernier. Kye Rowles looked like he was ready to clear it but hesitated, allowing Tavernier to recover. Within seconds Dessers had twisted and turned and slotted past Craig Gordon. Rowles and his lack of assertiveness have to go down as the key mistake as Hearts found themselves a goal behind and an upward battle on their hands.

Change in shape

It was clear by the interval that something had to change. Hearts had worked the ball into some decent areas in the first half but were let down by slack passing in the final third, and it was hard to escape the feeling that they weren’t making the most of the large pitch at the national stadium. Naismith decided to act and the men in maroon came out for the second 45 in a flat 4-4-2 shape, with Jorge Grant shifting over to right midfield. Hearts’ fortunes improved, and they started getting more joy down the wings. Both Kenneth Vargas and Grant took advantage of some hesitant Rangers defending on separate occasions to counter-attack rapidly down the right, creating some of the team’s best opportunities – only for Hearts’ composure to desert them just when it mattered most. 

Right ideas but wrong execution

Hearts offered more of an attacking threat after the break but still fell foul of the same old issues. In the first half, Hearts would work the ball into a promising area only quickly to run out of options. Naismith’s side tended to flood the middle, and the attackers weren’t providing enough options by showing for the ball or peeling away from their marker. One misplaced or poorly thought-out pass later and the attack broke down. In the second, Hearts’ extra width meant that such incidents occurred even more frequently – few could deny that they were getting into good positions – but the final pass was still lacking. By the time Cyriel Dessers grabbed his second of the afternoon, Hearts had mustered a total of five shots – three of which were off-target – and Jack Butland had only been seriously called into action once, midway through the first-half save to deny Frankie Kent. Hearts simply didn’t test Butland or get enough shots away. And when that happens against either half of the Old Firm, the end result becomes inevitable.

What next? Upgrades

The aim for Hearts is now to secure third place as quickly as possible. They can put the disappointment of Sunday afternoon in the rearview mirror at Rugby Park next weekend. A win will wrap up third place and the club can look forward to at least eight games in European competition next season. With that comes the opportunity to improve the squad. While the team competed with Rangers better than they did in the previous semi-final and there has been clear growth. It is still clear there is room for improvement in key areas of the pitch which will allow the team to get back to Hampden and make that next step. Right-back is one of those positions while there are new players arriving in midfield but it could perhaps do with more steel. In attack, more pace and ball-carrying qualities certainly wouldn't go amiss.