Hearts boss sets improving squad aim and explains Cochrane decision

The Hearts head coach spoke to the press after the 2-0 loss courtesy of goals in each half from Cyriel Dessers. He discussed what he learned from the game, improving the team and revealed why Alex Cochrane started on the bench.

READ MORE: Hearts pay for wastefulness and worst start in Scottish Cup semi-final defeat

Your thoughts on the game?

Frustrated, disappointed with the outcome because I am someone who wants to win. That's the overriding emotion at the moment. We got off to a terrible start. We can't lose an early goal like we did. The reaction until the second goal was good. We controlled the ball a lot, we created opportunities. I think what you see is our immaturity in the final third. We had four or five really good situations, we either pick the wrong option or overhit a pass or don't get the finish. In those moments we must hit the target, make the goalie make a save or score a goal. That's the biggest frustration for me because we got good opportunities we didn't take and the goals we concede are cheap.

How big a learning experience will this be for the squad?

Yeah, that's the big thing. Since the start of the season, we've come a long way. In the league, we are in a really good position. On the edge of making the European group stage so that's good. These moments are hard to take for players. Everybody is gutted and disappointed, we had brilliant backing, 19,500 fans. There are some good moments in the game. The players will be frustrated with the chances we give up for the goals. They will play the game back in their mind and what could they have done. The more you do something the more you learn and the better decision you make. We've got to hope and I really believe that because so far this season we've progressed well.

Do you feel it is an opportunity missed?

Yeah, it is because of how we played and the manner of the goals we lost. It was definitely an opportunity missed. If we take one of the chances it's 1-1 with 15 minutes to go, we've got the momentum, we look to be comfortable in possession and the second goal is a killer for us because at that moment of the game, we had possession and we give it up cheap.

What do you say to the players in the dressing room after that, that if they want to come back they need to learn from this?

That's it. I did it in my career, others have been here and had disappointments but I think from the last semi-final to this one we performed much better, we carried more of a threat, we were brave in possession. Just those small margins. If we take one of the chances we have all the momentum and it builds. You can tell in the second half it was going like that a wee bit but that's the difference between winning and losing. 

The second goal, Macaulay Tait loses the ball. He's only a young player, what was he like in the dressing room?

It's a big moment for him but he'll learn from it. He's the type of character that will learn from it. He's someone who has played in the Scottish Cup semi-final at 18. What I liked was that after that he still wanted the ball, wanted to go forward, still played the forward passes. That will make him better but he will be the first to look at it and say I should have played the pass or taken my time on the ball. That's football, the small margins are the difference between winning and losing. 

Is the main thing to not let it detract from what has been a good season and finish the last five games strongly?

We will look over it as we always do. There will be frustrations, there will be disappointments and there are definitely parts to learn from but from where we've come from in the summer to now, we're in a good place. That's it. We want to get to the semi-finals and finals next season and push on from there. I need to give the squad a lot of credit. We are a young squad, the second youngest in Scotland. What we are asking them to do is high risk at times but the rewards are good. We just need that last wee moment to score the goal which again changes the dynamic of the game.

Do you want the squad to be older, is that something you will change in the summer, adding more experience?

Not overly. This season we have missed [Liam] Boyce, missed [Craig] Halkett, missed Barrie McKay for most of it. They are all experienced players, that's how we have suffered in moments. Like every season we will try to improve, try to bring players in we feel will help push the levels, bring what they are going to bring. I'm frustrated because it was a good opportunity and I had full belief we could win in.

What was the reason behind Alex Cochrane starting on the bench?

I just think it suited the game better with Kingsley's experience, delivery from dead balls in both boxes and his physicality as well. It was a general decision that you need to make. I thought Barrie McKay and Yutaro Oda trained really well this week, like a few others, and were unfortunate not to start. I thought we gave a good account of ourselves but being hungry to be successful, we need to tidy up those small points which are big in games like this.

Is that the big learning point?

Yeah, I think it is. We started the game slow and at times we were thinking of pressing and didn't. Against better times, that's too late. The first goal, the 50-50 on the edge of the box, we've got to win that. Then there has to be a calmness. It's a cheap goal, but the reaction was good. In the last semi-final, once we went behind, we never really came back into it too much. This was better. We had good chances in the final third, Butland made a couple of really good saves but we've got to score.