After the Dust Settled

Now the dust has settled, a few blunt truths need saying. The scenes off the pitch were disgraceful from both sets of supporters and they’ll do nobody any favours when it comes to convincing away fans to travel in future. Football should be heated, not chaotic.

One-sided on the surface, nervy underneath

On the face of it, it felt like a completely one-sided tie. You’d heard fans saying it might be the first time Celtic didn’t register a shot on target across 120 minutes — that tells you something about the rhythm of the game. But credit where it’s due: Celtic’s defenders threw themselves in the way time and again. They made tackles and blocks that kept them in it.

Individuals who caught the eye

I was a Souttar fan, but honestly he looked like a bag of nerves when he came on. By contrast Djiga and Fernandez were composed, the kind of calm that steadies the back line. Diomande’s early booking was worrying; once he picked up that yellow you could see the manager had to be cautious, so it wasn’t a shock he was taken off at half-time.

Midfield and the blunt end

The real difference feels like it’s in midfield. They’ve got finishing from midfield players; ours can control and dominate passages but too often without an end product. That lack of goals from the middle makes life harder for the front line. Up front, it’s harsh but true — you wouldn’t drop a striker between that lot who could instantly become the kind of goalscorer the old guard used to be. We miss that clinical edge.

Hearts suddenly look like they’ve got a real shot at the title — perhaps the weakest of the big two squads in years. Still, I’m a hopeful supporter. Every week will bring its swings and roundabouts and I’ll be there thinking we can turn it round. Rant over.

Quick tactical note: possession and control are useful only if you have runners from midfield and a striker who can finish. Right now the balance is a touch skewed towards control without sufficient end product.

Written by scrambled egg: 8 April 2026