That one’s a sore watch back because it genuinely felt like a game there for the taking. Not a classic, not one where we were getting cut open every two minutes, just a day where the margins swung and we let the momentum escape us.
Credit where it’s due: Hearts came with a plan that suits them. They sat in compact, they worked like dogs to win second balls, and they backed their forward players to produce the odd moment. Add in the set-piece threat and you can see why they’re a tough afternoon at Tynecastle when the crowd gets going.
Hearts kept it simple, and it worked
There was nothing especially fancy about it, but it was effective. They were narrow, aggressive to the ball, and they made the pitch feel small. Rangers had plenty of the ball in areas that don’t really hurt anyone, then found it hard to turn possession into clean chances.
That’s the thing with sides like Hearts when they’re set: you’ve got to be patient, but you can’t be passive. You need a bit of punch in the middle of the park and enough quality on the ball to pull them about, because if you let it become a scrap, they’re happy enough living in that world.
The disallowed goal moment changed the temperature
Up to the disallowed goal, Rangers looked comfortable and more settled. It wasn’t total control, but it felt like we were edging the game into a place where our quality should decide it. Then that decision lands, Tynecastle wakes right up, and suddenly every tackle and long throw is getting roared like a winner.
From there it just felt like the match sped up on us. Hearts had the belief, we got a bit ragged, and small errors started carrying big consequences. Two mistakes from Jack and we were punished, and at this level you don’t get many chances to recover your composure once the crowd senses it.
Going long wasn’t the answer
The frustrating part was the repeated choice to go long and bypass midfield when the ball wasn’t sticking up top. If your forward options aren’t holding it in, you’re basically handing possession back and inviting the next wave. It turns into a loop: lose it, defend, restart, go long again.
It felt like there were opportunities to tempt a Hearts press, move it quickly, and play through or around them. Not taking that option meant we didn’t really make them run backwards often enough, and that’s exactly where they’re most uncomfortable.
Big picture, the needs are pretty clear: more leaders and more physicality in the side. For me the priorities are a goalkeeper, a centre-half who can also cover left-back, a genuinely physical midfielder, and another attack-minded option. Not luxuries. Basics, if we want to stop games like this turning on us.
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