We are all disappointed with the recent results, especially at this stage of the season. You can see why Hibs and Motherwell would be tricky ties, and the Hibs match coming after Europe didn’t help. Livi started brightly, then complacency crept in and nerves followed, even though chances were created. The Motherwell game stings more for me — we retreated to a back five when a goal up and handed them the initiative. Then, when we were a man up, we couldn’t control the game. Ultimately, three goals were lost from set pieces across those fixtures.
Where the games were lost
Set-piece defending is a simple one: organisation, aggression and communication. When that breaks down you pay the price. Retreating into a back five after taking the lead felt like surrender, not consolidation. It allowed the opponents to dictate tempo and get bodies into dangerous areas. We created enough to be in control at times, but momentum matters. Lose that edge and the match becomes a scrappier, more anxious affair. The mistakes from dead balls were costly and, to be honest, avoidable.
The selection debate — luxury versus labour
There’s a growing argument about selection. Why bring everyone back if some players aren’t offering the defensive foundation we need? Moore and Gassama were singled out by the original poster for defensive frailties, and names like Olsen and Aasgaard get thrown into that luxury category. Playing three of those types in one XI before we’ve won the midfield and the duels feels optimistic. Beauty on the ball is no use if we lose the basic battles. Sometimes you need muscle before you show flair.
Simple truth: grit wins titles
Look, the good news is the challengers don’t seem convincing either, even if Hearts are scraping results together. That gives us time to steady the ship. What matters is consistency in attitude. We need the fight every week — press harder, defend set pieces as a unit, stop gifting initiative. If we pair that grit with the attacking quality we have, we’ll be alright. For now, it’s about biting down, sorting the basics and showing the hunger week in, week out.
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