Hearts debrief: Flimsy midfield; Clark heroics; Tactical trouble

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Zander Clark kept the score down with a string of good saves and was one of the few Hearts players to get pass marks on a night when too many players made too many individual errors. The busy goalkeeper made six saves to keep the scoreline respectable and enhance his credentials to be the new Scotland number one in Craig Gordon's absence.

BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT

If he could turn back the clock, Neilson would surely pick a far stronger midfield. Selecting forwards Garang Kuol and Barrie McKay in front of Robert Snodgrass was bold and brave, but the attack-minded selection was flimsy and the gamble failed.

Rangers totally dominated the middle of the park right from the start and poor Kuol – the teenager was making his first start but out of position – looked lost. Orestis Kiomourtzoglou, Jorge Grant and Andy Halliday, all of them far more natural central midfielders, were on the bench and would have been a better bet than Kuol in that position.

TACTICAL OBSERVATIONS

Robbie Neilson picked an attacking team but had to change shape twice in a bid to stem the flow of Rangers attacks. It didn’t really make much difference. First, it was 3-5-2, but with Hearts being overrun in midfield Alex Cochrane was moved in there beside Snodgrass in a bid to stiffen things up in a 4-2-3-1 shape.

It changed again when Kio and Alan Forrest replaced the ineffective James Hill and Kuol at half time, becoming an orthodox 4-4-2. But Rangers just kept coming. Excellent out of possession, Michael Beale’s well-drilled team won the ball back with ease and were both tactically and technically superior.

REF WATCH

Hearts had the match officials to thank for ruling three Rangers offside. VAR, quite correctly, came to Alex Cochrane’s rescue after referee John Beaton awarded a penalty against the Hearts full-back, replays showing that Ryan Kent had dived.

WHAT’S NEXT

The ten-game unbeaten run has come to a shuddering halt. The challenge fort Hearts is to get over the disappointment quickly by bouncing back with a home win against Dundee United at Tynecastle on Saturday.