Hearts hero details the shut up shop approach Jambos should have taken at Celtic as key message missed
Hearts suffered a bruising weekend against Celtic on Sunday.
A Hearts hero reckons there was an alternative way his former side could have approached Sunday’s calamitous clash with Celtic.
Ryan McGowan was in situ at Parkhead for Sky Sports punditry duties as the Jambos were thrashed 7-1 by last season’s Premiership champions. Wouter Vrancken’s expansive attacking style has gained plaudits early in his tenure but the Hoops dismantled them in brutal fashion.
Five Celtic goals were netted by half-time and the 2012 Scottish Cup winner reckons a more defensive approach ought to have been deployed following two home strikes within 10 opening minutes. The Hoops deserve credit according to the Livingston defender but Hearts aided them in an attacking sense.
What could Hearts have done differently vs Celtic?
McGowan said: “We were talking about it off camera. I couldn’t tell if Hearts were really poor or Celtic were really good. It’s probably a combination of the two of them. The amount of times Hearts gave the ball away in really dangerous areas for Celtic. It was two passes and it was a goal, they continually done it throughout the game. There are levels to football. Hearts last season went close and this season they want to challenge and be up there.
“You also have to understand the game. You go 2-0 down away from home against the champions from last season, a powerhouse in Scottish football, shut up shop for the next 15-20 minutes, Stay in the game. Get to half-time at 2-0. They kept doing the same things.
“Before you know it you’re 5-1 down at half-time and whatever the manager told them at half-time went out their ears because they concede another four minutes into the second half. It was a really poor performance from Hearts and you haven’t said that much in the last 12 months. Celtic deserve a lot of credit and it was probably their best performance of the season.”
Celtic 7-1 Hearts assessed
Rangers hero Kris Boyd was also on the panel and added: “I have never seen a game of football like that in my life. In terms of Hearts, the way they’re trying to go, you have to pay respect to Celtic. Even when Celtic have been struggling, if you go man-for-man, they will demolish you. That’s exactly what happened there.
“Camillo Duran through the middle is a totally different player to deal with than Kasper Hogh as he wants to run in behind. When you see Hasseim Hassan, Callum Osmand, as soon is there is grass to run in behind.. that was as close, especially in that first half, to Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic team. That first half was devastating. I cannot for the life of me work out what Hearts were trying to do.”