Hearts passing for the sake of passing and how they plan to rectify the problem

Possession is nine tenths of the law: If you have the ball the other team can’t score, and you need the ball in order to hurt the opposition. Hearts have followed those mantras religiously this season, yet there is an inherent danger of over-egging the pudding.

Spreading panic after Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Motherwell would be both needless and foolish after a run of just one defeat in the previous 13 games. The Edinburgh club are third in the cinch Premiership and through to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, so the bigger picture remains healthy.

What the display at Fir Park highlighted was an increasing propensity to overplay. It has been evident in several matches recently but most obviously at Motherwell: The ball goes from goalkeeper to an outside centre-back in Hearts’ three-man defence, it is rolled into midfield, out to a wing-back, back into midfield, popped out the other side, fed into a striker, then back into midfield again. Progress up the pitch is slow and ponderous.

Hearts are determined to be a possession-based team and are coached with that very ethos, but management are frustrated by the lack of intensity at times. Tradition dictates that any Tynecastle side should practice a brand of football that is aggressive, attacking and dynamic. That’s what manager Robbie Neilson and his staff want whilst maintaining control of proceedings.

Their players dominated 67 per cent of possession against Motherwell despite the defeat. They beat Hamilton 2-0 in the cup with 74 per cent possession. Against Dundee United, a 3-1 victory included 65 per cent possession. Even in the 3-0 loss to Rangers at the start of the month, Hearts still enjoyed 50 per cent of the ball over the 90 minutes.

It is clear they are adept at taking care of it. Neilson wants to see more bravery with it, more openings created and more goals scored. “I thought we actually passed the ball about the back well on Sunday but we weren't aggressive and penetrating,” he told the Evening News. “We got through the lines and we came back two or three times. When you get through the lines against these teams, you need to be aggressive. You need to take the next step rather than playing for the sake of playing, which was frustrating.

“We are trying to build a team here that is aggressive when we get the ball. I just felt we were waiting for someone else to make that moment rather than being the guy who went and did it. We want to be a possession team, but we want to be a possession team for a reason. We want to control games and, when we create a moment, we need to go and finish that moment when we have the opportunity.

“At Motherwell, we were a possession team that kept possession but when the moment came, we didn't take it. We didn't go with that final pass wide or final pass through. Watching the game – you will see it and the fans will see it as well – there were opportunities to go and do it. Yet we came out. When we come out, we need to pass the ball 15 or 20 times again to try and get the next opening. When that opportunity comes, we need to try and take it. That's the thing. We spoke about it as the thing that we need to continue to develop.”

Hearts players look dejected after Motherwell go 1-0 up at Fir Park.

The current Hearts squad carries an abundance of attacking talent, so options and variety are not an issue. “Yes, we certainly have that in the squad,” agreed Neilson. “We have built a team like that and we have done that for the majority of the season. That's the reason we are where we are in the league. Sometimes you can get away from it a wee bit and lose perspective over one poor performance. We will have a look at it, we will analyse it and we will rectify the areas so that we get back to what we were doing.”

This week and next offer time to work on those patterns of play. Neilson has been associated with Hearts for most of his adult life and knows what is required. “We have two weeks until the next game against St Johnstone,” he said. “The big thing for us is getting back to what we are good at. We need to get back to being aggressive with our play, getting balls wide, getting balls forward, getting balls in behind.

“I just felt we didn't do that at Motherwell. We had opportunities, free-kicks and chances to put the ball into the box – and we go back the way. You're asking yourself why: 'Why not put it in the box and put teams under pressure?' Sometimes you get these games where it's passing for the sake of passing and I felt it was a wee bit like that on Sunday.”

Possession with purpose is certainly more rewarding. It produced Alex Cochrane’s goal against United, the ball worked from the right-back area through Jorge Grant, Garang Kuol, Stephen Humphrys and Barrie McKay before Cochrane’s composed finish from eight yards. McKay’s winner against St Mirren last month offers an even better example. Eight passes involving seven players created a sweeping move from defence which ended with Andy Halliday’s lay-off and McKay’s sumptuous finish.

Bravery with the ball is never easy, but Hearts players are expected to handle the demands of a European pursuit and cup progress. “Yes, that's it,” said Neilson. “You go to Motherwell on Sunday and the opposition are up for it against us because we are sitting third in the league. They know they have to bring their 'A' game and we have to bring ours as well. I thought Motherwell did bring their 'A' game, but we didn't bring ours.

“We are not at a level where we can turn up and have seven or eight players who aren't on top of their game. We will get away with one or two, maybe three, but at the weekend we had just about everyone not at the level they are usually at – probably other than [goalkeeper] Zander Clark.”