Hearts manager Robbie Neilson pinpoints turning point in 5-0 loss at Rangers

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson admitted his team fell apart during a costly second-half spell as they lost 5-0 to Rangers at Ibrox.

Alfredo Morelos had the hosts 1-0 ahead before four goals inside 20 minutes left Hearts on the end of a heavy defeat. Morelos claimed the second and Glen Kamara, Scott Arfield and Fashion Sakala completed the scoring.

“I’m disappointed with the final outcome,” said Neilson. “We started the second half really well, the crowd starts to turn and we had two huge opportunities. We don't score them and as soon as they got the second goal, we kind of started to fall apart a wee bit to be honest with you.

“There was a 12-minute period when we lost three goals and that was the game dead.

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson at Ibrox.

Neilson added that he did not feel 5-0 was harsh on the Edinburgh club. “No. I felt we need to do better,” he said.

Hearts maintained their ten-point advantage sitting third in the Premiership table. They now meet Dundee at Tynecastle on Wednesday. “The team has done very well this season. We are sitting ten points clear in third and this was a real bump in the road,” stated Neilson.

“We felt it was an opportunity to come here and do well and it has not worked out that way. You can talk the talk and say we are going to do this and that, but at the end of the day we can only win on Wednesday and that is what we have to do.

"The bigger picture for us, it shows us where we are. We want to compete, we want to come and win here and there were periods of the game, probably up to the second goal, that we were in the game.

“But it is that wee bit of resilience when we lose the second goal to make sure we stay in the game.”

Neilson was shown a yellow card for protesting during the second half. “It’s done and dusted. The remit now has changed, they just book you for anything.

“I think they just want you to stand there and be a robot. I am not going into it, it's done.”

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