Wouter Vrancken talks on Hearts' panic, explains James Wilson decision and gives his verdict on Falkirk loss

Wouter Vrancken was unhappy with the manner of Hearts’ 2-1 loss against Falkirk as the club’s nine-game unbeaten run ended. The Belgian head coach felt his team lacked cohesion and did not manage the game, accusing them of panicking at times. They lost to goals from Ben Krauhaus and Owen Eames, which came either side of James Wilson’s equaliser at the Falkirk Stadium

“It’s a poor performance, simple,” said Vrancken. “How we started the game with miscommunication, not enough concentration and too easy in the back and then also in the same situation, too slow to get back in the organization. It was a safe ball or the bounce, it doesn't matter anymore. It was not good enough and then I saw some panic in the team actually in the first half.

“We were too reactive and not pro-active and when you're not pro-active in situations, then you don't show solutions and you don't take good solutions and in decision-making it's very important - so then you cannot dominate the game In the second half when we came out it was a bit better.”

Hearts conceded possession cheaply, particularly for Falkirk’s second goal, which left Vrancken exasperated. “Especially how we gave the goals away. It was too easy. At the end, you play a bit all or nothing and you get exposed a few times but even then we didn't create enough. So just the team effort was not enough, too many players under level. We have to learn from the situations and the most important is how you react to such a game.”

Wilson scored Hearts’ equaliser on 22 minutes but was replaced by recent American signing JJ Williams at half-time. “We wanted with JJ one who holds the ball a bit more so that we could also do something more offensively,” explained Vrancken. “At the beginning it worked with a big chance for JJ [from Yan Dhanda’s cross] - the first one in the second half. It could change some things there when you finish it, of course, because then you go ahead. But at the end it was just not good enough and it was a deserved victory for Falkirk.

“James scored a good goal but for the rest of the first half it wasn't enough in the game. Maybe not his own fault all the time because it's also solutions from behind and things that happened behind him. But then we chose for JJ to hold the ball a bit longer and a bit better. So there was nothing wrong about James.”

Vrancken expanded on some sloppy passing by Hearts as they tried to build attacks, which resulted in Falkirk stealing possession. “Yeah, very annoying, very frustrating because it's not only the guy on the ball, it's also the guys who have to give the solutions and it was not there,” said the manager. “Both of them, both of the situations were not good enough and then it's difficult to play a good game. You have some moments in the game but we had no reason to think the game could be ours today. So it was not good enough.

“It's always difficult to say why, especially directly after the game with the emotions of the game and stuff like this. I think a lot of players were just under their level and not showing it enough. We didn't match the energy like we said before the game. We have to match their energy. We didn't do that. Then it's difficult to think that you can solve everything when you have the ball. It's like we said before already, it's how you perform sometimes without the ball. The more confidence you get with the ball and it was not enough.”

The manager admitted he did not see the result coming and felt confident after Hearts’ pre-match warm-up. “No, you don't feel it. Actually when we came in from the warm-up, I always ask the assistants how the warm-up was and they said it was a good warm-up so nothing to see there. It sometimes happens in sports and football but the most important thing is how you react on this for me. It can happen but the reaction is very important.”

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