Djoum: We have already ditched Cathro’s tactics
Jambo says it’s now Daly’s way
ARNAUD DJOUM has revealed Ian Cathro’s philosophies have already been ditched as Hearts go back to the past in search of a brighter future.
The Tynecastle side’s traumatic opening to this term was extended by a 4-1 weekend thumping at Celtic.
Having been dumped out of the Betfred Cup – a failure that led to Cathro’s sacking – Djoum revealed that a new approach was immediately adopted by caretaker boss Jon Daly leading up to the clash at Parkhead.
Celtic were too good to be undone by a more direct and physical approach but the Dutch midfielder has admitted that’s the way Hearts will go in the coming weeks as they look to halt the club’s dismal slide.
Asked why Cathro’s plans didn’t have the desired effect, 28-year-old Djoum said: “When he was there, we tried to play how he wanted to play.
“I don’t know if it was the way to play for this league.
“That is a question for the new gaffer. If he wants to play more direct, for this league, maybe it is better to get points.
“On Thursday when he first had training, he showed the way he wants to play, with a change of formation. It was 4-1-4-1.
“We trained with this formation and tried to play more direct with some organisation against Celtic.
“It worked well in the first half but we conceded a stupid goal and after that it made things difficult.
“All the players have a lot of experience in the UK now. They are used to playing this way. “We will try to work on it and be better.” Djoum was trying to put a positive spin on events in Glasgow’s East End but the truth is the Jambos were miles off. Hearts have been engulfed in crisis, with the Cathro situation added to by news that their stadium upgrade won’t be finished until November and Murrayfield will become a temporary home. With no manager and no home right now, the Jambos are in an awful state but Djoum says the players have to ignore the chaos. He said: “This kind of situation is always a bit difficult. “But the players need to stay together and continue to play games. The gaffer now is Jon Daly. We are behind him and will do what he asks. “The players, are focused on the football. People will always speak about different things. “But we haven’t spoken a lot about it. We are just focused on trying to play the best we can for the club. “Now the most important thing is the club, the performances and the results. We will stick together. “I know we are better when we play at Tynecastle in front of our fans. It is always a bit more difficult away from home. “But we will try to get as many points as possible and try to do better. We will continue like that.”