HOT OFF THE PRESS
HEARTS GAFFER’S TACTICS BACKED
BY ROSS PILCHER HEARTS slumping to bottom spot again while being hammered 3-0 at home may have produced a fierce reaction from fans under Craig Levein.
But the Jambos support could take plenty of positives from the 3-2 defeat to Kilmarnock.
And Craig Halkett can also see merit in Daniel Stendel’s high press, high risk, high reward strategy – even if he’s feeling the pressure of it.
The Jambos’ defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed by Killie as they raced into a 3-0 lead at Tynecastle on Wednesday night.
The home side mounted a late comeback with Halkett netting a late volley to offer hope of a stoppage-time salvage job but it never materialised.
Under Levein, such a result would have prompted a barrage of booing and abuse at the full-time whistle but the players’ efforts in going close to an unlikely comeback were acknowledged as they trudged off the Tynecastle turf.
Halkett can’t promise Hearts won’t continue to ship goals but he’s happy to accept it as long as they start taking chances at the other end when they’re on top.
The 24-year-old defender said: “It’s a case of risk and reward. We are going to concede goals with the way we play but it’s evident that we are creating a lot more chances. If we can just get that first goal in a game, it’ll make it a hell of a lot easier for us.
“It’s different from what we played before at Hearts and anything I have played before in previous years but we are getting used to it.
“It is harder for defenders and we’ll have more one-on-one situations but, with me and John Souttar, we’re confident we can go and deal with things.
“It’s nice to keep a clean sheet but if we know we are going to outscore the opposition and get three points, that’s all that matters. As a defender, you will always do your best to keep goals to a minimum.
“However, if there are days when you concede two or three goals but can score three or four, that’s all that matters.
“We dominated for the first 15-20 minutes against Killie but at that stage you need to take advantage and get a goal.
“Instead, Kilmarnock get the opening goal against the run of play and it changes their whole mindset. They pick up confidence and it dents ours.
“After the second goal you think ‘let’s get the first goal after the break’ – then a third one goes in. Then it’s a mountain to climb.
“The manager is obviously disappointed we lost but he always tries to take a positive.”
Other results didn’t exactly go for Hearts in midweek but it could have been much worse.
St Mirren’s late equaliser at Hamilton was the best outcome they could have hoped for after losing themselves, leaving them just a point off second bottom rather than three.
After Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie at Falkirk, Stendel’s team head to Celtic Park next midweek before what will now be a massive basement battle with Accies in Gorgie.
For Halkett though, the priority is ensuring that other teams’ results are irrelevant by the time the season ends.
He said: “First and foremost, you are disappointed with your own result but then you take the other scores in and see the teams above us picked up points.
“However, at the present moment we need to worry about ourselves and picking up as many points as we can.”