We are Rangers. We don’t lose 4-1, fumes Warburton
Tynecastle euphoric as old woes continue to haunt visitors
MARK WARBURTON, the Rangers manager, branded his team’s performance at Tynecastle as “unacceptable” and even conceded it was the worst in all his time as manager of the club.
It was 4-1 to Hearts but could have been a greater margin following a fantastic second-half display by the home side whose superb passing and inventiveness was helped considerably by an inept showing from the Ibrox side.
All the Hearts goals came directly or indirectly from defensive errors, mistakes which have plagued the Rangers team all season and, in truth, in the previous campaign as well.
“Disappointment is an understatement,” said a clearly angry Rangers manager. “We win together and lose together but that was way below the level of Rangers Football Club in the second half.
“As good as we were on Saturday, we were as poor tonight. There are no excuses. I said that last time I was sat here and didn’t think I would say it again, that’s for sure.
“To give away those types of goals, to switch off at a free-kick, and we also gave away too many free-kicks. They have an aerial threat and we find ourselves 3-1 down early in the second half. It was unacceptable.”
Warburton admitted he did not see the result coming, a win which was Hearts biggest over Rangers since January 1996.
“We just lost 4-1. We are Rangers Football Club, we don’t lose 4-1,” he said. “We have got be better together. We weren’t and there are no excuses. We weren’t good enough second half. On Saturday, I thought it was as good as we have played in 18 months. Tonight, second half was probably as bad as we have played in 18 months, if not the worst I have seen in 18 months.”
The substitution of Rangers’ goalscorer Emerson Hyndman did not go down well with the travelling support.
Warburton defended his decision and said: “He is 20 years old, hasn’t played many 90-minute matches and on Saturday he played an outstanding 90 minutes. He is a young, precocious talent and Saturday took a lot out of him. The pitch out there is so heavy. We have got a responsibility to Rangers obviously, but to the parent club as well. We have got to look after their asset.”
Ian Cathro had won only two in his first eight matches as Hearts manager before this match and he, too, found himself the subject of scrutiny prior to kick-off.
Of the nine players he signed during the January transfer window, five started last night and the result will have done his standing among the Hearts supporters no harm at all.
“I’m pleased that a lot of people have been able to let out some of the frustrations they’ve been through in the more difficult moments we’ve experienced so far,” said Cathro. “That was a factor in a lot of the game tonight.
“It was a good game of football. I go back to enjoying seeing people letting their frustrations out. Because sometimes it hurts, you know. Sometimes it hurts. And we all hurt.
“We stay strong together and none of the noise gets in. But sometimes you still suffer. And I enjoyed seeing the players enjoying themselves, letting it all out. So it’s out now. And we move on.”
AFTER this wonderful, utterly captivating and hugely entertaining match, one manager was left with some new and much-needed hope while the other had to explain why the same old problems continue to haunt his team.
Ian Cathro needed this win. He needed to see his players return to the high-tempo football which served them so well for the past few seasons. Hearts had to make Tynecastle rock once again. This all happened and them some.
As for Mark Warburton, dearie me. It was the same mistakes by the same players in the same areas. Really, how many times can he watch all of this happening right in front of his eyes before he does something about it?
This was another going over in Gorgie for the Ibrox men on a night which just might get things going for Cathro at Hearts.
It is fair to say there is a growing concern among the Rangers supporters whether the man they unquestionably like is the one to take them to the next level.
Games between these two in the capital have tended to be classics, certainly in terms of sheer excitement and some good old-fashioned chaos. From the very start this one did not disappoint.
Just three minutes had gone when Clint Hill was penalised for indulging in some wrestling with Esmael Goncalves, making his Hearts debut two days after signing. The resultant free-kick was taken quickly by Don Cowie while Rangers slept which allowed Andraz Struna time and space on the right he should never have been afforded.
His cross was good, but Rangers’ marking was of the usual standard, and Krystan Nowak leapt highest to plant his header past Wes Foderingham.
If the Rangers goalkeeper could do little about that goal, it was his fault when Rangers almost found themselves further behind as, wait for it, unconvincing play at the back meant a Hill backpass put Foderingham needlessly in trouble.
He slipped when trying to get himself out of bother, Goncalves got on the loose ball but it wasn’t quite loose enough for Hearts to take advantage.
A Perry Kitchen set-piece fizzed awkwardly across the Rangers goal and then Maluary Martin’s free-kick from just outside the penalty area was curled around the wall and just past the post. This was all inside the first eight minutes.
The visitors awoke from their slumber on the quarter-hour mark when Martyn Waghorn made Jack Hamilton in the Hearts goal work for his money. However, it was all about Cathro’s side in the opening exchanges but they failed to turn all their possession, much of it gifted to them by a variety of Rangers players, into a second goal.
Slowly but surely Rangers got themselves into it. Barrie McKay’s shot from outside of the box only just drifted wide and would have brought a spectacular 29th-minute equaliser, and then Hill headed a corner over when he perhaps should have at least found his target.
Emerson Hyndman did just that on 36 minutes. A James Tavernier corner into the Hearts six-yard box was not dealt with properly. Hamilton pawed at the ball and his shoddy clearance fell to Hyndman who showed great technique to get his shot away first time and find the net through a crowd.
Rangers ended the half by far the stronger team. A messy passage of play inside the Hearts box, lots of blocking, kicking and tackling, ended with Hyndman delivering a shot which Hamilton somehow kept out just before the break
Could the second-half live up to the first 45? Yes was the unequivocal answer, although this time it was all one way.
History repeated itself as Hearts scored three minutes into the restart. Once again Rangers were the architects of their own downfall.
Foderingham caught a cross and quickly threw the ball to Andy Halliday just outside the area. Jamie Walker was on the Rangers man right away and not only won the tackle but was on his feet in flash before producing a low finish which found the bottom corner.
And remember when Rangers were done by a quick free-kick for the first? It happened again on 53 minutes, the visitors committed far too many fouls, as those in blue stopped while the team wearing maroon didn’t feel the need to wait for their opponents to get ready.
The impressive Bjorn Johnsen sped down the left, got past Tavernier and judged his low cross to Cowie at the back post to perfection. It was 4-1 on 61 minutes.
A Cowie cross saw Johnsen jumping with Foderingham, the ball fell free and Walker was on hand to slot home his second of the night.
Rangers thought they had scored but substitute Harry Forrester was offside when he touched the ball home from close range after former Hearts midfielder Jason Holt forced Hamilton into a save he couldn’t hold.
Then Foderingham made two superb saves, one from Walker, the other a 30-yard screamer by Lennard Sowah. Rangers did well to get away with only the four conceded.
It wasn’t Warburton’s night. It belonged to Cathro who looked as if he was about to burst into tears at the end.