Steven Naismith admits Hearts spooked by Rangers atmosphere but points to progress made.
Steven Naismith admits Hearts were scared by the Ibrox atmosphere and capitulated against Rangers.
The Jambos faced Philippe Clement’s league leaders today with a 12-game winning streak and a significant margin over the third-placed team. Along with the Gers, they were one of Europe’s best teams, but they faltered this afternoon, and Mohamed Diomande’s second goal opener foreshadowed what was to come.
Tynecastle were overwhelmed and overrun throughout the 90-minute match, with a score of 3-0 at half-time and 5 at the end. Today’s challenge was unique, but Naismith believes they were prepared. However, they did not respond adequately to the home crowd’s energy.
There was also plenty of bad defending on display, and the manager concedes they conceded cheap goals.
He told BBC Sportsound: “Going into the game, we knew what to expect with the shift in league standings last week and Rangers aiming to create a lively start and atmosphere. And you could see they were aggressive from the beginning.
“It was defined by the minor details and us giving up cheap opportunities, and you’re playing against a top-tier side with quality that will punish you. That was always going to happen.
“Losing a goal early in the first half or early in the second half is arguably the worst time to concede in a game. From there, it was all uphill. We just weren’t on it, and when you play top teams, you will be punished.
Naismith, on the other hand, is eager to show that things are not all doom and gloom, citing the improvement his team has made this season under his leadership.
“I think what you’ve got to remember this is our first season together as a group,” he said. “We’ve had a good run, and we’ve played well both in and out of possession. This is undoubtedly a moment that we will remember and learn from.
“If you want to be at the top of the table and play against the best teams, you must compete better than we do now. However, we have performed admirably against the Old Firm at times and not so well at others. Today was one of those occasions.
When asked if there were any flaws in team selection, he replied, “That’s something we’ll look into after watching the game.” The way in which we lost our goals was awful. Giving up possession at cheap times and failing to apply pressure on the ball. And then allowing their center forward to come in behind us. We’ve been good at these things.
“But when the environment is as it was and they start quickly, it’s difficult to adjust, and we didn’t manage it today.
“I’m disappointed we lost the game since we were confident. What cannot be overlooked here is how far we’ve come since the summer, what we’ve accomplished thus far, and what we still need to do. We have a game on Wednesday that will help us get back to winning ways.”
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