Using .GIF images to illustrate our points, we break down key aspects of play from games in Scottish Premiership. First up is Hearts defeat to Kilmarnock on Saturday and one very worrying defensive trend that cost them a “must win” fixture.
Hearts took their ineptitude to new levels on Saturday with a deserved 2-0 defeat to the side previously directly ahead of them in the league table – Kilmarnock. The undoing of the ‘Gorgie Boys’ was their incredible inability to deal with long, high balls forward. At the beginning of the campaign the apparent strength of this Hearts team was the defence, particularly the central partnership of Danny Wilson and Brad McKay. Wilson was undeniably the team’s best asset and arguably their best player, while McKay had improved tenfold over the summer following his shaky introduction last term. That reputation crumbled on the Rugby Park turf on Saturday as both defenders continuously scurried away from the incoming missiles. In only five minutes of SPFL YouTube highlights there were five instances of this shoddy play.
1)
Craig Samson’s routine punt forward is inexplicably allowed to bounce by Wilson before McKay allows Michael Gardyne to out muscle him (?). Wilson then compounds his error by ball watching instead of following Boyd. In the end they got off lightly as Boyd would drag his effort from outside the area wide of goal. It would be a warning Hearts would not heed.
2)
Unfortunately, the camera angles available do not provide an explanation as to why McKay allows Boyd, not the most nimble of forwards, to beat him five yards down the park. They also don’t explain why Wilson is edging towards the left-back area. The gap between the two is certainly too large and the out of position captain doesn’t help matters by completely misjudging the high ball. McKay’s slip could be considered unfortunate but apparently Hearts players were falling on their backsides all day.
3)
Wilson and Kevin McHattie show a severe lack of communication in dealing with the initial punt. Boyd is the Kilmarnock player going for it, so it could be described as Wilson’s man and he has a right to follow him around the final third. However, the play is clearly in McHattie’s territory and, unlike his captain, he is unaware of his teammate’s positioning. Wilson needs to be the leader in situations like this. If he wants to attack the ball in other areas he has to be vocal and he has to take the ball. Here he does neither. This .GIF was run on a little longer than necessary in order to highlight another instance of McKay slipping. The move ended with Barry Nicolson missing a sitter.
4)
There is a shove from Boyd so McKay almost gets a pass on this one. However, this chances comes from a header up the park. A header! Somehow it still manages to completely catch the two centre-halves off guard. By this point the pair look like they are playing for different sides and are certainly not a “partnership”.
5)
Really simple stuff completely mishandled by McKay. It’s not even as if he gets caught slightly under it and the ball catches the back of his head or something equally as ignominious. He’s about two yards under the ball at the apex of his jump. Wilson initially does well to track Boyd’s run but rightly freezes when he sees McKay going for it. Boyd, as all strikers should do, gambled on the defender not getting to the ball and it allowed him that extra two steps to control and lift the ball over the keeper before a covering Wilson could arrive.
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