Manager Robbie Neilson admitted Hearts lacked focus and concentration when Aberdeen secured a 3-1 win at Tynecastle on Sunday. The visitors demonstrated why they lead the Premiership with an efficient display of counter attacking, leading at the break by three goals. Despite a rousing start to the second half from Hearts, and a maiden goal for Igor Rossi, the home side struggled to break down a resolute Aberdeen defence and the away side held on for the three points.
Neilson said: "We switched off three times in the first half and that lost us the match, it’s as simple as that. I thought we played some good football at times but if you’re not focused for 90 minutes, then you’ll be punished. We told the players not to give up free kicks in dangerous areas if it could be helped, and they did. Aberdeen have quality delivery, and combined with our bad marking we’ve given them an early head-start. From there, we were stung twice by switching off while chasing the game. To compete at this level, you cannot lose focus. The third goal summed up our day. We had a free kick in a really dangerous position. The delivery was really poor, it didn’t beat the first man and we weren’t organised at the back. Miguel Pallardo’s been left back, he’s on a booking so he can’t make a tackle and it’s a goal. It’s just silly stuff and we need to work on it.”
Despite the team having lost three on the bounce for the first time since he took charge, Neilson conceded that nobody got carried away when things were going well, so that wouldn’t change now that things aren’t going the way everybody wants. Hearts squad still contains a great deal of last season’s Scottish Championship winning side, as well as a number of young players untested at this level.
Nelson went on: “I think this is a learning curve for everyone, including the staff and the fans. We win the first five games, and the expectations go through the roof. We’ve only just been promoted. Eighteen months ago, the club nearly went out of business. We still have a long way to go, we had two untried kids on the bench today so that shows where we are. We need to accept that we’ll lose games because we will not spend money to chase quick success again, it will not happen.”
Neilson hopes to have midfielder Morgaro Gomis available for selection for Wednesday’s Scottish League Cup game with Kilmarnock, the Senegalese talisman having missed the past two game due to a family bereavement. Neilson said: “Morgaro is a big character for the team, and we’ve missed him on and off the park. He’s somewhere in Africa just now for a family funeral and we’re giving him all the time he needs. I believe there was a hold-up but he’s aiming to be home on Tuesday and available for Wednesday.”