Quality is the missing link: New faces are now needed for Hearts to turn up trumps

James Traynor

21 Oct 1991

IF Hearts had been as unyielding as their manager, Joe Jordan, during his post-match conference in the bowels of Ibrox on Saturday night they might still have been on top of the premier division.

After having watched his team lose 2-0 to Rangers, Jordan used questions of his own to fend off anyone inquiring about his team's failure to play.

Chats with the Hearts manager are rarely enlightening because he chooses not to give too much away, and the sight of his players unable to get to the tackle in time must have alarmed him greatly.

At least he was honest enough to admit the obvious truth.

Rangers deserved to win and might have created a more handsome scoreline had they taken a greater percentage of their scoring opportunities.

Ally McCoist undermined his own contribution, which included the first goal just on half time, by missing a penalty late in the match.

However, by then Alexei Mikhailichenko's goal, scored in 50 minutes, more or less had secured the points and pointed Rangers toward the top of the division, and if they continue to develop the type of football which subdued Hearts they will be difficult to dislodge.

The Tynecastle side chose the wrong match in which to malfunction and Jordan intends making them relive the misery as soon as they punch the clock this morning.

Some will be asked to explain why they were slow to make tackles, others will have to say why they were unable to pass the ball properly, and one or two might have to tell the manager where they had gone to during the 90 minutes.

In pre-Jordan times Hearts were renowned for their fighting spirit, their toughness and determination.

Recently they have allied these qualities to a more sophisticated approach, but there was nothing intimidating or cerebral about their work at Ibrox.

They did create one or two chances, but generally they were lacklustre and, it is fair to say, they probably looked more like the team they really are.

That is, a team striving to reach the top, but short on the quality to stay there.

Jordan's tactical and organisational skills can take them only so far and he knows better than anyone that more capable players are required before Hearts will be able to go the distance and win the premier-division championship.

They will always be challenging, but that extra flair needed to separate them from the pack is missing.

It hasn't always been displayed, but creativity is a major part of the games of a few Rangers' players and although they have struggled in recent weeks, the feeling that they will successfully defend the championship persists.

Due to panic rather than any managerial instruction they resorted to primitive methods -- the high delivery upfield -- because injury had denied them the use of several key players, but on Saturday they were more like the team Walter Smith is trying to fashion.

The captain, Richard Gough, was back at the heart of the defence for the first time in four weeks and Rangers did not concede a goal.

"Richard Gough is an important player," said Smith, "and it is no coincidence that when he returns we get our first clean sheet for a while."

Gough, who continues to be troubled by the legacy of Hepatitis A, was given the all clear to play by his specialist, but the captain must still be monitored regularly until the illness is flushed from his system.

In the meantime, he may be prone to bouts of fatigue, although the fact that he uses his head a great deal makes it appear that he could play without breaking sweat.

He strolled through Saturday's match issuing instructions to the defenders around him and pulling them into shape.

The likes of Scott Nisbet and David Robertson benefit greatly from Gough's presence.

Suddenly, Rangers were confident and able to play the ball around again and it didn't take them long to become the dominant force on Saturday.

"There are still the odd rumbles, but I think the Ibrox crowd are beginning to accept that we are a passing team and that helps," said Smith.

It will also help when Oleg Kuznetsov is finally clear of injury and settled in at the heart of the defence with Gough, although the other Soviet player, Mikhailichenko, already is well on his way to adjusting to the demands of premier-division play.

Mikhialichenko showed up much better against Hearts and apart from his goal he contributed in many of Rangers' better moves.

Again the performance of John Morrow, who was playing in only his second first-team match, was encouraging and he deserves to keep his place, although with Pieter Huistra and Maurice Johnston, who watched from the bench, and others like Ian Durrant, Sandy Robertson, John Spencer, and Ian Ferguson around the place, the youngster will have to accept there is no need for Rangers to risk his development by rushing him.

Taken from the Herald