Hearts manager hits out after Aberdeen win.

Players are not good enough, says Jefferies

JAMES TRAYNOR

5 Oct 1995

Hearts 1, Aberdeen 2

JOHN Robertson edged closer to a Hearts scoring record, but the striker's contribution was not enough for his side to avoid defeat against an Aberdeen team which is growing in confidence.

The slender, but thoroughly deserved, win at Tynecastle sends them into Saturday's top game against premier division leaders Rangers with a full tank of optimism.

However, by way of contrast, Hearts were left looking forlorn and without much hope.

In fact, their manager, Jim Jefferies, was scathing of his players, saying that too many of them lack: "the desire to be winners.

The bottom line is they are not good enough."

The manner in which they allowed Aberdeen to take the points was alarming, and the two goals lost could be described as gifts.

Their opponents, of course, were delighted to accept and went on to display the change which has come over them since last season, when they struggled to avoid the humiliation of relegation.

Rangers manager Walter Smith was one of the spectators who saw Aberdeen move in front after 19 minutes when Joe Miller's cross from the left arrived in Hearts' box.

When the ball evaded Scott Booth, the Edinburgh side's defenders may have thought the immediate danger had passed, but Billy Dodds was lurking unmarked at the far side of goal, and his shot squirmed under Craig Nelson's body and into the net.

However, Hearts dragged themselves back into contention six minutes later and Robertson, who moved into joint second place with Tommy Walker in Hearts' record books with a goal against Hibernian on Sunday, pounced.

Alan Lawrence stroked the ball through to Robertson who caught John Inglis wrong-footed, and the striker took his league tally to 185, which is 21 behind Jimmy Wardhaugh who holds the Hearts' record for league goals.

When the sides resumed after the break Hearts were sluggish and almost immediately Aberdeen sensed the weakness when Colin Miller attempted to clear and succeeded only in hitting the ball straight to Peter Hetherston.

The midfield player, perhaps surprised, should have scored instead of hitting his shot wide of the goal.

Aberdeen netted their second after one of their former players, David Winnie, fouled Booth in 59 minutes, and when Stephen Glass's free kick dropped in the heart of the opposition's box, defenders stood still allowing Booth free passage.

He took advantage and directed a free header into the net.

Hearts took off Lawrence and sent on John Colquhoun, but nothing much changed although the Tynecastle side did step up the pace towards the end when Robertson and John Millar demanded good saves from Michael Watt, who has emerged as a better keeper than many people had suspected.

However, Aberdeen were not about to give up their advantage.

Aitken was delighted with his team's work and said: "They are due credit because they played some quality football and they were also prepared to battle when they had to.

I'm pleased I now have a solid group of players to pick from, and I have competition in most departments which is the way it should be.

"The players are building up reputations and respect again and they now have another big challenge on Saturday.

The mood is good and we are all looking forward to it."

Jefferies was almost overcome with despair even almost an hour after the final whistle.

"I can't understand why players can do it in some games and not in others," he said, "and there can only one of two reasons for the problem.

"Either the players can't take anything in or they are just not good enough.

Their effort is fine but the bottom line may be they don't have it."

Jefferies was without half a dozen key players because of injury and suspension and he had expected those who came in to make more of their opportunities.

"Maybe this group of players have been struggling for too long, something like four or five years and under various managers, and they may have heard it all before.

It looks as though change is what is needed, but at this stage there is not a penny available, and it is not easy to push through swap deals."

HEARTS -- Nelson, Wright, Winnie, Miller, McPherson, Hamilton, Leitch, Lawrence, Robertson, Millar, Hagen.

Substitutes -- Colquhoun, Ritchie, Smith.

ABERDEEN -- Watt, McKimmie, Woodthorpe, Hetherston, Inglis, Smith, Miller, Jess, Booth, Glass.

Substitutes -- Shearer, Bernard, Snelders.

Referee -- H Dallas (Bonkle).

Taken from the Herald