Attacking outlook benefits Hearts

It seems the sale to Wolves of their captain and most influential defender, Christophe Berra, has forced Laszlo into a change of approach. After it became clear in the defeat against Hamilton that Hearts can no longer be sure of locking the door at the back, Laszlo dispensed with a second holding midfield player when Christos Karipidis retreated to play centre-half.

If the adjustment from 4-5-1 to 4-4-1-1 sounds subtle, the truth was the front half of the side Hearts fielded against Aberdeen was wholly positive. Christian Nade led the attack with support from a second striker in Gary Glen. David Obua and Andrew Driver supplied width from the flanks while the impressive Bruno Aguiar, with backing from Michael Stewart, shaped the play from central midfield.

The lack of a regular goalscorer has been an obvious weakness this season in Gorgie. However, since Nade has spent most of the time up front on his own with only deep lying support from Aguiar, it's little wonder the lack of return has been so modest.

That approach changed against Aberdeen. Obua and Driver switched flanks to good effect and both posed a threat. Given how difficult it was over the previous half-a-dozen or so games to detect exactly what made Laszlo prefer Obua to either Laryea Kingston or Deividas Cesnauskis, the Ugandan's merits were far more obvious against Aberdeen. True, the African still made a high percentage of errors, but he was involved in setting up both of the home side's goals, demonstrating a tireless appetite for the game and combining a turn of pace with a physical presence in the opposition penalty box.

Perhaps he wasn't Hearts' most influential player – that honour belonged to Aguiar for the manner in which he commanded midfield – but Obua caused Aberdeen problems throughout with his unorthodox approach. "You have to remember the guy has come from Africa and it has taken him a wee while to settle," observed Driver. "The style of football and the weather here is totally different. David showed how good he is (against Aberdeen] and was different class in the air, which gives us options. It was a great cross for my goal but if I had had time to think about it, I would have ducked or something. It was the first header of my career, including boys clubs, everything."

Asked if Hearts had taken a more positive line against Aberdeen, Driver replied: "We're not doing a whole lot different in training, but we played with two recognised strikers and it definitely worked. For a change, we dominated the game. We had more possession and went at them. I enjoyed it."

The winger is an admirer of Laszlo but agreed the coach is not one of football's more taciturn men. "There's more banter in the dressing room and (Laszlo's] man management has created a happy environment where you want to improve. He does try to keep his team talks short, but sometimes he gets carried away with himself."

While Obua was quick at the second goal to exploit the advantage on the left flank played by referee Charlie Richmond when Hearts were looking for a foul, the African was the recipient of Aguiar's exceptional pass with the outside of the boot which set up Nade for a well crafted equaliser in time added on for injury at the end of the first-half.

The pattern of the opening period was very different from what happened after the interval. Aberdeen were up for the challenge and exploited the lingering uncertainty at the heart of the home side's defence when Charlie Mulgrew struck a wonderful diagonal ball from the halfway line which caught out Eggert Jonsson and invited Darren Mackie to bury a well struck volley in the roof of the net.

"It was a good finish from Charlie's ball, but we gave away sloppy goals from our point of view," noted Mackie. " Hearts got a massive lift from the equaliser and we couldn't handle them (in the second half]. We started to play better after they got the second goal, but by then it was too late."

Hearts' equaliser transformed the atmosphere in the stadium and brought about an equally seismic shift in the home side's performance. Aberdeen lost their foothold in midfield and it was only when the cavalry charged forward in the closing minutes that Hearts breathed a sigh of relief after Chris Maguire's shot struck the base of a post.

Taken from the Scotsman