Hearts lacking home comfort as Motherwell exploit weaknesses

There are some among the Tynecastle faithful who seem relaxed about their favourite's inadequacies for no other reason than Hibernian are more hopeless at the minute. Eh, some bad news for these folk: there is hardly a cigarette paper between the exasperating Edinburgh clubs. Hearts may be three points better off, but Hibs have played both Glasgow sides. By the time John Hughes' men have played St Johnstone next Saturday, hours after the Tynecastle side host Rangers, there is every possibility the two teams will be on the same points total.

Indeed, for all that Hughes is under the severest pressure, recent days for Jim Jefferies' men have more sobering than those endured by their capital rivals. Hibs at least were bounced out of the Co-operative Insurance Cup by one of the top flight's form teams. Hearts conceded four goals to a Falkirk side relegated from the set-up. Equally, Hibs at least put up a degree of resistance in losing at Celtic Park at the weekend - a ground where Hearts were steamrollered only weeks ago. Ah, but Hibs have that terrible home record, with not one win at Easter Road since March. Yeah, altogether different from Hearts, who have, eh, a solitary home success since April, and none this season.

What chilled most of all watching the latest encounter at Tynecastle was that the well-oiled machine Motherwell showed themselves to be exposed just what a coughing, spluttering, wires-and-connections-like-spaghetti, apparatus Hearts are in danger of becoming. It is inevitable that the focus will thrown on their defence. It is completely disfunctional. But, while Craig Brown's side were quick, fluent and enterpising with goalscorers Nick Blackman and John Sutton, the excellent Chris Humphrey and Jamie Murphy's clever interplay a integral feature of their team's intelligent display, there was no link-up between Hearts' midfield and a stodgy attack. Kevin Kyle and Calum Elliot couldn't play like their Motherwell counterparts even if they were given decent service.

And any time they did threaten, the rock solid central defensive duo of Stephen Craigan and Mark Reynolds tended to get heads, feet and bodies in the way.

In contrast, when the decisive moments came courtesy of Humphrey burrowing down the right an d popping perfect crosses into the centre, there was zero cover. Jefferies was apoplectic about the fact Blackman would have needed a telescope to spot any maroon jersey when he flicked the ball in for the 57th minute opener. He finished a move that got up to speed because makeshift left-back Eggert Jonsson couldn't do so to block Humphrey's cross. The Motherwell man rumbled Jonsson again for the second, and makeshift centre-back pairing Adrian Mrowiec and Ismael Bouzid, were nowhere as John Sutton forced in.

All of which left Jefferies returning to well-worn themes. Hearts fans can tell themselves there are no great tensions between their manager and owner Vladimir Romanov over the way the football department is run, but the tenor of Jefferies' comments says otherwise. Saturday was the day Rudi Skacel made the first appearance of his second spell, as a substitute who arrived a minute before it all turned to dust for his team. But his very presence as Jefferies finds himself without a left-back in the injury absence of Lee Wallace is clearly geting to the Hearts manager, who dropped Darren Barr to "take the pressure of him".

Jefferies mentioned his end-of-the-window pursuit of Northern Irish left-back Tony Capaldi, who ultimately wasn't signed on a short-term deal following a meeting with "the Hearts hierarchy", in the same despairing fashion as he discussed the enforced absence of captain Marius Zaliukas. The club captain is now unavailable because he hasn't agreed an extension to his present deal, which expires in a matter of months.

"Bouzid isn't half the player without Marius talking him through, and we will have more talks this week to hope to resolve his contract situation," Jefferies said. "Eggert tries his best but we don't have any other left-backs. I tried to solve the left-back problem with you know who (Capaldi]..."

Problems appear so thin on the ground for Motherwell that fact seemed to worry Brown, who said he was "heartened by everything" before cautioning that injuries could change that with his "tight squad". Motherwell have lost only three times on the road in the SPL in 2010 - two of these at Celtic Park - and Brown's tactical nous and many years fashioning team shapes to counter all manner of threats is earning handsome rewards for the Fir Park men. They look potential third placers. Hearts don't.

On-loan Blackburn forward Blackman certainly has every confidence in his temporary team-mates. Humphrey, who became a father on Thursday but anything but laboured at Tynecastle, can "go past anyone in the league if he wants to" and so can his club. "We shouldn't be scared of anyone," said the 20-year-old. Hearts, meanwhile, should be full of fear.

Taken from the Scotsman