Five things we learned from Hearts 0 Tottenham Hotspur 5

Talent makes up for a lack of action, England's best are vastly superior to Scotland's and Luka Modric may not be missed

1. Basic talent can offset a shortage of competitive action

Tottenham had dismissed the notion that their lack of football would prove prohibitive to their Europa League ambitions within minutes. Harry Redknapp may rank this competition way down his list of seasonal priorities but his players made their desire perfectly clear.

Spurs wanted this tie settled as early as possible, allowing them a comfortable second leg; something which was duly achieved.
2. The gulf between England and Scotland exists beyond top clubs

Arsenal's recent dismissal of Celtic in a Champions League play-off, added to Rangers resorting to ultra-defensive tactics against Manchester United in that tournament's group phase, highlighted the obvious – namely that the best teams in England are vastly superior to those north of the border.

Hearts and Spurs are relative also-rans, neither in with a legitimate chance of claiming league titles.

If this was a barometer, the disparity in ability and physicality is apparent outside championship-chasing clubs. Resources, of course, are the simple explanation but the gap in class was still an eye-opener and wounding to those who recall hard-fought Scotland v England club matches.
3. Hearts' downsizing comes at a cost

George Burley was present at Tynecastle, six years after he led Hearts to the summit of the SPL before a surprise sacking. The team assembled by Burley – and the owner, Vladimir Romanov – had considerably more talent and physical power than the Tynecastle side on display here. It remains doubtful that Burley's Hearts could defeat Spurs over two legs but they would have put up more of a challenge. The recruitment of only decent players at SPL level comes at a cost, as the Hearts of 2011 readily discovered.
4. Hearts' prize assets remain well short of top-class standard

The two wingers deployed by the hosts, Andrew Driver and David Templeton, have both received admiring glances from England. Driver, a former England Under-21 cap, was the subject of a £2.5m bid from Burnley only last summer. Although he is currently short of match fitness, Driver departed the scene after 65 minutes, having made no impression.

Templeton fared only slightly better, one fine second-half run momentarily troubling the Spurs defence. Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale showed how wide players of genuine quality can perform, offering lessons that Driver and Templeton would do well to heed.
5. Tottenham could have the resource, if not the quality, to compensate for the loss of Luka Modric

It would be ludicrous to suggest Tottenham would not feel the on-field impact if Chelsea are ultimately successful in their pursuit of Modric.

They did not have much to beat in Edinburgh but the visitors belied an injury crisis to field midfielders who would walk into plenty of other teams: Lennon, Jake Livermore, Niko Kranjcar, Bale and Rafael van der Vaart. Tom Huddlestone was later introduced from among the substitutes, with Sandro to be accommodated when he recovers fitness.

If the funds from any Modric sale were reinvested in creative personnel, perhaps Redknapp would not have as much to fear from the Croatia international's move as many currently believe.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer