Pre-match warm-up hinted that Hearts were better prepared, says Craig Brown

May 20 2012

THE score says it all about Hearts’ utter dominance of this final but I must admit I saw their win coming before kick-off.

Why? The answer was in the warm-up.

I’m sure it’s something that most fans don’t watch too closely but often studying the intensity and quality as players are put through their paces can give an indication of who will start the stronger.

Don’t get me wrong, Hibs’ warm-up was okay but I was struck by the way Gary Locke had the Hearts players zipping it about. The ball drills were sharper and had more cohesion.

When you see such intense passing routines going so quickly and accurately it’s a good indicator as to who is going to start on the front foot – and so it proved.

But the warm-up aside, Paulo Sergio had three key factors in his battle plan that were designed to catch Hibs out.

Firstly, they had an imaginatively prepared kick-off, overloading their players on the right but immediately playing it out to Andrew Driver on the left.

Wee things like that can catch teams out at a time when the players just want to calm their nerves and settle into the game.

A small detail but even the little things can give a significant psychological edge.

Secondly, while Hibs set out with a standard 4-4-2 formation, Hearts played one off the front in Rudi Skacel, who was never picked as he moved around the hole between the back and midfield.

It was a problem for Hibs that was all too apparent when the Czech was afforded acres of space to take a touch, turn and blast home Hearts’ second goal.

The problem for teams trying to defend against a striker playing in the hole is the question of whose responsibility it is to pick him up.

You either have to get one of your centre backs pushing up on him or one of the midfield players dropping back.

It should have been someone like Jorge Claros who took on that responsibility. Perhaps the fact he failed to do so was the reason he was substituted before half-time.

As well as having the extra man in midfield Hearts also had superior width with Driver and Suso Santana excellent on both flanks.

Hibs couldn’t cope with that, so Hearts dominated the midfield and when Hibs were reduced to 10 men just after the break they were overrun.

The third impressive tactic was Hearts’ approach every time they won a corner. Each time they either took it short or threatened to do so, which forces the opposition to send two players to go out and close down that threat.

So if Hibs put two out, it empties the penalty box and that favours the attackers when there is more space in the box and the marking is disturbed. That was a crucial factor in the first goal when Darren Barr found the space to pounce in the heart of the area.

I’ll always remember Sir Alex Ferguson’s mantra when I worked with him for Scotland in 1986: “An empty box favours the attackers.”

If you watch Manchester United, Alex always gets everyone back to defend corners and packs the
penalty box to do so because it makes it harder for the strikers.

After Kujabi’s sending off there was no way back for Hibs.

They were forced to go 4-4-1 but in that situation the guy leading the line has to be fitter and more agile than Garry O’Connor. Pat Fenlon recognised that by bringing on Eoin Doyle, who is certainly fitter but lacked the quality to improve Hibs.

In all it was a dreadful day for Hibs and the bitter disappointment clearly got the better of Pat when he gestured towards the Hearts fans, getting himself sent to the stand.

Pat’s a nice fella but the passion of the day clearly took over. As a manager he’ll have had worse abuse than 25,000 fans sarcastically shouting his name but amid such disappointment it’s hard to ignore it. Even so you must.

By gesturing towards them he only gave the Hearts fans the reaction they wanted because it proved that they were getting to him. I’ve often said to players if you give them a reaction then they have won.

Sadly for him, Hearts won in every department from start to finish.

Taken from the Daily Record