Where it went wrong for Hearts at Hibs and the Kyziridis factor.

Derek McInnes was accurate in pointing out that Heart of Midlothian’s defeat in the Edinburgh derby on Sunday was not down to team selection.

The same 11 players that started the game have all contributed significantly to their team’s lead in the Scottish Premiership at halftime. Even in more recent outcomes, the same players, with the exception of one or two forced changes, were responsible for three remarkable victories in a row over Celtic, Falkirk, and Rangers.

The results reignited the title-challenge debate and prompted some analysts to go one step farther.

If a wake-up call was required, it was given in 60 out-of-place minutes on Saturday at Easter Road. “We’ve received a lot of praise this season for how we play, the goals we score, and the individual members of our team, but we’re not doing the basics well enough today.”It’s as simple as that,” Derek McInnes stated after the game.

“You can look at team selection and everything else, but [for the first goal], we didn’t stop a switch of play, a cross, or a run.

“Basics in any game, especially a derby game, must be completed. We’ve gotten where we are this season not by becoming Barcelona, not by pretending to be something we aren’t, but by executing the basics well and playing from there. “We never did it well enough.” This is undoubtedly true regarding the first half performance.

Some have questioned Michael Steinwender’s inclusion when he failed to stop Nicky Cadden’s cross for Jamie McGrath’s opening goal and then struggled in the first half.

Following such a result, a centre-back playing at right-back is an obvious target. Some fans are asking why right-back Christian Borchgrevink isn’t playing.

However, Steinwender has rarely put a foot wrong in the previous three games, and McInnes has frequently asked whoever is in that position to fill in as a third centre-back.

This is why Steinwender and his predecessor, Oisin McEntee, have done so well in the post.Borchgrevink was signed by the former head coach and does not appear to be the type of full-back McInnes seeks, at least in a back four.

The right side has been a concern all season, even after wins, but McInnes has mostly found solutions. The fact that Hearts are looking to sign a right-back next month implies that he does not have the ideal body for the position.

There was also an argument for reintroducing Beni Baningime from the start, particularly following his performance in the second half.However, given that he had only returned from an injury layoff the week before, it was felt that the midfielder would benefit from a substitute appearance.

There are also mounting calls for Sabah Kerjota to get more playing time. Justifiably so following another impressive performance off the bench, and he may have worked his way into contention.

But no one could complain about Hearts fielding the same front three that has been in excellent form over the last three games.

Aside from Hibs’ two goals, which were the result of individual errors, the first half was pretty even, and the game may have turned out differently if Lawrence Shankland had taken his chance.

Another major disappointment of the day was custodian Raphael Sallinger’s ineffectiveness until late non the second half.

Half-time changes

At the start of the second half, Hearts were definitely under pressure.

They may have been further behind than three until their late comeback. If Hearts had only been one goal down at halftime, the modifications could have been more modest.

However, after McGrath crossed from nearly precisely the same spot as Cadden for the opener and Josh Campbell made it 2-0 just before half-time, McInnes made a double substitution and changed formation.

As the Hearts manager later revealed, Harry Milne’s substitution at right wingback was intended to keep an eye on McGrath.

Milne had previously played an effective defensive role on that side, and the alteration did help to neutralise McGrath.

Going in the opposite direction can be awkward. He can appear cumbersome in possession at times, although he does not on his natural side.

There are also occasions when he doesn’t make the same run as a winger or a natural right-side wing-back, or when he’s not on the same page as a teammate.

Milne does well to find Baningime inside, and the midfielder delivers a superb threaded through pass.

Baningime attempts to locate Milne with a through ball (Image: Wyscout). Unfortunately, Milne holds his run rather than moving into the space that Baningime discovers and Hibs reclaim control.

But Milne holds his run (Image: Wyscout)

On the other hand, Alexandros Kyziridis was transferred to left-wingback, which had both positive and negative consequences.

Once again, the goal, along with a few other Hibs chances, is the result of an individual error – this time a poor choice by Stuart Findlay.

The defender went on to have a wild spell, once challenging his own player for the ball. Some of his mistakes were his fault, but there were instances when his options were limited due to Kyziridis pressing up higher than a natural wing-back would.

The example below was representative of the beginning of the second half. Craig Halkett passes to Findlay, but Kyziridis (out of shot) has moved up high, restricting the defender’s options.

Halkett passes to Findlay (Image: Wyscout)

Josh Mulligan, smelling blood after missing an opportunity to put Hibs ahead 4-0, pressured Findlay, forcing him back to the custodian.

With limited options, Findlay is forced to pass back to the goalkeeper (Image: Wyscout)

For that period after halftime, the home team was able to either exploit the gaps behind Kyziridis or force him back into spots he didn’t want to be in – as willing as he is defensively.

In terms of attacking, you could see glimpses of what Hearts have been missing from him when he plays more naturally.

The crafty winger was in charge of providing the chances that brought Hearts back into the game, and he was almost responsible for setting up an equaliser if Sallinger hadn’t made a wonderful reaction stop.

By the end of the game, Kyziridis had more successful dribbles and created more opportunities than anyone else. He was tied for third on the list in terms of total shots, behind Shankland and Kieron Bowie.

Alexandros Kyziridis was among the most prolific players on the pitch.

The vast majority of that occurred in the second half, when he was on the left and faced Kanayo Megwa and, later, Chris Cadden. Even in the first half, Hearts looked more dangerous down the left than the right, thanks to two Stephen Kingsley crosses.

However, there were a few instances where Claudio Braga, in a favourable position, either chose the wrong decision or lacked Kyziridis’ technical ability to defeat his opponent.

Conclusion

Hearts‘ late rally was unable to salvage a point or save face after nearly falling behind by more than three goals following a terrible opening to the second half.

All they’ve done is avoid their worst derby defeat in decades and perhaps gleaned a sliver of hope from nearly dragging themselves out of a 3-0 hole for the second time this season.

It would have been intriguing to watch how the second half would have played out, and whether Hearts would have settled into their position better if they hadn’t conceded the third so early.

The third goal triggered a panic, during which Hibs pressed hard and took advantage of the available space. Hearts could have ended up with an ugly scoreline at one stage.

At the same time, it would be beneficial to see Kyziridis return to his natural position following his second-half performance.

It may not happen right away, but the signing of Islam Cesnokov will expand the right-sided options, potentially freeing up Kyziridis to play on the left more frequently. Hearts were out-derbied by Hibs, as we noted after their weekend setback.

That was the primary reason for the defeat.Hibs’ goals were easily avoidable, and Hearts, who had been good defensively for some time, were two goals down at halftime because they failed to execute the fundamentals, particularly for the opening.

However, Hearts took a while to adjust to their altered shape at the start of the second half. The half-time alterations resolved some issues, but after conceding so early, they created one or two more.

And Kyziridis’ second-half display, once Hearts had settled, demonstrated exactly what the winger is capable of doing when playing on his natural side.

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