Hearts legend John Robertson has picked out two players who could have performed better against Petrocub on Thursday night.
Robertson took in the game at Tynecastle as the Jambos could only muster up a 2-2 draw against the Moldovan minnows.
Hearts needed a win to guarantee Europa Conference League knockout qualification but the point was not enough as results elsewhere went against them.
Robertson felt Hearts’ biggest problem was a creative shortage in midfield and pointed the finger at wide men Alan Forrest and Yan Dhanda as a consequence.
Alan Forrest and Yan Dhanda lack Hearts ‘creativity’
Robertson told BBC Sportsound: “The big thing for me, and it’s been the same at Heats for a while now, is there is a severe lack of creativity in the middle of the park. The middle of the park is absolutely huge.
“Yes, you can talk about pace, you can talk about all sorts of things, but you need someone in the middle of the park to pass the ball.
“Now, for example, the two Petrocub strikers, you wouldn’t say they were blisteringly quick. They were sharp, but they weren’t blisteringly quick, but they had players who could knock the ball about, play in the feet, a lot of balls around the corner, players up supporting.
“When Hearts did play the ball in towards James Wilson and Lawrence Shankland, there was nobody supporting from the midfield, and that’s where you’ve got to ask questions of Alan Forrest and Yan Dhanda at times.”
Robertson offers Forrest & Dhanda advice
Robertson then explained what he’d like to see Forrest and Dhanda do when Hearts adopt a 4-4-2 formation.
He continued: “If they’re coming through the middle, get yourself in off the flanks and leave the wide areas for your full backs. In a 4-4-2, if you’re naturally playing your side, Forrest, give him the ball and let them get on with it.
“Let them take the man on, back him up. Or Dhanda, go inside, drag him inside, and leave Penrice one for one, because he’ll take them down the left-hand side, take the line and put crosses in.
“But the word I wrote in Allan’s book at half-time in the first half was predictable. 4-2-4 it was at times, when they were attacking straight lines across the park, the back four, two in the line in the middle, and four in the line up front.
“And that’s not going to cause a team who play a nice wee 5-3-2, 5-2-3 formation, who play in holes where one man can actually mark two Hearts players.”