Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken admitted that too many attacking impulses and a lack of discipline cost his side as they collapsed late at Aberdeen, throwing away a lead through Oisin McEntee and leaving Pittodrie empty-handed.
Hearts appeared set for their first win in the Granite City in over a decade, but conceded twice in five minutes to suffer another early-season setback. The result came after their Champions League exit and ahead of a Europa League trip to Benfica.
Vrancken: We had too many offensive impulses
Vrancken was frustrated with his side's game management as Aberdeen fought back. He said: "Just like we were saying on the bench at the moment. We had too many offensive impulses at the moment. Instead of taking the moments and controlling, especially the moments that we didn't have a counter-attack. We had to avoid these faults and these free kicks. So this is also being smart at the moment. But again, at the same time, when it happens, you have to be in the box. You have to be clinical. You have to be efficient and we were until the 85th minute or something. I don't know. So really disappointing."
The Belgian confessed he could scarcely believe his team lost. "I think when I look back at the game, it's unbelievable that we lost the game and that we didn't win the game, actually," he said. "First of all, it was too much up and down. We were too much in their game. We didn't have enough control on the ball. So the quality on the ball had to be better and we pointed some things out at half-time. Second half was much better in that area. So we controlled the game more. We had the ball more in control. So we could also manage their moments. All went well. But then at the end, you get those two goals in five minutes. You have to be clinical. We were clinical in our defensive box until then. But it's not enough to be at 85 minutes. It has to be 90 and more."
Over my dead body mentality needed
Vrancken called for a stronger mindset to prevent such collapses, saying: "I think the boys did a lot of good work until now and also today you see the steps they made. But a good result gives this little extra push. Especially in your head, in the mindset and stuff like this. But I think today it was possible and you have to show this over my dead body mentality in these last moments. And this is also part of football. We have to do better in this because we cannot give away those games."
He acknowledged the challenge of quick recovery with Benfica looming. "Difficult, difficult. This could help when you win this game. It could help a lot to go to the next ones, especially when you play a European top team," he said. "But again, you have to step over the emotion again and this is in sport, and especially in football. Especially when the games come so fast. You have to be able to step over emotions and to be mature in those things. But also learn from those things because we don't want situations like this again."
Kingsley and Fagan-Walcott out
Hearts will be without Steven Kingsley for the Lisbon trip, while Malachi Fagan-Walcott has already been removed from the European squad. MJ Kamson-Kamara has come in as his replacement.
Vrancken confirmed: "Kings will be a few weeks out. That's for sure. Mal, I have to check myself with the medical department before I say something about this. He is already replaced, I think. He is not in the European squad at the moment. We replaced him already."
Benfica challenge awaits
With the Estadio da Luz next, Vrancken is realistic about the task. "You don't want to play a game just to play the game," he said. "You want to try to be competitive and take on a really good side. It's a totally different style of play, of course, than Sturm Graz. They're all European top players who are really comfortable on the ball. A really good footballing team. But again, my mind is still on the disappointment of this game and not so much at this moment already with the next game."
