Hearts manager Robbie Neilson again hit out with some embarrassing post-match remarks after yet another defeat to Celtic.
Neilson seldom likes to simply admit that Celtic were the better team. Instead he’ll turn his attention to decisions that went against his team or he’ll give some sort of flimsy excuse as to why his side was so outclassed.
That’s what happened in the first 45 last night of course. Hearts couldn’t cope with Celtic’s movement of the ball and extra bit of quality. Both Reo Hatate and Giorgos Giakoumakis’ goals were out of the top drawer. Just don’t expect Neilson to be voting either for goal of the month.
Because the Hearts boss incredibly said Celtic only looked good because Hearts allowed them to be. In his latest nonsensical analysis of a Hearts-Celtic game, Neilson said the following on Sky Sports Football [26/01, 10:08pm]:
“I thought to be honest in the first 10 minutes we started well and put some pressure on. But then I thought after the initial 10 minutes Celtic were very, very good. And we allowed them to be good. We didn’t get pressure on them the way we wanted. To be honest they were better for the rest of the first half. Second half we had chances and they had chances and we could’ve got something out the game.
“We started really well, pressed them and got some opportunities. Then Celtic started to build. There’s no denying they’re a very very good team, but we let them be a good team instead of trying to stop them. It wasn’t until the second half that we did that.
“I thought the both of them were offside and it’s 2 decisions that the linesman’s got to get right because there’s no getting away. You’ve got to see it. So it’s happened again, we had it at the weekend, 3 or 4 decisions. But there’s no taking away that we weren’t good enough in the first half.”
Robbie Neilson can’t just admit Celtic outclassed Hearts
Look, we get it, Neilson isn’t a Celtic cheerleader. His job is to look for faults in his own side instead of praising the opposition. You can understand to an extent why he may have felt his side could’ve done better in the opening 45.
But at times you just have to hold your hands up and admit you’ve been undone by 2 moments of real quality. That’s what happened last night. There’s no acknowledgment from Neilson of the top-class goals Celtic netted at Tynecastle last night.
He didn’t mention how slick Celtic moved the ball and how they easily coped with Hearts’ pressing tactics. It’s not as if the Jambos weren’t trying to come out and make life difficult. They were. The only issue for them is that they failed miserably due to how composed the Hoops were after that opening 10 minutes.
The only reason Hearts got themselves back into the game in the second half was because the Hoops certainly tired as the game went on. Our passes became looser and it allowed Hearts to win move turnovers and get the fans on their side.
Not to mention they were handed an offside goal that allowed the roof to come off. It’s not as if we were being bossed before Boyce netted his second-half effort. We were still in firm control.
But you wouldn’t expect Neilson to bring that up. He struggles to give Celtic any form of credit nevermind some through gritted teeth. No surprises then that this also came across as a backhanded compliment.
In other news, Michael Stewart lauds “phenomenal” Celtic improvement under Ange; dismisses Neilson moaning
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
