To the surprise of absolutely no-one Hearts lost 2-0 at Hampden today in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
Today’s match went much the same way as the November League Cup semi-final with Steven Naismith’s side looking passive and uninterested against opponents there for the taking.
Ross County and Dundee provided Hearts with a blueprint of how to get at, upset and take points from Philippe Clement’s side but if the Belgian could have hand picked an opponent to face today it would have been the side from Gorgie.
??’It’s a missed opportunity’
Hearts boss Steven Naismith after his side lost 2-0 to Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final ??#BBCFootball #ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/8u7szjj1Jx
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) April 21, 2024
Naismith has picked up on Robbie Neilson’s abysmal record against the Ibrox side, whenever they require a boost it usually comes from a match against Scotland’s third best side.
While being relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2019/20 season Daniel Stendel managed a Scottish Cup win and SPFL victory over Steven Gerrard over five weeks, there hasn’t been any since the German left Tynecastle.
Hearts are virtually assured of third place in the SPFL Premiership and European group stage football this season, they will conclude their SPFL programme by hosting their friends from Ibrox on May 18, a week before the final of the Scottish Cup.
Hearts record against Rangers since Covid is nothing short of abysmal, considering all of these fixtures have been 2nd vs 3rd/4th.
P14 W0 D2 L12 GF6 GA36
Hearts haven’t even managed a goal in nine of those fixtures
For whatever reason, they just can’t play against Rangers.
— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) April 21, 2024
19.5K at Hampden…
Club, players and management have let the fans down again…
The fans deserve more. The mini hun/diet hun rhetoric will haunt us until we turn up for the games that matter…
?
— Classic Heart of Midlothian FC Goals (@HeartsGoals) April 21, 2024