IF CSABA Laszlo wasn't already aware, then the new Hearts manager found out for himself in last night's defeat against an impressive Dunfermline side just how arduous the task of lifting a beleaguered group of players off the canvas will be.
However, after seeing his new charges turn in a disappointing performance at East End Park in his second friendly in charge of the Tynecastle side, the amiable Hungarian remained unfazed by the challenge ahead, insisting that, despite the fact he has
been at the helm for only a matter of days, he knows exactly what must be done to get Hearts back on an even keel.
"This is the second game and at the moment the most important thing is to see in which positions we have a problem and in which positions we need players with experience," he said. "After two games, I have 100 per cent knowledge about the team. I have 100 per cent knowledge of my target, what I must do. At the moment the concentration is not there yet.
"Overall, though, I am happy with the players and the spirit of the team. The quality is there but we don't have the experience. I know everything about who I want to keep and who I want to move on. If you saw the training, you would know exactly which players we want to keep. The game in Belfast (against Glentoran on Monday] was not so good, and the first half here was a little better and then the second half was better again. The team are making small step-by-step improvements in each half we play."
As he had done in the 1-1 draw in Northern Ireland two evenings previously, Laszlo deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Michael Stewart again supporting lone striker Gary Glen, although the manager did state afterwards that he would prefer to play two in attack, the availability of suitable personnel permitting.
Things started well enough for the Edinburgh side, with a corner won just a matter of moments into the match, but captain Christophe Berra headed harmlessly over from Stewart's flag-kick. This early threat, however, proved to be something of a false dawn for the 1,000 or so supporters who had journeyed from the capital keen to embrace the Laszlo era.
While they were able to enjoy the bulk of the possession, with the twin midfield shields of Ruben Palazuelos and Ryan McGowan looking assured in front of the back four, Hearts, without Laryea Kingston and Andrew Driver, were worryingly bereft of creativity.
Indeed, apart from Berra's early header, the visitors had barely got out of their own half by the time Dunfermline opened the scoring with their first noteworthy attack after 24 minutes.
Stephen Glass surged down the left channel and cut the ball back to the edge of the six-yard box where the on-rushing Dunfermline player Kevin Harper and Hearts left-back Lee Wallace, who was attempting to clear the danger, tangled before combining to squirt the ball beyond Steve Banks. The goal was later credited to the unfortunate Wallace.
If Laszlo could have been entitled to expect this setback to act as a wake-up call to his punchless side, he would be sorely disappointed, as Deividas Cesnauskis and Audrius Ksanavicius continued to offer little on the flanks, while Glen proved that, despite all his endeavour and neat touches, he doesn't yet have the stature or the know-how to effectively carry out the solitary striker role.
Worryingly, for the Premier League side, Dunfermline – who lined up in their own variation of the 4-5-1 – had seized the initiative and two of their new recruits almost combined to increase their lead, with lone striker Graham Bayne seeing a header from former Hearts full-back Austin McCann's cross well held by Banks.
In an attempt to get Hearts further up the park, Laszlo used the half-time interval to replace the more defensive McGowan with striker Jamie Mole. This resulted in a marginal improvement, but the closest the Edinburgh outfit came to an equaliser was a deflected effort from Cesnauskis which required an acrobatic save from Dunfermline goalkeeper Paul Gallacher to keep it out.
Substitute David Templeton and Stewart both went close late on for Hearts, but an equaliser would merely have papered over the cracks.
Dunfermline: Gallacher; Woods, Wilson, Phinn, Thomson, McCann, Harper, Glass, Bayne, Burke, Muirhead (Williamson 73). Subs not used: McIntyre, McBride, Willis, Reidford.
Hearts: Banks, Karipidis, Zaliukas, Berra, Wallace Palazuelos, McGowan (Mole 46), Cesnauskis, Stewart, Ksanavicius (Templeton 69), Glen (Husband 63). Subs not used: MacDonald, Mikoliunas, Brown.
The full article contains 783 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
