MARK WARBURTON, the Rangers manager, branded his team’s performance at Tynecastle as “unacceptable” and even conceded it was the worst in all his time as manager of the club.
It was 4-1 to Hearts going on a lot more thanks to a fantastic second-half display by the home side whose superb play and inventiveness was helped greatly by a truly inept showing by the Ibrox side.
All the Hearts goals came directly or indirectly from defensive errors, mistakes which have plagued the Rangers team all season and, in truth, in the previous campaign as well.
Read more: Hearts 4, Rangers 1: Joy for Ian Cathro and abject humiliation for Mark Warburton
“Disappointment is an under-statement,” said a clearly angry Rangers manager. “We win together and lose together but that was way below the level of Rangers Football Club in the second half.
“As good as we were on Saturday, we were as poor tonight. There are no excuses. I said that last time I was sat here and didn’t think I would say it again, that’s for sure.
“To give away those type of goals, to switch off at a free-kick, and we also gave away too many free-kicks. They have an aerial threat and we find ourselves 3-1 down early in the second half. It was unacceptable.”
Warburton admitted he did not see the result coming, a result which was Hearts best win over Rangers since January 1996.
“We just lost 4-1. We are Rangers Football Club, we don’t lose 4-1,” he said. “We have got be better together. We weren’t and there are no excuses. We weren’t good enough second half. On Saturday, I thought it was as good as we have played in 18 months.
“Tonight, second half was probably as bad as we have played in 18 months, if not the worst I have seen in 18 months.”
Read more: Hearts 4, Rangers 1: Joy for Ian Cathro and abject humiliation for Mark Warburton
The substitution of Rangers’ goalscorer Emerson Hyndman did not go down well with the travelling support.
Warburton defended his decision and said: “He is 20 years old, hasn’t played many 90 minutes and on Saturday he played an outstanding 90 minutes.
"He is a young, precocious talent and Saturday took a lot out of him. The pitch out there is so heavy. We have got a responsibility to Rangers obviously, but to the parent club as well. We have got to look after their asset.”
Ian Cathro had won only two in his first eight matches as Hearts manager before this match and he, too, found himself being question so soon into this reign.
He signed nine players during the January transfer window, so it could not be said to be almost his squad, and this will have done his standing among the Hearts supporters the world of good.
“I’m pleased that a lot of people have been able to let out some of the frustrations they’ve been through in the more difficult moments we’ve experienced so far,” said Cathro. “That was a factor in a lot of the game tonight.
“It was a good game of football. I go back to enjoying seeing people letting their frustrations out. Because sometimes it hurts, you know. Sometimes it hurts. And we all hurt.
“We stay strong together and none of the noise gets in. But sometimes you still suffer. And I enjoyed seeing the players enjoying themselves, letting it all out. So it’s out now. And we move on.”
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