Paulo Sergio says Hearts tired in attack
Hearts manager Paulo Sergio
Hearts boss Paulo Sergio has said opposition teams will benefit from his team’s lack of “freshness” as he attempts to rotate his squad during a busy schedule of matches.
The Portuguese coach, whose side will tomorrow travel to St Johnstone for a Scottish Cup replay, is concerned by his lack of options in attack, with Stephen Elliott the club’s only proven striker at SPL level.
With Calum Elliot having left prior to the January transfer window, Hearts last month offloaded John Sutton and Ryan Stevenson. The Jambos’ attacking options are further depleted by the long-term absence of Kevin Kyle due to injury, meaning Gary Glen and Gordon Smith are the only available deputies in a forward role.
Tomorrow’s cup replay in Perth will be Hearts’ fourth match in nine days, and Sergio hopes his squad’s perceived lack of strength in depth does not help the Perth side in the way in which he thinks Kilmarnock were boosted in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.
“We played on Wednesday and, at this moment, we don’t have a lot of solutions in some positions, so I feel there is a lack of freshness,” said Sergio. “With that lack of freshness that we have up front at the moment, it helped Kilmarnock.
“These guys played [twice in a] week and again on Saturday. Last Sunday [against St Johnstone at home] we didn’t play Rudi Skacel, and against Kilmarnock we didn’t play Scotty Robinson, so we have to try to stay as fresh as we can for tomorrow.”
Sergio’s limited array of attacking talent has been bolstered by the recent return from injury of Suso Santana. The winger, yet to start a match this season, scored a late equaliser at Kilmarnock to salvage a point for Hearts, and Sergio has praised his influence.
He said: “Suso comes back from a very complicated injury so we have to be careful with him. Step by step, because he’s a hard worker, he’s in better shape every day and I think he’s a player that can help us.”
Sergio said his team deserved more than just a point from Saturday’s game at Rugby Park, claiming his side had the better of the game against Kilmarnock.
He said: “What we deserved – that’s what I’m worried about. It’s the victory, the three points. I just saw one team on the pitch. I’m very proud of the players. The team played with a lot of personality.”
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Comments
There are 68 comments to this article
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jambo2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 05:46 PMHen Broon we both know that clowns agenda, just can't believe he is so thick he thinks he's fooling anybody lol
Hen Broon
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 01:48 PMJambo2006......that makes two of us then....2 more than bigoted HANNON thinks exists!
jambo2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:51 PMHannon you'll see what you want within my comment i can't help you there i'm afraid, but to call a Hearts supporting catholic who cares about Scottish football a bigot is not one of your better drones and as far as Lawwell is concerned the mans an erse which UEFA will expose quite soon !
Hen Broon
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:12 AMhopefully point made despite typos!!!!
Hen Broon
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:11 AMFIRST green.....u r a clown and not a very god one hence why your abvious bitterness to your tormentors shines through. No real Hibs supporter would give a $ht if HEASRTS had paid Arbroath ....which they did seveal years ago despite disputing the obligation and would fabricate Hearts do not file accounts....they do and on time 100 % of the time since VR tok cntrol. FFS man grow a pair of baws and support Hibs beating HEARTS on the park.HANNON..agree with your post other than the 'bgot' jibe and mini bear nonsense. This is the opportunity for the collective non OF clubs to stand up to the OF & get an even split of TV money and a one vote per club status. Lawwell is not wrong in what he says but there is no doubt Celtic need the 'combination' of the other SPL teams .........time the other clubs laid down the law and threatened to resign and join the SFL leaving the OF or Celtic isoated.Rangers power is most likely to be diminished hence timing good.a Non OF league would find its own level & be infitly superior to watching ann unlevel playing field league with anyone capabl of winning it. EVERY clubs attendances would go up & we would all enjoy our football a lot more.
Hannon
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 05:38 AM#62 Bigot - why should they return to their roots? Lawwell is clearly explaining that Celtic business plan is not based or reliant on what any other club in the league. I personally think it is a myth to suggest, as some do, that the Scottish League cannot survive without the OF. Initially the product may be weakened due to reliance on TV money but that is all. In the longer term the league would be more competitive and that has to be a good thing. OF already get the lions share of TV money which allows them to strengthen year on year versus others. In my clubs case they are not reliant on the gate money they receive from two visit totalling about 14,000 supporters although obviously that helps. The long standing myth that clubs are reliant on income from the OF should cease to be an argument. However, these points are a different matter to that proposed by you. It would not surprise me to find out that you would also like one other club in the league to ' return to their roots' am I right? And you wonder why some consider the Hearts support to be the mini-teary bears.
jambo2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 02:10 AMCeltic FC please leave Scottish football as soon as possible ! I dont care for Rangers nor Aberdeen nor Hibernian nor St Mirren what i do care for is SCOTTISH FOOTBALL something your club chief exec does not !!!
jambo2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 01:53 AMComment removed by moderator
jambo2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:36 AMGoodnight chibber xx
ahmnaedaftyahmajambo
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:52 PMdragonlord-- Now that would be a turn up for the books the spl paying money to hearts ahhh revenge would be sweet
jambo2006
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:49 PMFTAO First Green, Heart of Midlothian FC, Tynecastle Stadium, Gorgie Rd., Edinburgh, Eh11 2NL.....concerned supporter services 0871-663-1874...thought this may help you in a solution to these pompous questions you ask but never stay around long enough to explain why you ask or back up futile statements you like to make, the majority of readers of your comments would call you a spineless fellow, coward etc if you have issues or accusastions regarding monies paid or not paid wouldnt you be better approaching HMFC legal representatives and voicing your opinion with them, rather than posting anon on a public website ?
jambo2006
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:48 PMFTAO First Green, Heart of Midlothian FC, Tynecastle Stadium, Gorgie Rd., Edinburgh, Eh11 2NL.....concerned supporter services 0871-663-1874...thought this may help you in a solution to these pompous questions you ask but never stay around long enough to explain why you ask or back up futile statements you like to make, the majority of readers of your comments would call you a spineless fellow, coward etc if you have issues or accusastions regarding monies paid or not paid wouldnt you be better approaching HMFC legal representatives and voicing your opinion with them, rather than posting anon on a public website ?
First Green
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:39 PM#54 don`t know what you`re on about. I`ve never speculated here. Players being paid late was confirmed by...the players. Tax debts have been confirmed by---Hearts. Late payment to Arbroath was confirmed by Hearts and I never read that full payment had been made by Hearts. I`ve no agenda just curious. Perhaps your club wouldn`t be in such a mess if Hearts fans had shown some curiosity too.
First Green
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:34 PMjambo2006 why don`t you answer? Because you don`t know or because answer is embarrassing? It was reported several times that Arbroath were owed money by Hearts a long time after Webster left Arbroath. Given Hearts situation since then there is probably a fair chance they still owe Arbroath money. As your club are reluctant to publish accounts it`s always difficult to know details and this leads to a lot of speculation. Anyway, some things should become clearer later this week.
disenchanted
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:12 PM#52 First Green - Just what is your agenda ? You've been asked many times to back up your comments with facts which you obviously don't possess - so just what is your point ? Or are you pointless !
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