Jefferies lauds Hearts strikers but admits makeshift backline is a cause for concern

TWO seasons ago, a superbly-drilled defensive unit allowed Csaba Laszlo's Hearts side to finish third in the SPL despite a chronic lack of cutting edge in attack. The Tynecastle side Jim Jefferies is currently trying to guide back into Europe is proving to be an entirely different beast: a bombscare at the back and devastating in attack.

While the likes of Calum Elliot, Kevin Kyle, David Templeton and Suso Santana have been cutting a swathe through Scotland's defences over the past month or so, their efforts have been undermined somewhat in recent games by a makeshift defence which is toiling to find any cohesion. The warning signs were there in the defeat to Celtic a fortnight ago before the glaring deficiencies were exposed in the most brutal fashion by Steven Pressley's never-say-die Falkirk side in the Co-operative Insurance Cup on Tuesday.

There are mitigating circumstances, of course, for Hearts' defensive woes, with the absence of captain Marius Zaliukas and his deputy Lee Wallace forcing the manager to put square pegs in round holes.

Eggert Jonsson and Ruben Palazuelos, who have been deployed in defence of late, see themselves primarily as midfielders while Jefferies feels Darren Barr, who has had a tough start to his Tynecastle career, is better suited to right-back than the centre-back berth he has filled in the last two games. With the suspension of Craig Thomson and the possible absence of Ismael Bouzid further diminishing his options at the back for tomorrow's clash with Motherwell, the bemused boss can only hope his cobbled-together rearguard stumble across some much-needed understanding as they aim to keep a hold of third place when Craig Brown's vibrant side come to Tynecastle.

Failure to tighten up against Fir Park dangermen such as Jamie Murphy, Nick Blackman and John Sutton will heap further pressure on the Hearts attackers to maintain their scintillating form and could prompt a late-September shootout in Gorgie between two sides expected to be in the mix when the Europa League places are being handed out next May.

"We're lying third in a very tight league and we're up against a very good team who are just behind us in the table," said Jefferies. "We'll need to defend a lot better because they'll feel they can get at us. But equally, they've got to worry about the goals we've been scoring because we've already scored ten goals away from home this season.

"We kept a clean sheet at Hamilton, so hopefully the Falkirk game was a one-off. At the other end we look a real threat and can score goals. The attack's been great. Four goals at Hamilton, three at Inverness and three at Falkirk – the forwards are certainly doing their bit."

While Jefferies waxed lyrical about his swashbuckling strikeforce, he is all to aware of the problems at the other end. Along with his trusty cohorts, Billy Brown and Gary Locke, the manager has held a gruesome post-mortem at Riccarton over the past few days. Thomson has been given a dressing down for leaving his team-mates in the lurch with his needless red card and the squad have had their "basic errors" highlighted by virtue of the video nasty.

But, having had a few days for the anger that followed the Falkirk fiasco to subside, Jefferies was in more jovial mood as he reflected on what went wrong. Asked about the problems in his defence, the manager quipped: "What defence? Having seen it on the video there is no defence for the defence.

"Some of the goals were absolutely unbelievable. . . until you actually see it on the video, you can't believe how bad they were. It was just basic stuff.

"You just wonder what they're thinking sometimes. The third goal, especially, they backed off and gave the boy a free pop at goal. What makes it even worse is that their winner was the first time we've lost a goal from a corner this season.

"It's really frustrating that the one time we switch off at a set-piece, we find ourselves out the cup. We know where the problems lie but we've not got a lot of options at the back. When you compare what we had at the start of the season, Bouzid was arguably the only one of the back four who finished the Falkirk match in their natural position.

"People say Darren's a centre-half, but for me it might be that his best position is at right-back. We're playing players out of position and they're trying their best but they're not natural in these positions. It's been a big blow to lose the back four that we worked on at the start of the season and saw as our strongest. These things happen and we just have to try and do the best we can to overcome the problems."

Jefferies, however, is in no mood for making a drama out of what may prove only to be a minor setback. After all, Hearts and ignominious League Cup exits have hardly been strangers over the past 45 years. Two seasons ago, the Edinburgh side were ousted at home by First Division Airdrie and went on to finish third in the SPL. Five years ago, George Burley's seemingly-invincible team lost away to a then-hapless Livingston side and went on to finish second.

"Defensively our confidence might have taken a dent at Falkirk but if we look at the positives, we were down to ten men after a poor first half and the team put in an absolutely fantastic effort to get 3-2 up," continued Jefferies. "I've never seen scenes like that when we went ahead – if we'd held on it would have been remembered by everyone as a magnificent comeback.

"Had we won that game there wouldn't have been a seat in the house against Motherwell because everyone would have been buzzing."

With the front two of Elliot and Kyle wreaking havoc together, there remains plenty reason for optimism for Jefferies. Indeed the manager believes things will get even better in the attacking department when the former Kilmarnock striker attains full fitness and Stephen Elliott and Rudi Skacel, who could both be on the bench tomorrow, force themselves into contention.

"Kevin's been fantastic, but I'm surprised he's done so well just now because of the lack of games and training that he's had," said Jefferies. "It's not just his scoring, it's his presence – he's rumbling people up and we're cashing in on that.

"As for Calum, he's been terrific. He's coping great with the added pressure of increased competition for places."

One man who may benefit from the absence of defenders is Adrian Mrowiec, who could find himself thrust into emergency centre-back duty against a Motherwell side who have won both of their away league games so far without conceding a goal.

"After the Falkirk game, everybody was angry in the dressing room, but now we need to look forward if we are to play in the Europa League next year," said the Polish utility man. "I have started two games since I came back and I am ready if the gaffer needs me."

If he's ready for a no-nonsense shift at the back, then his gaffer almost certainly needs him.