Capital Visit Part 2 || Motherwell v Hearts
- Ruaraidh Blackwood
- Nov 28
- 7 min read
After handily besting the quite harmless Hibs, Motherwell seek to do the double over our corrivals from the capital. This time, it's a visit from the Tynecastle title-challengers. Hearts.
The last meeting between the sides was... interesting to say the least, and it is fair to say that both teams have grown into their respective managers' regimes in the weeks after, so this looks like it could be a very tasty affair indeed.
The Form Guide...
Makes for pretty decent viewing, doesn't it? The Well are unbeaten in their last 5 in the league, picking up 13 points of a possible 15 in the process. Of course, that hugely disappointing evening at Hampden still looms over us like a bad smell - especially given the manner in which we limped out of the cup - but our league form still remains the best in the league over the last 5 games, and with tied best goal difference.
Hearts, on the other hand, have stuttered somewhat over the last five games or so, only picking up 8 points from 15. They've still scored a lot of goals, as evidenced in the above, but their electric opening run has been slightly running out of steam over the last few games, with Celtic closing the gap at the top to four points, and also have a game in hand over the boys in maroon.
The Teams...
Motherwell showed just how well our recruitment has allowed strength in depth last time out with a comfortable win against Hibs; despite Askou making FIVE changes from the skelping of Stuart Kettlewell's Killie. Among the changes made was a first start for Oscar Priestman, who deputised for Fadinger in the deep-lying play-maker role. The Well also switched the formation to match Hibs almost man-to-man, with both playing a variation of 3-5-2.
Given that this will, again, be the third game in seven days for the Steelmen, it is hard to tell whether JBA will revert back to the 4-2-3-1 that we've come to know, or stick with what we saw on Tuesday. One could speculate that the 'resting' of players for this mid-week was because we viewed the game this weekend as requiring a more settled 11, but Hibernian have had their own runs of good form so far this season.
However, with the lethargic Leith side dispatched, we can expect a more "full-strength" side rested and raring to take on the league-toppers in this weekend's spectacle. This is by no means an insult to the players that played on Tuesday, it just shows how - as a squad - we have achieved a level of success that means almost any 11 could be put out and the identity of our play remains. And more than a few may have played their way into more appearances and minutes.
Hearts were without Scotland hero Lawrence Shankland last time out against Aberdeen - being out with an injury from a 'freak training ground slip' - and looked rather toothless in attack in his absence. Hearts had both more of the ball, and perhaps the better of the chances, against the Dons but just couldn't seem to find that killer instinct to drag themselves back into the game.
With nearly 60% possession, 11 more shots and double the shots on target - to name a few - the Gorgie side topped Aberdeen in almost every conceivable positive metric, and yet couldn't find the net. Harry Milne went closest however, hitting the crossbar in the first half.
McInnes' Hearts team bounces between playing some variation of a 3-5-2, or an almost nostalgic 4-4-2. Simpler times, eh? As I briefly mentioned in my pre-Kilmarnock piece, regardless of what formation he lines up with, McInnes' sides always lean very much on physical superiority and wing play. This is substantiated by the fact that 2 of Hearts' top 5 scorers this campaign are centre-halves, with Stuart Findlay and Craig Halkett both on 3 goals in 13 and 11 games played, respectively.
Surely, then, one of the biggest pitfalls for the Motherwell side must be with balls into the box, both from open play and set-pieces. With 7 headed goals so far this season, as well as the second-highest accurate crosses per90, Hearts' threats could very much be aerial. The back three of McGinn, Welsh, and Gordon dealt well with the long ball game of Hibs in midweek, but this could be a very different prospect.
JBA Pre-Match...
Askou starts with a quick line on squad news. The positive news for Well fans is that the SODfather is back in training, and in contention for Saturday's squad and starting 11. Other than that, all are fit other than Andy Halliday, who is "progressing", and the long-term injured. So largely unchanged from Tuesday but with some time given to recovery of short term absences.
When asked about how he will approach the game, JBA mentioned putting out the team that'd "make it hardest for Hearts at the beginning", which I found an interesting wording. It sparks of a manager that trusts the players he has with the system he plays, and that the only personnel differences will be to counteract the opposition we face. This therefore allows us to match Hearts physically, and - hopefully - still be able to stamp our authority on the tempo and flow of the game.
On Hearts' recent form, JBA made reference to the fact that "the best teams in the world ... struggle winning every game". I've often said that - regardless of what has happened during a game or what questions he is asked by media - JBA is impressively level-headed. He then went on to speak about how Hearts will be wanting to make amends and improve on their handling of our play style, as well as be more productive on the front foot. It sparks of a manager that - while not directly disclosing how he thinks Hearts will play - is very much aware of where the dangers can come from, and what weaknesses can be exploited.
The Tactics...
So how do we break them down, then? Well that could be very dependent on their (and our) formation choice.
If McInnes lines up with a 4-4-2 - with attacking fullbacks supporting Kyziridis and Braga on the outside and Shankland and Kabore attacking the box - then the most "simple" answer is with numerical superiority. Quick, precise interplay in the gaps and playing through the lines with the likes of Just, Watt and Slattery doing what they do best: picking up the ball in pockets and using that half-yard of space to find the free man. Running Hearts ragged.
This is, of course, easier said than done. The simplistic beauty of the 4-4-2 - and especially McInnes' interpretation of it - is its structure. It's the formation we all grew up with. I still remember my old coach giving us the analogy of each member of the team being attached by an invisible string, moving in perfect synchronisation. It's very hard to break down a brick wall, and if a 4-4-2 is executed well it can be as rigid and unmoving as one. It'll almost certainly require patient build-up from us, unless we have the firepower and set-up for the counter, but with the quality of some of the goals we've scored so far this term, I have faith we can make chances.
If Hearts, however, line up with a variation of the 3-5-2/3-4-3, the play from the Steelmen very much has to come from the channels. Similarly to how our goal against St Mirren came about (I know, I know, it's still a sore spot for me too) we must have the bravery to commit men forward in wide areas. Numerical superiority is, again, the buzzword of the day but this time relying more on the advancement of our fullbacks/wing-backs and their interplay with the wingers in front of them, as well as the centre-mids beside them.
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As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest threat from Hearts comes from balls into the box, from all heights. With the likes of Kyziridis, Braga, or whomever may be playing in the wide-attacking roles, hugging the touchline for large portions of the match, the wingers love receiving the ball deep from either the back-line or their CM partners then driving directly towards the by-line. Kyziridis especially can be highly successful at this when playing inverted on the left flank. One thing I noticed from the Aberdeen game was that he and Braga switched wings frequently throughout the game too, and would almost certainly want to be hitting the spaces in behind Longelo or Koutroumbis, should they play.
The Crowd...
Quite early on in his pre-match press conference, Askou discussed how this game could become a part of history. With Hearts selling out their away allocation, there is an opportunity with this match to break non-Old Firm Fir Park attendance records. This is testament to what JBA and his squad has built so far with his philosophy and the simply sensational football we are playing right now. We at the Dispatch would urge every Motherwell fan to get behind the team this weekend, especially with the arrival of some 4,500 loud and lairy Hearts fans.
To Sum Up...
We all know about the fantastic run that Hearts are on. They've flown out the traps since the start of this season, have played some devastatingly effective football, and fully deserve their place at the top of the table. I would be lying if I said I wouldn't want someone to break the monopoly of the Old Firm' winning streak of the Premiership (dating back to 1985 when Sir Alex's Aberdeen side won two on the bounce).
However, I still fully believe that we are able to finish the job that we couldn't back in August, because the Askou regime is over three months more mature, and has made playing some very competitive teams look like a walk in the park by comparison.
Whatever happens this Saturday, I reckon we could be in for another tense affair. With two attack-minded, yet defensively resolute, teams battling out for precious points for their own causes, this could be a tight game where one goal could be all it needs.
Either way, we'll be cheering the boys onto victory in another from this congested period of fixtures.
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