Wouter Vrancken, Hearts’ head coach, argued that this game against Austrian side Sturm Graz had arrived with his men having three weeks to prepare in contrast to their experienced opponents. They, he said, had six weeks to work on their game.
The Belgian-born coach also said that he men displayed energy in the first-half in both games.
Physical preparation, he declared, told in the second half of both fixtures, a 4-0 defeat in Austria and a 2-0 reverse at Tynecastle.
Yes, Hearts had real chances in the first leg and could, indeed, have been ahead in the tie at the first break, but Graz held firm at home and in Gorgie to prove comfortable winners on the night and on aggregate.
Sadly, Hearts slip down to the Europa League. Before that, they square-up to Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Saturday as they open their William Hill Premiership campaign. Two teams with something to prove. Defeat would be a real blow to the new-look Jambos.
Vrancken straight-batted media questions post-match, particularly about where goals are going to come from.
Admittedly, he is starting from scratch, and trying to bed in new players after the loss of striker Lawrence Shankland and midfielder, Camy Devlin, to arch rivals Rangers, and Beni Baningime, but, on the evidence of Tuesday night, the performance was as dreich as the weather.
There was little to excite the fans as Hearts’ first Champions League campaign in 20 years ended with a sharp exit. Many supporters walked after the second goal hit the back of Hearts’ net.
This was not the good-bye that departing German goalkeeper, Alexander Schwolow, who saluted the fans round the stadium at the end, would have wished. Indeed, he saved Hearts on several occasions at rain-soaked Tynecastle.
Vrancken said: “The first half-hour in both games was good, first then the first 15 minutes in the second-half (in Edinburgh) and then you see the physical part and you see the difference in six weeks of preparation and three weeks of preparation. You cannot hide it especially at that level.”
He bemoaned a lack of “sharpness” in front of goal, but he said: “We had a lot of energy, lot of intensity, lot of good intentions towards their goal, but it is the same story (in both games).”
On the lack of goals, he said he was not worried and said: “Sharpness is an important thing. The physical volume is the base of where the intensity comes from.
“We play also against a side which is comfortable in the group stages in Europe and, for sure, it is not an easy game. As I said, three weeks against six weeks against an experienced team that is a lot of difference.”
Vrancken (pictured by Nigel Duncan) made three changes to the side which slipped to the disappointing defeat in Austria seven days ago, and he shuffled his pack in the second-half, but Graz, despite being behind in the possession numbers, were thoroughly professional in the way they approached the game.
And their boisterous, drum-beating fans in a section of the Roseburn End, dominated the decibel level in the stadium.
Their energetic drummer hardly missed a beat as their favourites secured their passage to the next round.
A full house turned up, hoping for a European miracle from the Jambos. It did not happen, nor did it look like happening.
There have, said the stadium announcer, been some famous European nights at Tynecastle during the last 140 years. This was not one of them.
Graz did have some jittery moments. Blair Spittal shot over from good position, he also had a powerful shot blocked from much the same area, Malachi Fagan-Walcott headed wide from a free-kick, and Claudio Braga had two long-range efforts. They looked more in hope than expectation.
Oisin McEntee also saw a header cleared from near the line and Calvin Miller threatened after driving to the by-line, while second-half substitute, Amadou Ba-Sy, who buzzed about when he came on, shot wide, but there was little else to cheer the fans. They slipped away into the Edinburgh night. This was not what they came for.
Earlier, Hearts were fortunate when Malachi Fagan-Walcott miss-kicked and Schwolow saved with his right boot in the first-half and the German made another telling intervention later.
The Austrian side also had a goal chalked off for a foul after a VAR intervention, Seedy Jatta netting after being unmarked in the six-yard box, and captain Stephen Kingsley was in the right place at the right time to block otherwise it could have been worse.
As it was, goals from Simon Seidle after 64 minutes, he was set-up by cub skipper, Jon Gorenc Stankovic, and he powered a right-foot shot into the side netting from just inside the box, and Emran Soglo four minutes later, made the difference.
There was neat interplay in the build-up and his shot was saved but rebounded into the Jambos net. It was obviously not Hearts’ night.
The Men in Maroon now play celebrated Portugal-based club, Benfica, or St Gallen, third in the Swiss Super League, in the Europa League, third qualifying round. They meet on Thursday with St Gallen leading 2-1.
