Heart of Midlothian

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We asked for your views on Hearts' 2-0 defeat away to a Mo Salah-inspired Trabzonspor in the Conference League.

Here's what some of you said:

Amy: Always a massive ask against a very capable team - and one of the tournament favourites - but I felt we proved we deserved to be on the pitch with them. Referees in Europe are a lottery and last night's was pretty bad. We deserved a penalty. Always seems VAR calls against us take an age and when it's for us they are cleared within milliseconds.

Chris: Good performance but still a loss at the end of the day. Thankful that we weren't on the end of another doing, given what happened on Sunday as I feared that might have kickstarted a real downturn in performance.

Jim: Looked a lot better in defence but missed chances cost Hearts again.

Chris: I'm proud of the shift the team put in considering the opposition, injuries and that result at Celtic. But I can't help but think we showed them too much respect meaning we doubted ourselves in front of goal. A little more arrogance and I think we pinch a goal and ask some questions.

Steve: What a shift from Rogers Mato - he didn't really give Salah an inch for most of the game. I'm hopeful the injury crisis we find ourselves in creates a siege mentality among the players. Lacked confidence in attack but did not embarrass ourselves on the European stage which was vital after the weekend.

Kristoffer: On this week's episode of injury bingo - in all seriousness with our injury crisis this was a very respectful defeat. We competed, showed a mature understanding of game management and were only undone by a penalty and moment of brilliance. All is not lost.

Jim: Greatly improved performance from a team significantly affected by injuries to important players. The result was not helped by some curious and inconsistent decisions by the officials. The team, including the manager have obviously learned much from the shambolic performance at Celtic Park and, we supporters, can put that result down as a one-off and look foward to the rest of the season with some hope.

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Hearts defender Harry Milne, 29, is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. (Sun, external)

And right-back Christian Borchgrevink, 27, picked up a hamstring injury in Hearts' Conference League defeat by Trabzonspor in Turkey on Thursday. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required, external)

Friday's Scottish gossip

Mohamed Salah scored one and set up the other as Trabzonspor proved too strong for Hearts in the Conference League.

The Liverpool legend dinked in a first-half penalty before teeing up Franculino Dju to fire in a magnificent second after the interval in an efficient display from the Turkish side.

Have your say on the game here.

Read the match report here.

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Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken tells BBC Scotland: "Against a good team like this, as I told you already, they paid so much money for new players and even got Salah on a free transfer, so they have a lot of quality in their team, individual quality.

"But what we showed against this individual quality was a real team today.

"I was really proud of the performance."

On starting Rogers Mato at fullback: "Yeah, I just talked with him today, actually, because Harry dropped out yesterday.

"So I talked with him today, but he was really clean and clear in his conversation

"No problem, he said, and I told him a bit about his position, about also guarding Salah.

"I knew that he could match up the pace there and also I know that Rogers, when he's focused, that he's really strong in one-on-one duels especially for an offensive player.

"So happy to see that it worked out, because if Salah scores two, three times, everybody says it was a wrong decision and not a good one, but yeah, you have to have confidence in some guys.

"And when you see some guys playing out of position because the need was there, we had only one midfielder left to play, six injured.

"So also there, Jordi Altena, his performance out of position was also great.

"So happy to see those things happening and that we can bounce back from the result of last weekend and have a good team performance."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hearts left-back Harry Milne could face a lengthy lay-off after suffering a knee injury in training on Wednesday.

Milne misses out on Hearts' Conference League game at Trabzonspor and will undergo a scan to determine the severity of the damage, amid reports it is a suspected ACL injury., external

"Yeah, unbelievable actually, because without contact, he got an injury," head coach Wouter Vrancken told BBC Scotland.

"So we'll see probably when we're back when we can make a scan to see how it is.

"It's crazy because now it's not about fatigue, it's not about contact, it's not about anything, this with him is just bad luck now. It's his knee."

Vrancken added that midfielder Laurent Mendy and defender Stephen Kingsley have dropped to the bench as they are both carrying knocks from the defeat to Celtic on Sunday.

"I don't want anybody to be out long term, especially when you see now, also with Laurent Mendy not being totally fit after a kick he got at the weekend," he said.

"So we'll see if we're going to need him because it's always a risk there with him.

"With Kingsley, same with another area, but also there it's a big risk to play him so many games because of his history, of course."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Teenage striker James Wilson is relishing the opportunity to test himself against Mo Salah in Hearts' Conference League clash with Trabzonspor tonight.

Wilson has urged his team-mates to park the disappointment of their 7-1 trouncing by Celtic as they look to bounce back against a side boasting significant experience and quality.

"We just have to draw a line under it," he said.

"This game is a great opportunity in a great stadium against a good team, and we're excited.

"We want to give the best of ourselves and try to get a result.

"It's about having the mentality to look forward to it. I'm not going into the game scared. I'm excited and happy to be here.

"This is where you want to be. You want to be playing in these big games against big players. That's what motivates me."

For Wilson, the occasion is another milestone in his development, having increased his involvement in the first team since returning to Hearts in the summer from a loan spell at Tottenham.

"I'm happy to be playing minutes again," the 19-year-old added. "I didn't play a lot last season.

"I'm happy to help the team when called upon and do whatever the coach asks of me. My responsibility is to give my best for the team."

With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, Wilson says his immediate focus remains on football rather than his longer-term future.

"I think it's still early. There's a lot of football to be played this season and I'm enjoying my football," he said.

"I'm playing and scoring a few goals, and I'm happy with how things are going at the moment."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

The heavy defeat at Celtic Park should serve as a wake-up call for everyone at Hearts.

There has been progress under Wouter Vrancken, but the Belgian has made it clear his side remain some way short of where he wants them to be.

Sunday's result was a stark reminder of that reality.

There were positives to take from the underlying statistics, but numbers can be misleading. Hearts cannot afford to present the champions with the kind of opportunities they did in Glasgow and expect to escape punishment.

Mistake after mistake was ruthlessly exploited. Those errors must be addressed quickly, because another demanding test awaits.

Trabzonspor have invested heavily in their squad, spending £60m on new recruits over the summer, and have started the campaign in impressive goalscoring form.

Thomas Reis' side have netted 18 goals in their past six matches, conceding just three. Hearts will need to be far more disciplined and defensively resilient if they are to leave Turkey with a result.

When the Conference League fixtures were announced, this trip was immediately identified as arguably the toughest of Hearts' six league-phase assignments. Anything they bring home would be a welcome bonus.

But the European challenge is only part of the story.

After returning from Turkey, Hearts must switch their attention to two difficult Premiership fixtures, with a trip to Fir Park followed by former boss Derek McInnes' return to Tynecastle with Rangers.

The Celtic Park defeat was a painful reminder of how far Hearts still have to go. The response over the next week will tell us much more about the direction in which they are heading.

Forward James Wilson is not unduly concerned about his Heart of Midlothian contract, with the 19-year-old Scotland forward in the final year of his current deal. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to face Trabzonspor in the Conference League in Turkey on Thursday.

Here are the key points:

• Centre-half Stuart Findlay and utility man Oisen McEntee have not travelled with the squad.

• Vrancken has compared Tranbzonspor with Benfica, the Portuguese side who thrashed Hearts 6-1 in Europa League qualifying and also beat Celtic 4-1 this season.

• He says former Liverpool forward Mo Salah is not the only top player they need to be wary off.

• The Belgian coach says he has never been at a club with so many injuries in the same area at the same time.

• He insists they will stick by "their principles" in terms of the type of football he wants the team to play despite Sunday's 7-1 hammering by Celtic.

• He says "you can't ensure" the team will play without fear, but that is the plan.

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Wouter Vrancken will be taking a "massive risk" if Hearts adopt the same approach in Turkey that led to a 7-1 drubbing by Celtic, says Rory Loy.

Hearts, reeling from their heavy Celtick Park defeat, visit Mo Salah's Trabzonspor in Conference League action on Thursday.

"You need to adapt," said former Premiership striker Loy on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"You need to be able to look at things and say, well, the next fixture is equally as difficult as the previous fixture and what we did just did not work.

"There are ways of being expansive and open while still being able to contain for maybe longer periods of the game."

Loy says Hearts could suffer another bruising defeat on Thursday if things don't change.

"It is a big risk to do that, because if your players have an off night, or two or three have an off night, in that type of arena, in that atmosphere, with the quality of football you are playing against, then it can lead to a defeat, and it can sometimes be a heavy defeat.

"So it really depends on what Vrancken wants to do. Does he want to take that risk and hope his players can produce a performance that would be worthy of coming away with a result?

"Or does he want to be a little bit more pragmatic, and if a couple of players have an off night, you are not suffering a three, a four or a five.

"I am not saying that necessarily will happen, but I think if he goes out there and does set up the same way as he did on Sunday, then it is a possibility."

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• Hearts opened their Conference League campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Nordsjaelland and have won once in their past five outings in all competitions.

• Trabzonspor, who beat Finland's KuPS 4-2 in their Conference League opener, have won four games in a row, scoring 13 goals and conceding two.

• Mo Salah netted in the defeat of Besiktas on Monday night, meaning the former Liverpool forward has five goals in his past five games for Trabzonspor.

• Hearts have faced Turkish opposition once previously, losing 4-0 at home and 3-1 away to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Conference League group stage in 2022.

• Trabzonspor have met Scottish opposition once previously, beating Dundee United 2-1 on aggregate in the Uefa Cup second qualifying round in 1997.

• Hearts finished 25th in the Conference League last season, while Trabzonspor lost to St Gallen in their final qualifier.

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Andy Halliday was left perplexed by former side Hearts' approach as they suffered a mauling at the hands of Celtic on Sunday.

Many viewed the Parkhead club as vulnerable heading into the encounter, having suffered four defeats in their previous five matches.

However, it was the visitors from Gorgie who were exposed time and time again by Celtic's dynamic midfield and attack.

Wouter Vrancken's men were 5-1 down at half-time before shipping two more goals after the break, capping a humiliating afternoon with a 7-1 defeat.

Speaking on the BBC's Monday Night Club, Halliday said his former team were "laughably bad defensively".

"I thought Celtic going forward were absolutely scintillating, but Hearts were the masters of their own downfall," he added.

"For me, Vrancken's approach to going to Celtic Park against a team who everyone thinks are fragile... But in the league campaign over recent years, even though it seems there's been a regression, they are still the best team in the league on their day.

"I thought Vrancken and his Hearts team's approach was so naive. I was as shocked as anyone to see them take a man-for-man approach.

"If you look at the personnel, you're asking Stephen Kingsley, Jordi Altena and Jamie McCart to man-mark Camilo Duran, Callum Osmand and Haissem Hassan.

"A complete and utter mismatch in terms of athleticism and power. Celtic just outran them."

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

Three months ago, at a meet the manager event at Tynecastle, new head coach Wouter Vrancken spoke about the "organised chaos" his teams had become known for in Belgium.

What we witnessed at Celtic Park last Sunday, however, was simply disorganised chaos.

Ironically, Vrancken said at the time: "We want position switches and runs to push the [opposition] defence to make decisions. The more decisions they have to make, the more mistakes they will make."

Well, one side at Celtic Park certainly kept making mistakes and unfortunately, it was the men in maroon.

I genuinely cannot remember a worse first-half performance from Hearts. It was so bad that at times all you could do was laugh.

It is remarkable we have visited Celtic Park with far less talented squads and fared considerably better. Vrancken must take his share of responsibility too, because tactical adjustments were clearly needed.

Why we did not move to a three-man midfield at 2-0 - or even 3-0 - remains baffling. We needed to absorb the pressure, solidify the centre of the pitch and give the defence some protection.

The wider picture needs some balance. Across Vrancken's first 18 games, Hearts have recorded seven wins, five draws and six defeats - a win rate of 38.9%.

However, seven of those matches came in Europe, with the defeat by Celtic the eighth game against significantly stronger opposition.

Remove those fixtures and the domestic record reads seven victories, two defeats - away to Aberdeen and Falkirk - and a draw at Kilmarnock. That is a 70% win rate, including the excellent 3-1 victory at Hibs, with an average of 2.6 goals scored and 1.2 conceded per match.

The contrast is stark; across the European fixtures and the Celtic game, Hearts conceded 25 goals in eight matches and scored eight - four of those against Rapid Vienna. That's an average of 3.1 goals conceded in a game.

The concern is clear. Hearts look vulnerable away from home, particularly against opponents we are expected to lose to.

So what better fixture to follow Celtic than a Conference League trip to face Mo Salah's Trabzonspor?

I do not know a single Jambo expecting a positive result, but Hearts must be competitive for the full 90 minutes and, above all, avoid another capitulation.

Motherwell away on Sunday will be the real acid test. Much has been said about our away record in 2026, but this is exactly the kind of match we need if we are to begin silencing the critics.

The Steelmen arrive in poor form after five straight defeats, but we have seen this film before. Struggling Falkirk and Kilmarnock were also handed points by a generous Hearts team.

The ingredients remain for Hearts to have a successful season. We may not challenge for the title, but third place should remain the minimum ambition. A domestic cup win and respectable European campaign are also well within reach.

Questions are rightly being asked of Vrancken and Hearts after Celtic Park, but the response now matters more than the inquest.

Trabzonspor defender Stefan Savic believes his team can up the gears even more against Hearts after downing fierce rivals Besiktas on Monday. Mohamed Salah scored the second goal in the 2-0 win. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish football gossip

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Defender Stephen Kingsley is determined Hearts' "calamity of errors" at Celtic on Sunday does not have a lasting effect on the team.

Wouter Vrancken's team were dismantled by the Scottish Premiership champions and now face a difficult away game against Mohamed Salah's Trabzonspor in the Conference League.

The trip to Turkey on Thursday gives Hearts the chance to show they have learnt the lessons from the 7-1 mauling in Glasgow.

When asked about his emotions after the game, Kingsley said: "Embarrassment, with the first half in terms of the way we lost the goals. We shot ourselves in the foot countless times.

"Celtic were clinical, fair play to them, but I just felt like we played right into their hands. We gave them exactly what they wanted. Made too many mistakes. Two set-pieces to start off, it kills you straight away.

"It was just a calamity of errors. After that, every error we made seemed to be exposed. They were good at it. Obviously, they're a great counter-attacking team.

"That's what's most frustrating about it, that we played into their hands."

Kingsley captained Hearts on Sunday and says the emphasis is on him and the other experienced players in the squad to steady the ship.

"It's one of those results that if you linger on it, then you can let it fester and seep into future performances," the 32-year-old said.

"But we can't have that. It's up to myself as one of the more experienced players to make sure that we try to put this to bed and move on to the next game, because the next one's not going to get any easier."

We asked for your views after Hearts suffered a humiliating 7-1 Scottish Premiership defeat at Celtic.

Here's what some of you said:

Keith: Bad day at the office. One bad result will not define our season. We are still third in the league, have a League Cup semi-final coming up and have qualified for the Conference League. Individual mistakes cost us big time, and Celtic took full advantage. We will see what the reaction is from the players in the next few games. Hopefully, it will be positive.

Tim: If you're going to defend like a five-year-old boys' team, you're going to get punished. The manager has one way of playing and cannot adapt. It's like a rollercoaster, but this time it's an embarrassment. Haven't we learned anything from our previous big defeats in Europe? Playing like this, we will be lucky - very lucky - to finish third this year. Simply not good enough.

George: Very disappointing and a hard result to take, but I truly believe in our manager and his style of play. Seven steps back to eventually go 10 steps forward.

David: Hearts teams in the past have been criticised for going to Glasgow and not having a go, so it seems unfair to criticise them too much this time. You cannot allow for rank bad defending. Hopefully, we learn from it. And as for all these pundits who love to quote game stats, have a look at the stats for this game! They show what meaningless nonsense it is.

Matthew: I predicted a cricket score before the match, and I wasn't far off. We are so poor at the back that this battering was in the pipeline, and we have been lucky it hasn't happened yet. I fear this result might be the start of a bad run of results until we limp towards the transfer window.

Aimee: The manager talks about players learning from mistakes, but he's making more and more each week - will he also learn? That was the most insipid, pathetic defensive performance I've seen. Out with a whimper.

Celtic ominously moved four points clear in the Scottish Premiership after an astonishing goal spree humiliated last season's runners-up - and this term's putative title rivals - Hearts in Glasgow.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken: "Really disappointing and also the way it happened. Two set plays killed our game at the start of the game. All of their goals even, when I go back, individual mistakes and then it's difficult to win a game.

"In the set play moments, you have to be on top of your toes, you have to be on front foot to attack the ball there. Against individual mistakes, you can't do too much actually.

"Only thing that cannot happen is that everybody starts doubting now in his own qualities. Also, when you are one of the guys that made a mistake, just learn from it.

"After tomorrow, it has to be gone because there's another game to come. We have to step up again and push and keep pushing."