I think we'll know within the first ten minutes or so against Hearts whether we are going to challenge for the title this season. The answer will be seen in the tempo of our play. If is isn't hugely improved from Wednesday we will know that the players and coaching staff haven't been able to react in the required fashion and that in all likelihood we face more points dropped in the weeks ahead and Celtic running away with the league.
Any time we've been able to reflect our individual quality in a high tempo performance, we've run over the top of our opposition. Whenever we've reverted to the slow, hesitant football we've seen so often in the past, we struggle.
One of my erstwhile favourite players, Glen Kamara, has become so prone to slowing play and inhibiting transition from defence to attack that he sucks the tempo out of most games he plays in. That can't go on and I believe is the reason he was hooked at half time in midweek. If he plays against Hearts then he needs to have a very different attitude. Barisic is so notorious at slowing play that he's a luxury we can no longer afford, end of. I think their omission would help in moving the ball more quickly and give our forward players more of an opportunity to find space. Hearts should be stern opposition and an excellent yardstick by which to measure our intent as a team. I'd like to see something like this, with six positional or selection changes from the starting line up against Celtic.
McLaughlin
Tavernier-Goldson-Balogun-Bassey
Ramsey-Jack-Aribo
Diallo-Morelos-Sakala
We'll likely start this game 4 points adrift. We simply can't let that margin continue into the next game.