There is no denying that Hearts players made costly choices at crucial moments at the ground where their title ambitions fell apart last May.
Former Tynecastle defender Ryan McGowan argued that several players failed to make an impact and appeared to disregard Vrancken’s instructions entirely.
Former Scotland forward Kris Boyd, however, was even more surprised by Hearts’ tactics at a venue where they had secured a victory the previous autumn.
“I cannot remember seeing defending as poor as that,” he said. “Even in the 89th minute, Hearts were still attempting to match Celtic player for player.
“You have to show Celtic some respect. If you challenge them man-to-man, they can tear you apart, and that is precisely what happened.”
Halliday echoed that assessment, suggesting Vrancken may need to adjust his preferred system when facing similar situations.
“There was no acceptance of responsibility,” he added. “He focused on the players’ mistakes instead of acknowledging his own, which were obvious to me.
“Anyone who has followed Celtic this season knows they attack the near post at set-pieces, yet Hearts’ formation did nothing to counter that threat.
“I have repeatedly praised Vrancken, and I still expect the team to finish among the top three. My concern is that, if he could replay this match, he probably would not alter anything, and his remarks only strengthened that impression.”
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