Danny Röhl was left to reflect on a narrow but costly defeat at Tynecastle that hinged, in his view, on a decisive four-minute spell which undid an otherwise strong Rangers performance.
The Rangers manager made it clear post-match that frustration stemmed not from being outplayed for long periods, but from losing control in moments where his side had previously been dominant.
“Until 1–0, we were better,” Röhl said.
“We were really good in the game, unlucky with this tight offside decision.
“But then we have four minutes and it cost us something here today.”
For Röhl, that brief lapse proved fatal in a fixture where margins were always going to be fine.
He stressed that elite-level games demand total concentration, particularly against opponents so effective at punishing mistakes.
“In such a big game you have to be at 100 per cent in every situation,” he added.
“In some moments we were not, and then you lose this game - and you feel it was unnecessary.”
While Hearts opener came from a well-worked set piece but again Rangers were unprepared defensively, Röhl was keen to focus on the build-up rather than the finish itself.
He felt Rangers created the danger through avoidable errors higher up the pitch.
“The corner they played well,” he admitted, “but for me it’s more how we come to the situation. It was unnecessary to lose the ball in our own half.”
Until that point, Röhl believed his side had effectively neutralised Hearts’ strengths, pressing aggressively and denying them rhythm.
“We were well organised,” he said.
“We took all their strength off them.”
Another source of frustration was Rangers failure to capitalise on promising attacking positions during their best spell.
Röhl pointed to decision-making in the final third as a recurring issue, particularly when opportunities arose to stretch Hearts wide.
“We had moments to switch the game, to find our free players, to put in good crosses and we missed the ball,” he said.
“These are small moments, but in games like this, small moments decide everything.”
Once Rangers fell behind, the contest inevitably shifted. Röhl acknowledged Hearts discipline and game management after the break, with the hosts content to absorb pressure and strike on the transition.
“In the second half it’s a different game,” he explained.
“They are waiting for transition moments, you have to open up, take more risks and they are very good at this.”
Despite the disappointment, Röhl was careful not to single out individuals for blame.
He underlined that mistakes are part of football, but the collective response matters more, refusing to single out goalkeeper Jack Butland who allowed Lawrence Shankland to score a second goal from a tight angle with a horror mistake.
“In football, mistakes in the last line have a bigger impact,” he said.
“But we are not happy as a group. It’s about reaction.”