Kyle Reese

F-ing hell, Joseph. What have you got against commas?

Especially not that particular fragrance. Still, at least Halliday would start bringing him coffee and carrying his bags.

Just noise in the media at the moment. Sky joined the choir today though.

I've got my "Neilson out" banner and my airplane at the ready. Me annaw:

I am not doubting you, but it's so long ago, I can't really remember all the details. I'd need to go back and read some articles from the time. I do remember that he wasn't flavour of the day amongst United supporters, and that he wasn't happy being played out of position though. At other times, we have generally kept the announcement quiet in these sort of circumstances. Halkett, Barr and a couple of others. One that sticks out in my mind however, was Ian Black from Inverness. When he signed the pre-contract it was made public. Terry Butcher at that time went to the papers saying that he doesn't think pre-contracts are legally watertight, and that he will try and persuade Ian Black not to honour the one he signed with HMFC.

Oh, I don't really blame Rangers for trying to get good players for as little as possible. It is just the way it goes really. I'm more focused on what Hearts do next if he does sign a pre-contract there. Neilson wants to keep playing him, but the fans wouldn't react well to that. Neilson has built a fair amount of good credit back up again, after the fans turning on him for the money spinner comments and shite Europa League qualification efforts in his first term as manager, and Brora Rangers last season. He will not want to return to the days of the fans ripping in to him again. On the Dundee United thing though. Are you sure that's how it went? I can't remember exactly, but i think he had been moved in to defensive midfield, and he was struggling.

Not sure what species of monkey you are referring to here. I've not read about any that can smear faeces on demand. There's only a limited number of old world monkeys who would have the finger strength to use the typewriter in the first place. I'm not sure you've thought this analogy through tbh. Anyway. double-whining St Johnstone have a decent record at Tynecastle, so you must be pretty confident.

The next step in this: Rangers offer £100-250k to take him now.

If he signs a pre contract with them I'd be quite happy to see him not play for us. You're not going to get the best from a player that has signed a pre contract with competition. Completely agree. Neilson has a bit of a history of underestimating the views of the fans though. He has been saying that he wants to keep playing Souttar until the summer if he doesn't move anywhere this window. He will be starting to pick up on the mood of the support around this though, and he will be reluctant to return to the bad old days of his "money spinner" backlash. That's the state of the game up there in the bullet points. Something needs to give. We should have a system in place, like they have in England, where a player cannot sign a pre-contract agreement with a club in the same league/division as their current club, until the 1st June.

Something certainly needs to give: Neilson wants to keep him until the summer at least, (unless a good remuneration offer is made) Rangers will not want to pay anything for him Souttar only wants to go there if it's in this window The supporters will turn on Souttar and Neilson if he signs a pre-contract at Rangers, but stays until summer His injury record suggests he could break down again at some point in the next few months

Indeed. I only used the wide forwards as my example because Neilson made the point specifically in an interview earlier in the season/pre-season. I've always felt that it was a bit daft to telegraph that to the rest of the league, but also that it doesn't leave much scope for forced changes. In a wider more general context, it should benefit us as a squad of players with options of similar quality. Your example of teh defence is a good one, but I always fear changing the defence around too much mid-game. Swapping the fullbacks/wingbacks is fine, but I see defence as the one part of the team that you only tamper with in emergencies. With our current midfielders of Beni, Devlin, Haring and McEneff, we have scope to rejig meaningfully as well.

This is exactly where I am at. Woodburn, GMS, McKay and Ginnelly, specifically. We telegraphed to the league that the plan was to give our wide forwards/wingers an hour and then bring on fresh legs. Not a plan that gives you many options to deal with injuries or red cards though. I can see us using this rule quite well.

Trying to look younger so he keeps his place in the team. Crafty old devil that he is.

Absolutely. He plays a few positions well. He's not going to start getting younger though, so I'm glad we have younger options in the three positions he has experience in playing.

See that's Mick Smith signed a season's extension this morning. A good sensible piece of business that. Natty Akka in at RWB, along with re-signing the rest of our defence long term should insulate us against the possibility of Souttar leaving during this window. Feels good to be doing these things to a bit of a plan now.

I've only just noticed that there already was one. Apologies to @Gorgie greatness

Apologies, Gorgie Greatness; I never saw your match-day thread.

St Johnstone have been a bit of a bogey team for us in previous seasons. For a few seasons, a while back, it always seemed we were undone by a free kick at an angle just outside the 18 yard box at Tynecastle. Took two attempts to get past StJ on our way to winning the Scottish Cup n 2012 too. We are a better team than we have been in years. St Johnstone are at a lower ebb than I can remember too. If it was just down to form and quality of players, then I’d have us sneaking a narrow win. Relegation battling teams don’t tend to give up the points too easily. I’m just hoping we are past the psychological hoodoo that we seemed to suffer from in this fixture. It’ll be a tight game ending in a one goal margin of victory for either side, or a low scoring draw.

I think it’d be easier to discount you, if you could tear yourself away from the thread for five minutes.

The blue diddies were always guaranteed. It was just 50/50 that the baited hook would catch a sheep though.

I think the main thing is, you’re clearly not holding on to any unnecessary bitterness nor angst. It’s good to see you moving on.

You got there in the end.

No, the total number of opponents in the run of games is three. Two have been played from that total. The third are up next. 1/3 Dundee 2/3 Ross County Now we play the third of those three teams in the run: 3/3 St Johnstone. Three diddies I’m the run. Two already played. Third of those diddies on Tuesday.

I don’t think it would take anything as scientific as a vote. It’s just a known. Heart of Midlothian Football Club. Everyone knows it, but most would never admit it. We all know it deep down though. The good guys, if you will.

Exactly as it says on the tin, tbh. We had a three match run against the three diddy teams in blue, before our cup game, and the OF and derby on the horizon. We have beaten two out of three so far, and on Tuesday we play the third: