OFFICIAL HEARTS JUGGERNAUT THREAD 2020-

[Kyle Reese]

On 27/11/2023 at 13:32, VincentGuerin said:

I've seen that shared before, and it baffles me how out of step it is with "what I'm hearing on the doorstep".

I am pretty sure I know one person who was in favour of Naismith getting the job.

I am the same. I did not know one person in the supporters that I know who wanted him for the job. We all backed him once he was appointed, but quickly became less than impressed as expected. Now he has put a bit of a run together and there have been signs of improvement, we all just live in hope really. 

What I would say though, is he has managed to win the games where clubs have sat in recently. Far from pretty to watch but we won them.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

On 27/11/2023 at 13:37, Mr. X said:

I was going to say a few decent results as caretaker manager ,but when I look at them they were nothing special.

We looked good in the home wins, and even the Celtic defeat and the final derby were battling 10 men performances 

That said 

If the wins against Ross County and Aberdeen had happened in the frozen North where hardly any  of us would have seen them then there might not have been quite as much positivity

And it's not unthinkable that this kind of reversion to the mean would have happened anyway without changing manager

[the jambo-rocker]

On 27/11/2023 at 21:07, Sortmeout said:

Even though I agree with a lot of what you say based on Hearts semi-decent recent form but you do get the feeling with Naismith that’s he’s only one bad defeat away from being under pressure again.

Hopefully this Saturday.

 

On 27/11/2023 at 21:25, Tony Wonder said:

I don't disagree tbh. 

What I'm reading from this is he is fairly well motivated.

[Craigie Jambo]

Remember that game, remember the plane, but didn't see the banner on it at the time

[Craigie Jambo]

12 hours ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

We looked good in the home wins, and even the Celtic defeat and the final derby were battling 10 men performances 

That said 

If the wins against Ross County and Aberdeen had happened in the frozen North where hardly any  of us would have seen them then there might not have been quite as much positivity

And it's not unthinkable that this kind of reversion to the mean would have happened anyway without changing manager

 

I think a win at pittodrie would have made quite an impression given our recent record there

[DC92]

On 27/11/2023 at 21:30, Insert Amusing Pseudonym said:

Going forward for sure.  Defensively though we were hot garbage, we only kept one clean sheet before New Year and thar was a scarcely believable one at Motherwell thanks to the woodwork and Craig Gordon.   Even then i think we had the exact same number of points after 13 games as we do now.

We've been dull rather than bad more often this season

It didn't even feel as if we were particularly good going forward for most of last season. We ran up the score a few times, but they were clinical performances rather than dominant attacking ones.

I think the baffling Snodgrass tactic helped that to an extent by encouraging teams to press us high which left spaces for us to exploit. Now teams sit back and let us have the ball because they know Kent/Rowles/Baningime aren't going to hurt them.

Ginnelly is also an obvious factor, but McKay is one people don't mention so much. He's a better player than Lowry and was still central to most of our good attacking play last season even if he wasn't as good as the year before. If our problem is breaking down deep defences then surely he's been a huge miss.

[VincentGuerin]

28 minutes ago, DC92 said:

It didn't even feel as if we were particularly good going forward for most of last season. We ran up the score a few times, but they were clinical performances rather than dominant attacking ones.

I think the baffling Snodgrass tactic helped that to an extent by encouraging teams to press us high which left spaces for us to exploit. Now teams sit back and let us have the ball because they know Kent/Rowles/Baningime aren't going to hurt them.

Ginnelly is also an obvious factor, but McKay is one people don't mention so much. He's a better player than Lowry and was still central to most of our good attacking play last season even if he wasn't as good as the year before. If our problem is breaking down deep defences then surely he's been a huge miss.

Yeah, McKay's been important since we signed him. Even when drifting out of games, he's likely to do something or create some space. We miss him, and I think that's a wake up call to some fans in the same way as it was when Boyce got injured and we realised how much we needed him.

McKay and Halkett back would be huge. People get sick of hearing it, but there's been no point in the last season and a half when we've been at full strength. And usually miles from it. Gordon to come as well, but what he's like remains to be seen.

While I remain unconvinced by the coach, I think we've got the third best squad in the country relatively comfortably on balance. Just need them back on the park.

Edited November 30, 2023 by VincentGuerin

[lennyzer0]

On 29/11/2023 at 10:57, Kyle Reese said:

I am the same. I did not know one person in the supporters that I know who wanted him for the job. We all backed him once he was appointed, but quickly became less than impressed as expected. Now he has put a bit of a run together and there have been signs of improvement, we all just live in hope really. 

What I would say though, is he has managed to win the games where clubs have sat in recently. Far from pretty to watch but we won them.

Have to say, I wanted him to get the job. I liked the times I saw the Bs last year, and the last thing I wanted was another guid auld Scottish pro.

[Darren]

On 29/11/2023 at 23:54, Craigie Jambo said:

 

I think a win at pittodrie would have made quite an impression given our recent record there

I'd imagine a 6-1 win away from home would have too.

[Stylish Kid]

On 30/11/2023 at 20:55, VincentGuerin said:

Yeah, McKay's been important since we signed him. Even when drifting out of games, he's likely to do something or create some space. We miss him, and I think that's a wake up call to some fans in the same way as it was when Boyce got injured and we realised how much we needed him.

McKay and Halkett back would be huge. People get sick of hearing it, but there's been no point in the last season and a half when we've been at full strength. And usually miles from it. Gordon to come as well, but what he's like remains to be seen.

While I remain unconvinced by the coach, I think we've got the third best squad in the country relatively comfortably on balance. Just need them back on the park.

I agree r.e. McKay, even in quiet games his movement opens up spaces for others and I would be interested to see how he is with the revamped Alex Cochrane.

 

Not sure I quite agree on the squad - I think it is too unbalanced with a surfeit of players who:

1) occupy the no. 10 space

2) sit deep/break up play

3) preferred position is CB.

 

What's frustrating is that we just made the problem worse over summer, although I accept that Kent was essentially because Halkett has been out long-term 

 

Anyway, POTM / MOTM double for Shankland and Naismith 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Stylish Kid
Forgot

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

On 30/11/2023 at 20:28, DC92 said:

It didn't even feel as if we were particularly good going forward for most of last season. We ran up the score a few times, but they were clinical performances rather than dominant attacking ones.

I think the baffling Snodgrass tactic helped that to an extent by encouraging teams to press us high which left spaces for us to exploit. Now teams sit back and let us have the ball because they know Kent/Rowles/Baningime aren't going to hurt them.

Ginnelly is also an obvious factor, but McKay is one people don't mention so much. He's a better player than Lowry and was still central to most of our good attacking play last season even if he wasn't as good as the year before. If our problem is breaking down deep defences then surely he's been a huge miss.

I don't disagree with much of that but we did score a lot more goals and Gino is a massive miss.    McKay is definitely a big loss as he's the most creative piayer we have, even if he is frustrating.

I do think there's potential with the squad we have but a right back and a creative CM are desperately needed

 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

5 hours ago, Insert Amusing Pseudonym said:

I don't disagree with much of that but we did score a lot more goals and Gino is a massive miss.    McKay is definitely a big loss as he's the most creative piayer we have, even if he is frustrating.

 If opponents pressed forward and left space behind it was playing into Ginnelly’s strengths but if they sat deep and challenged Hearts to break them down then McKays lock picking skills came to the fore.

It was nice to have both 

[Tony Wonder]

Naismith saying Gordon, Halkett, Atkinson and McKay all now back available for selection.  I doubt we'll see them all tomorrow but it's such a boost to have these guys coming back.

[VincentGuerin]

11 hours ago, Tony Wonder said:

Naismith saying Gordon, Halkett, Atkinson and McKay all now back available for selection.  I doubt we'll see them all tomorrow but it's such a boost to have these guys coming back.

There feels an inevitability about Halkett sitting on the pitch six minutes into a game sometime this month. "We'll give him the time he needs".

See you next season.

[Craigie Jambo]

Same ref as we had at home to livi; he was a pain in the arse for the home team in that game, IIRC

[Craigie Jambo]

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/cammy-devlin-injury-blow-for-hearts-latest-on-liam-boyce-goals-issue-addressed-ahead-of-aberdeen-trip-4437840

Cammy Devlin injury blow for Hearts, latest on Liam Boyce, goals issue addressed ahead of Aberdeen trip

Australian midfielder is set for a spell on the sidelines

 

Hearts have been dealt an injury blow with the news that midfielder Cammy Devlin will be missing until potentially after the winter break. He is expected to miss around a month of football with an ankle injury that is worse than first thought, which could take him into January's three-week Premiership hiatus.

The 25-year-old underwent a scan which showed damage in the area and medical staff say he will be out for around four weeks. Hearts travel to Aberdeen on Saturday without him, but striker Liam Boyce has an outside chance of recovering from a leg knock in time.

“Friday will be a big day for Boycie, we will wait and see. It’s a race against time," admitted Steven Naismith, the Hearts head coach. "Cammy got a scan as a precaution. There’s more damage than he was feeling the day after he came back in, so he is looking at being a month."

Naismith welcomed four experienced figures back into his squad for Wednesday night's meeting with Rangers - Craig Gordon, Craig Halkett, Barrie McKay and Nathaniel Atkinson. Their return from injury immediately strengthens competition.

"It’s good. Probably, subconsciously, it raises the quality in training," said Naismith. "Players will be trying to work out the squad, who’s available, how many get into the squad, who am I vying for to be in the squad? It definitely brings that laser focus for each individual."

He is also ready to become unpopular when leaving certain players out. "That’s part of it! I’ve had to deal with that recently. You just have to be honest," he said. "These decisions are not personal. It’s a footballing decision and I’m very clear that week-to-week it could change. Gone are the days of rolling out the same team all the time and that gets you your win. That plays a part to build momentum but the tactics involved in the games are so refined that small margins make big differences.

"We put Nat Atkinson back in from the start against Rangers. It was a big ask but he’s got good experience and the opportunity to go more offensive at half-time gave us that leeway to take him back out. It was a good 45 minutes to build him up. Alex Lowry comes back into the squad. It’s competition but this game is different. We’ve played Aberdeen twice since I’ve been in charge and had two good results playing a different shape."

After their four-game winning Premiership run was ended by Rangers, the Hearts management team must decide whether to continue with a three-man defence or change to a four at Pittodrie. At the other end of the pitch, only St Johnstone and Livingston have scored less league goals than Hearts this season. However, the Edinburgh club sit third in the table.

"I feel we have created good chances in a lot of games but just not scored," said Naismith. "On Wednesday we had a couple of opportunities where we should have made an extra pass, or somebody takes too many touches to get their shot off.

"When I first took over, we were good at getting shots off and taking chances. We want to do that but I’m pretty comfortable with that because I think we have players here who can score goals and are sharp enough around the box to score goals. As long as we keep winning, that will click into action at some point."

 

 

[Stylish Kid]

Anyone go to the AGM?

[VincentGuerin]

41 minutes ago, Stylish Kid said:

Anyone go to the AGM?

Wasn't there myself, but mates who were have commented, direct group chat quotes here.

"Load of shite". "McKinlay is an arsehole". "Exactly what you'd expect - c***s".

So, sounds like it went well.

[HeartsOfficialMoaner]

McKinlay is sly as, in the door 5 minutes and he was bragging about 7,000 season ticket waiting list to get an applause. 

[VincentGuerin]

40 minutes ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

McKinlay is sly as, in the door 5 minutes and he was bragging about 7,000 season ticket waiting list to get an applause. 

Hopefully he's not long for the job. It's quite obvious the fanbase has no time for him. He does little but spout unconvincing nonsense.