OFFICIAL HEARTS JUGGERNAUT THREAD 2020-

[Craigie Jambo]

Did that erse who pretended to be a Hearts fan on KB for over a year with 12,500 posts just butt in on my conversation?

[VincentGuerin]

So, what do we make of this then?

In December we've played four of the top six, three of them away, and have taken twelve points from those games without conceding.

Are we good?

I thought we were good at Celtic. Fine against St Mirren. Fine last night.

Are we a good team? I don't feel like we're a good team, but we're winning a lot of difficult games and doing so with clean sheets. Apart from absolutely shiting it at Pittodrie, it's been an excellent couple of months.

Can someone tell me if we're good or not? I don't know.

[NJ2]

Just now, VincentGuerin said:

So, what do we make of this then?

In December we've played four of the top six, three of them away, and have taken twelve points from those games without conceding.

Are we good?

I thought we were good at Celtic. Fine against St Mirren. Fine last night.

Are we a good team? I don't feel like we're a good team, but we're winning a lot of difficult games and doing so with clean sheets. Apart from absolutely shiting it at Pittodrie, it's been an excellent couple of months.

Can someone tell me if we're good or not? I don't know.

Effective rather than good, imo. 
I didn’t even think we were particularly good against Celtic, they were rotten while we were clinical, organised and disciplined. St Mirren was surprisingly routine where we didn’t have to get going. Last night we stole a win with a bit of magic in an otherwise frantic, but poor quality, affair. 
All in all, I’d rather win badly than lose well. 

[VincentGuerin]

1 minute ago, NJ2 said:

Effective rather than good, imo. 
I didn’t even think we were particularly good against Celtic, they were rotten while we were clinical, organised and disciplined. St Mirren was surprisingly routine where we didn’t have to get going. Last night we stole a win with a bit of magic in an otherwise frantic, but poor quality, affair. 
All in all, I’d rather win badly than lose well. 

Definitely low-quality stuff last night, but I felt we had decided a point would be fine and we were never in danger of not getting one. Without being good.

I find it all very confusing.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

5 minutes ago, VincentGuerin said:

So, what do we make of this then?

In December we've played four of the top six, three of them away, and have taken twelve points from those games without conceding.

Are we good?

I thought we were good at Celtic. Fine against St Mirren. Fine last night.

Are we a good team? I don't feel like we're a good team, but we're winning a lot of difficult games and doing so with clean sheets. Apart from absolutely shiting it at Pittodrie, it's been an excellent couple of months.

Can someone tell me if we're good or not? I don't know.

Good, not great but good

 

 

[VincentGuerin]

Just now, topcat(The most tip top) said:

Good, not great but good

 

 

But is that "good" good, or good?

I feel we are in uncharted territory here. We are an unknowable, unanalysable, ununderstandable football team.

I can see a scenario where we win the Europa League next season and I still think we're shite.

[NJ2]

2 minutes ago, VincentGuerin said:

Definitely low-quality stuff last night, but I felt we had decided a point would be fine and we were never in danger of not getting one. Without being good.

I find it all very confusing.

I thought it would be 0-0 at kick off, it seemed destined to be heading that way but I suppose we must be at least not bad if we’ve snatched the victory. 
f**k knows I guess, but as long as we keep going the way we are let’s not ask too many questions!

[DC92]

25 minutes ago, VincentGuerin said:

So, what do we make of this then?

In December we've played four of the top six, three of them away, and have taken twelve points from those games without conceding.

Are we good?

I thought we were good at Celtic. Fine against St Mirren. Fine last night.

Are we a good team? I don't feel like we're a good team, but we're winning a lot of difficult games and doing so with clean sheets. Apart from absolutely shiting it at Pittodrie, it's been an excellent couple of months.

Can someone tell me if we're good or not? I don't know.

Feels like a slightly better version of the 2017/18 team.

Solid defence, bland attack, prolific striker. This time the quality in the defence is more evenly spread and the striker is more prolific, so we're picking up more points.

That season also featured relatively strong Hibs and Aberdeen sides and a Steve Clarke-inspired Kilmarnock, whereas this one does not. 

[DC92]

35 minutes ago, NJ2 said:

Effective rather than good, imo. 
I didn’t even think we were particularly good against Celtic, they were rotten while we were clinical, organised and disciplined. St Mirren was surprisingly routine where we didn’t have to get going. Last night we stole a win with a bit of magic in an otherwise frantic, but poor quality, affair. 
All in all, I’d rather win badly than lose well. 

I'm not sure what else you'd be looking for from a good performance at Celtic Park other than being clinical, organised and disciplined while winning 2-0. Your opponents will always look rotten if you stifle them effectively.

Maybe we don't value defensive quality as much as we should? Being boring is not the same thing as being bad.

This time last year we were scoring a lot of goals while looking ropy as f**k at the back and generally lacking any control in games. We had a commanding lead in third at one point but those performances were unsustainable if we wanted to stay there, as I repeatedly complained about at the time.

This time we're defending and competing well almost every week and consistently picking up points home and away. It feels more sustainable even if it's garbage to watch.

January business is key. If we can find a way to relieve the goal burden on Shankland then we'll be in a very good position to finish third.

[VincentGuerin]

3 minutes ago, DC92 said:

I'm not sure what else you'd be looking for from a good performance at Celtic Park other than being clinical, organised and disciplined while winning 2-0. Your opponents will always look rotten if you stifle them effectively.

Aye. Celtic Park was perfect. Two goals from set plays then a disciplined shape that limited their chances and just strangled the game.

Don't see any other way to win there.

I usually sort of dismiss results picked up against the OF in terms of analysis, since they are so different to the other games. But that defensive solidity has been a regular feature for weeks now. You rarely feel we're likely to concede.

[NJ2]

1 hour ago, DC92 said:

I'm not sure what else you'd be looking for from a good performance at Celtic Park other than being clinical, organised and disciplined while winning 2-0. Your opponents will always look rotten if you stifle them effectively.

Maybe we don't value defensive quality as much as we should? Being boring is not the same thing as being bad.

This time last year we were scoring a lot of goals while looking ropy as f**k at the back and generally lacking any control in games. We had a commanding lead in third at one point but those performances were unsustainable if we wanted to stay there, as I repeatedly complained about at the time.

This time we're defending and competing well almost every week and consistently picking up points home and away. It feels more sustainable even if it's garbage to watch.

January business is key. If we can find a way to relieve the goal burden on Shankland then we'll be in a very good position to finish third.

Aye, that’s fair. Just thought it was them being bad rather than us being any good but can only beat who you’re playing. 
Very apt comparison with the previous side we had. 
A right back is, still, the priority for Jan. A second striker wouldn’t go a miss either. Probably see more bodies out than in I think 

[HeartsOfficialMoaner]

40 minutes ago, NJ2 said:

Aye, that’s fair. Just thought it was them being bad rather than us being any good but can only beat who you’re playing. 
Very apt comparison with the previous side we had. 
A right back is, still, the priority for Jan. A second striker wouldn’t go a miss either. Probably see more bodies out than in I think 

It would be brilliant if we could get rid of a few players but it's not easy. If we could I would like to see us sign Armstrong from Killie. It would be £1 million well spent, he would create chances for Shanks. Barron is refusing to sign a new contract at Aberdeen so I would like to see us bid for him.

Get rid of Haring and Halliday first though. Offer Forrest to Killie as well as the money.

[DC92]

28 minutes ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

It would be brilliant if we could get rid of a few players but it's not easy. If we could I would like to see us sign Armstrong from Killie. It would be £1 million well spent, he would create chances for Shanks. Barron is refusing to sign a new contract at Aberdeen so I would like to see us bid for him.

Get rid of Haring and Halliday first though. Offer Forrest to Killie as well as the money.

If I were Kilmarnock you'd have to offer me ridiculous money to sell my best player to a team 2 points ahead.  Chuck Alan Forrest into the bargain and I'm spitting right in your face.

From our perspective, is Armstrong worth a club record fee? He'd be good at supplying Shankland but I'm not sure he scores enough.

Also if Barron is stalling on a deal at Aberdeen it's probably not because he wants a sideways move.

[Stylish Kid]

Observation - I don't feel shanks is dying to move which is good (a LA other players in the past).

 

Also - what if we give him a bumper deal then gets a bad injury or his form plummets? I'm relatively relaxed generally. Perhaps I've just been ground down and expect nothing good these days.

 

I actually think he'll stay - reckon he's found his level so to speak. As long as we don't sell him and sign Van Veen as a "replacement". That has big diddy and dramatic loss of form written all over it. Another Salmmon/Sutton/Watt

[VincentGuerin]

8 hours ago, Stylish Kid said:

Observation - I don't feel shanks is dying to move which is good (a LA other players in the past).

 

Also - what if we give him a bumper deal then gets a bad injury or his form plummets? I'm relatively relaxed generally. Perhaps I've just been ground down and expect nothing good these days.

 

I actually think he'll stay - reckon he's found his level so to speak. As long as we don't sell him and sign Van Veen as a "replacement". That has big diddy and dramatic loss of form written all over it. Another Salmmon/Sutton/Watt

I think you can only see these things so many times and remain particularly arsed about it.

We've lost really important players before, and we will do again.

 

[Craigie Jambo]

 

15:35, that's gonna hurt bad...

 

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by Craigie Jambo

[Craigie Jambo]

[Craigie Jambo]

graham was ref for livi at home and sheep away

dickinson is a proven tw@t

[itzdrk]

I'm pretty sure it's wee guys having a laugh but folk seem to be making up rumours you are in for our goalie, Charlie Albinson.  

Think you are pretty good for numbers with better goalies so he'd be like 3rd or 4th choice or something.  

Presuming it's no true but if it somehow is it makes no sense to me!

[VincentGuerin]

4 minutes ago, itzdrk said:

I'm pretty sure it's wee guys having a laugh but folk seem to be making up rumours you are in for our goalie, Charlie Albinson.  

Think you are pretty good for numbers with better goalies so he'd be like 3rd or 4th choice or something.  

Presuming it's no true but if it somehow is it makes no sense to me!

I'd be surprised if we went for a keeper in January. We have Clark, who is passable, and Gordon to come back if Clark dips terribly.

If Gordon doesn't look up to it, then we'll probably sign one in the summer, but it doesn't seem a priority for me.

We need a right-back, a back-up striker, and possibly a midfielder if the rumours of Beni being out for a while (and McKay) are true.

Keeper seems well down the list.

Edited December 31, 2023 by VincentGuerin