Jambos v Buddies 8th April

[buddie06smfc]

I think we need at least a point here to keep our top half aspirations in our own hands. We could do without relying on the leagues cannon fodder, like St Johnstone, Motherwell and Dundee Utd, to do us a favour. Can’t see any changes from Saturday apart from maybe a slight temptation for Robinson to put Gallagher back in for Shaughnessy. 

[paranoid android]

Putting the hurts on with Cheesy Stewart in the sticks.

Cheesy

Sibbick - Hill - Rowles - Cochrane

Devlin - Snodgrass - Kio

Ginnelly - Kuoll - Shankland.

Subs: Whoever the f**k.

Score draw.

[Kempes]

Is Zander definitely out for Saturday’s game or is Robbie at it?

[Coventry Saint]

We've crossed the fucking Rubicon if Robbie Neilson is playing mindgames.

[paranoid android]

1 minute ago, Kempes said:

Is Zander definitely out for Saturday’s game or is Robbie at it?

I reckon Clark might not play again this season - just my opinion.

Cheesy pasta in goal isn't an enthralling prospect - young Harry Stone seems to have dropped off the radar for the most part - would love him to step up - if he is ever going to do it, this would be a good time.

The only other option is young McFarlane - no idea if he's any good or not. 

I know Stewart did ok when he played against celtic, but he's not my idea of a good time. 

[paranoid android]

3 minutes ago, Coventry Saint said:

We've crossed the fucking Rubicon if Robbie Neilson is playing mindgames.

I think this is one of Neilson's traits - he tries to play mind games - with refs and players.

Is he any good at it?

Probably not.

[Coventry Saint]

11 minutes ago, paranoid android said:

I know Stewart did ok when he played against celtic, but he's not my idea of a good time. 

That happens sometimes. Dean Lyness once kept a clean sheet against Celtic while our outfield consisted of recalled loan players and basically anyone who didn't have Covid. he turned out not to be anyone's measure of a reliable first-choice keeper though.

11 minutes ago, paranoid android said:

I think this is one of Neilson's traits - he tries to play mind games - with refs and players.

Is he any good at it?

Probably not.

Fair enough. I should worked in the word 'successful' somewhere.

[VincentGuerin]

Hearts' form is poor, but you need to contextualise things a bit.

Similar to last September/October, Hearts have just finished a run where we've had seven games where only one of those was at home to a non-OF side. We've been pumped by Celtic twice, and had poor showings away from home.

But the last seven games against non-OF teams at Tynecastle we've won 3-1, 3-0, 1-0, 5-0, 3-0, 3-1, 3-0.

But we've only had one such fixture in the last two months. Just the way the fixtures work.

So, it's obviously not been good, but I'm not sure our recent form is as huge an issue going into this as it looks. We turned things round in the autumn after having no home games against non-OF teams for about two months. Win the two we have before the split and things will look better. Don't win, however, and it gets ugly.

Edited April 6, 2023 by VincentGuerin

[Coventry Saint]

11 minutes ago, VincentGuerin said:

Hearts' form is poor, but you need to contextualise things a bit.

Your form has probably been made to look worse still by Aberdeen suddenly winning four on the bounce after binning Goodwin. 

[TPAFKA Jersey 2]

3 hours ago, buddie06smfc said:

I think we need at least a point here to keep our top half aspirations in our own hands. We could do without relying on the leagues cannon fodder, like St Johnstone, Motherwell and Dundee Utd, to do us a favour. Can’t see any changes from Saturday apart from maybe a slight temptation for Robinson to put Gallagher back in for Shaughnessy. 

Motherwell are in decent form. I expect them to beat Livi at the weekend. 

[VincentGuerin]

1 hour ago, Coventry Saint said:

Your form has probably been made to look worse still by Aberdeen suddenly winning four on the bounce after binning Goodwin. 

Absolutely. No team exists in a vacuum. Unlikely they win the two aways Robson won under Goodwin. If they hadn't won them, we'd be pretty much home and dry.

The good news for Hearts is that we've probably got at least four non-OF home games left, and Aberdeen have an extra Old Firm fixture compared to us while they'll need to play us away again.

A good reason to beat you is that if Livi make the top six, we'll probably play them at home to make five. We'd play you away.

Edited April 6, 2023 by VincentGuerin

[ZingaliMan]

Don't do away games these days outwith a cup game , however this has all the ingredients to be a cracker given Hearts want third while Saints want top six for the first time in the current format. As soon as these tickets went on sale I got one. Many Saints fans online looking for tickets as the away end has been sold out as is the home end. As. Saints fan I'm going to this game quite hopeful Robinson is getting the best out of our squad . Hearts at home will make for a tough game who should be favourites . But I have a feeling our players will be hungry for that win. Add in the best stadium in Scotland Saturday should be enjoyable. 

[sergie's no1 fan]

7 hours ago, paranoid android said:

I think this is one of Neilson's traits - he tries to play mind games - with refs and players.

Is he any good at it?

Probably not.

My favourite was when he first pumped at the final whistle when our playoff game v United went to penalties. They then went on to miss every single penalty.

To this day I'm not sure if he assumed the away goal rule was going to be implemented or his team were really good at penalties. 

Only boyband Robbie knows. 

[HeartsOfficialMoaner]

Not a fan of the centre halves. A 3 man midfield with someone protecting the back four like a Salvatori or Brellier or even a Haring. If we could find a Haring from somewhere. 

[G_&_T]

20 hours ago, Girth said:

What sort of moron vandalises their own stadium? I suppose it got their message out, but there must be better ways of doing that...I think I'll have read of Kickback to see what the Hearts fans think of it.

[ATLIS]

6 hours ago, TPAFKA Jersey 2 said:

Motherwell are in decent form. I expect them to beat Livi at the weekend. 

We haven't won there since October 2002 I think? Zero chance we win it, they've been our biggest bogey team since we came up

[flyingscot]

14 hours ago, sergie's no1 fan said:

My favourite was when he first pumped at the final whistle when our playoff game v United went to penalties. They then went on to miss every single penalty.

That was brilliant. Beaton gave them everything that day too. Fist-pumping getting to penalties against 10 men was bad enough before managing to miss every penalty.  

Their keeper had a water bottle with every St Mirren player's preferred side. f**k knows how they managed that given I could hardly name some of the players Kearney brought in, never mind see them hitting penalties before. 

[Bobby_F]

4 minutes ago, flyingscot said:

That was brilliant. Beaton gave them everything that day too. Fist-pumping getting to penalties against 10 men was bad enough before managing to miss every penalty.  

Their keeper had a water bottle with every St Mirren player's preferred side. f**k knows how they managed that given I could hardly name some of the players Kearney brought in, never mind see them hitting penalties before. 

This was the same Beaton that missed two glaring penalties for us on Saturday yeah?

[Arch Stanton]

He's not called Cheatin' Beaton for nothing. 

[Coventry Saint]

44 minutes ago, flyingscot said:

Beaton gave them everything that day too. 

Worst refereeing performance I have ever seen. The only reason more isn't made of it is that we won. Four years on and it still makes my eye twitch. 

I know more mentally balanced folk than me will point out that Scottish refs aren't biased, they're just shite, but f**k that. Beaton wanted us relegated that day. c**t.