No pace, no creativity, no style...

[Walter Bishop]

Levein must be waking up this morning feeling like its "job done". No doubt about it this team and set up is stinking of Craig Levein. Sad times.

[Phil Dunphy]

Make no mistake, the Hearts team of 2003 would turn this one over comfortably.

[manaliveits105]

Meh

[The Comedian]

Most fans actually like watching our style of play. It's only the 'pantwetters' who don't.

 

Soul destroying stuff, especially for the players.

[Lambo85]

This tippy tappy rubbish across the back line then hoofing it up to 2 totally immobile strikers is horrendous. Eye bleeding stuff.

 

Massive improvement needed.

[gazzajt]

It`s going to be a long long season!! pass pass boot up park to two of the slowest strikers seen for a long time, two wingers on the park but let a LB take corners from the right then get exposed as the away team attack, every man and his dog can see that but RN & CL don`t!!

[Martin_T]

Levein must be waking up this morning feeling like its "job done". No doubt about it this team and set up is stinking of Craig Levein. Sad times.

Levein's team's in 2002/3 and 2003/4 scored plenty goals and played attacking football. The original 5-1, 4-4, 4-2 v Motherwell, 7-1 v Dunfermline.

 

Let's not let personal agendas lead to people making shit up.

[Fort Vallance]

11 men in the box defending a corner and no out ball has his prints all over it.

[KineticBeat]

Are we going to see about 3 threads like this pop up after every loss, draw and 1 goal win this season? It's getting tedious already.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

You guys should set up your own microsite. One of you was sitting behind me last night. Rherras is already worse than Oshinawa

 

Two weeks into pre-season, these games might be Europa League, but they are our pre-season. I am sorry for you if you cant realise this, though sadly last night, you are the majority rather than the minority.

[Gorgie_Rules]

The problem with our play imo is that all too often we find our full backs dwelling on the ball on the half way line. This allows the opposition to become compact in the centre. The ball is played either to the winger who plays it back to the full back, or into the centre where we are quickly closed down or playing the ball into tight spaces. We are very easy to suss out.

 

We need alot more movement in the final third and to move the ball with more urgency. We are too scared of being branded a hoof ball team that we have become a side that dwells on possession far too much

[Thomaso]

Levein must be waking up this morning feeling like its "job done". No doubt about it this team and set up is stinking of Craig Levein. Sad times.

 

Indeed. This was my fear when I first heard he was returning to Hearts.

[busby1985]

You guys should set up your own microsite. One of you was sitting behind me last night. Rherras is already worse than Oshinawa

 

Two weeks into pre-season, these games might be Europa League, but they are our pre-season. I am sorry for you if you cant realise this, though sadly last night, you are the majority rather than the minority.

Last night was a pre season game, I totally agree with you. I expected us to be blowing after 70-80 minutes, I expected us to try different formations and combinations etc. I accepted all of that. What I can't accept is to be making the same mistakes that haunted us last season. No one taking any responsibility at the back, the back line having no shape. The dull back and forth passes across our back 4 with no movement ahead of them. Walker and Nicholoson in the team and never getting the ball or when they do get the ball they come inside. Jaunmas play acting and falling over. His inability to be onside.

 

Hopefully by the time the league season starts some of this will be sorted. We need to ditch 442 with the diamond and from what I seen of the 352, that needs ditched too. 4231 is our best formation and gets the best out of the young wide players we have.

[Nelly Terraces]

Levein & Neilson should have done one after the embarrassing displays v h**s in the cup. That was it for me - game over.

[Debut 4]

Last night was a pre season game, I totally agree with you. I expected us to be blowing after 70-80 minutes, I expected us to try different formations and combinations etc. I accepted all of that. What I can't accept is to be making the same mistakes that haunted us last season. No one taking any responsibility at the back, the back line having no shape. The dull back and forth passes across our back 4 with no movement ahead of them. Walker and Nicholoson in the team and never getting the ball or when they do get the ball they come inside. Jaunmas play acting and falling over. His inability to be onside.

 

Hopefully by the time the league season starts some of this will be sorted. We need to ditch 442 with the diamond and from what I seen of the 352, that needs ditched too. 4231 is our best formation and gets the best out of the young wide players we have.

You know, I like to think I look at football in a simple way.

 

3 of that back 4 played together last season.

 

You'd think the understanding would be there long ago but they turn up and look like total strangers.

 

Once you get that understanding it should never leave you. There's something wrong there. Could you imagine Levein, Jardine, Pressley, Webster etc...losing it over a close season? No.

 

Maybe our players just don't have the intelligence, maturity and understanding? Who's progressing as a player in the team? Who's blossoming?

 

We could go on but it always goes back to the manager. He's the one with them on a daily basis, he's the one who should see things aren't right with individuals, or change personel who don't have the right mentality.

 

To some, Neilson just can't do no wrong(some will say right too) but it's quite conceivable he just doesn't see things. He just doesn't have the managerial nous to inspire, see some players just don't have it, or see scenarios in games that need sorted.

 

That's why you have good teams and bad teams in the world. Crap managers normally end up at crap teams and they are so for a reason.

 

People aren't daft, can be wrong, but not daft. A lot of people have followed Hearts for a long time and just know when somethings not right.

 

Many flagged it up a while ago.

[glastonbury jambo]

levein is in celebratory mood ...he has 4-6-0{false nine}, ready for next week , then total shock and surprise when they score a late goal to dump us out for the greatest result in there history ,

rinse ...repeat.

[Bring Back Paulo Sergio]

You won't catch me defending last nights tactics. 11 men back to defend a corner against Info

All our signings since and including Perry Kitchen have the making of a hoofball team. what happened Levein/a man named jambo? This it definitely not the football you sold us when you took over. You've reverted back to type.

Sign some players who can play fecking football!

[Charlie-Brown]

Osman Sow is the missing piece of the jigsaw imo we have become static up front since he left with no real movement up front.everything behind becomes held up / static.

We have no out ball up front Juanma & Sammon far too similar from early impressions.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

Last night was a pre season game, I totally agree with you. I expected us to be blowing after 70-80 minutes, I expected us to try different formations and combinations etc. I accepted all of that. What I can't accept is to be making the same mistakes that haunted us last season. No one taking any responsibility at the back, the back line having no shape. The dull back and forth passes across our back 4 with no movement ahead of them. Walker and Nicholoson in the team and never getting the ball or when they do get the ball they come inside. Jaunmas play acting and falling over. His inability to be onside.

 

Hopefully by the time the league season starts some of this will be sorted. We need to ditch 442 with the diamond and from what I seen of the 352, that needs ditched too. 4231 is our best formation and gets the best out of the young wide players we have.

I don't think it will change too much but there were too many basic errors to judge what a formation would or wouldn't do.

 

I hope they do and get quality. Pace and creativity is badly needed. It is very much the European style we play and I agree it needs a bit of something different, what we have missed since Sow left.

 

A lot of glasses half empty but there's still 5 weeks until the season begins

[amadjambo]

I don't think it will change too much but there were too many basic errors to judge what a formation would or wouldn't do.

 

I hope they do and get quality. Pace and creativity is badly needed. It is very much the European style we play and I agree it needs a bit of something different, what we have missed since Sow left.

 

A lot of glasses half empty but there's still 5 weeks until the season begins

And last night blew the argument out of the water that pace and creativity costs more than we can afford. Their no 9 had both last night and plays for a team that's about the size of Preston Athletic, if not smaller.

[Lambo85]

levein is in celebratory mood ...he has 4-6-0{false nine}, ready for next week , then total shock and surprise when they score a late goal to dump us out for the greatest result in there history ,

rinse ...repeat.

 

Wouldnt suprise me in the slightest.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

And last night blew the argument out of the water that pace and creativity costs more than we can afford. Their no 9 had both last night and plays for a team that's about the size of Preston Athletic, if not smaller.

Blows your credibility when you say that. Preston Athletic don't have international players.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

Wouldnt suprise me in the slightest.

You should back Infonet then.....but you won't. Hearts will go through comfortably next week

[Winston Ingram]

Levein's team's in 2002/3 and 2003/4 scored plenty goals and played attacking football. The original 5-1, 4-4, 4-2 v Motherwell, 7-1 v Dunfermline.

 

Let's not let personal agendas lead to people making shit up.

 

Absolutely bang on. Some Hearts fans basically peddle Jimmy Calderwood-esque myths about Levein. 

[vegas-voss]

We are boring

[Dave McCreery's knee]

Massive over-reaction to last night's game, which was our first after 2 or 3 weeks of pre-season. They are well into their competitive season and physically up for it.

 

I would say though that we always look lightweight when we play 442 with Walker and Nicholson on the wings. Strong teams bully us, like St Johnstone did last year.

 

I think we have the players now for 352, in Souter (alongside Ozturk and Rossi), Kitchen in the middle and Rerras and Paterson wing backs. Would be good to see Walker and Djoum in attacking midfield roles.

 

Anyway, good to get a win and we'll know better what to expect next week. A few competitve european games will stand us in better stead for the opening games than meaningless friendlies.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

Massive over-reaction to last night's game, which was our first after 2 or 3 weeks of pre-season. They are well into their competitive season and physically up for it.

 

I would say though that we always look lightweight when we play 442 with Walker and Nicholson on the wings. Strong teams bully us, like St Johnstone did last year.

 

I think we have the players now for 352, in Souter (alongside Ozturk and Rossi), Kitchen in the middle and Rerras and Paterson wing backs. Would be good to see Walker and Djoum in attacking midfield roles.

 

Anyway, good to get a win and we'll know better what to expect next week. A few competitve european games will stand us in better stead for the opening games than meaningless friendlies.

[Winston Ingram]

Massive over-reaction to last night's game, which was our first after 2 or 3 weeks of pre-season. They are well into their competitive season and physically up for it.

 

I would say though that we always look lightweight when we play 442 with Walker and Nicholson on the wings. Strong teams bully us, like St Johnstone did last year.

 

I think we have the players now for 352, in Souter (alongside Ozturk and Rossi), Kitchen in the middle and Rerras and Paterson wing backs. Would be good to see Walker and Djoum in attacking midfield roles.

 

Anyway, good to get a win and we'll know better what to expect next week. A few competitve european games will stand us in better stead for the opening games than meaningless friendlies.

 

Truth somewhere in the middle, as ever. I wouldn't be overly critical but there were some alarming episodes: the defending, for starters. The tempo with which we started the game was also poor, at home and against such opposition.. given fitness issues you could have forgiven tiredness at end of the game but not such a lame start.

 

Some guys - Djoum, Walker, Sammon - obviously had really poor nights. That can happen in any month. It's a problem for a team at our level when a few of these guys have a shocker at the same time. 

[Thomaso]

Levein's team's in 2002/3 and 2003/4 scored plenty goals and played attacking football. The original 5-1, 4-4, 4-2 v Motherwell, 7-1 v Dunfermline.

 

Let's not let personal agendas lead to people making shit up.

 

You are cherry picking a few results there, but in the main Levein's type of football was at best industrial and at worst eye bleedingly boring.

 

That's not based on any agendas - that is based on fact.  The football we are playing now stinks of his negative influence.

[Thomaso]

Absolutely bang on. Some Hearts fans basically peddle Jimmy Calderwood-esque myths about Levein. 

 

Indeed - the myth that he is a fantastic manager!!

[Winston Ingram]

Indeed - the myth that he is a fantastic manager!!

 

A different point but context is important: Levein did a really good job as our manager, especially given context (financial reality) of that time. 

[Le Chat]

You are cherry picking a few results there, but in the main Levein's type of football was at best industrial and at worst eye bleedingly boring.

 

That's not based on any agendas - that is based on fact.  The football we are playing now stinks of his negative influence.

 

Correct.

[Thomaso]

A different point but context is important: Levein did a really good job as our manager, especially given context (financial reality) of that time. 

 

All Managers were having to face up to financial reality at that time with big cut backs.   The bottom line is that Levein still had the biggest player budget outwith the OF.

[Lambo85]

To be honest we really dont have a style of football. I think Neilson thinks we are playing a passing game by the back 4 slowly passing back and forward to each other until the opposition start to press us then we just hoof it aimlessly forward to 2 lumps of lard up front.

 

Why is everything so slow and one dinensional? Why dont we try some one twos or maybe try to take on a man. Why do our wingers have to cut inside 99 times out of 100? Try and beat the defender for once and get the ball to the by line. Yes Sam I know you scored a goal against Hibs a couple of years ago by cutting in but you have become a one trick pony. You must be so easy to defend against. Just show him the outside and you know he is never going to go there.

[Teej1874]

To be honest we really dont have a style of football. I think Neilson thinks we are playing a passing game by the back 4 slowly passing back and forward to each other until the opposition start to press us then we just hoof it aimlessly forward to 2 lumps of lard up front.

 

Why is everything so slow and one dinensional? Why dont we try some one twos or maybe try to take on a man. Why do our wingers have to cut inside 99 times out of 100? Try and beat the defender for once and get the ball to the by line. Yes Sam I know you scored a goal against Hibs a couple of years ago by cutting in but you have become a one trick pony. You must be so easy to defend against. Just show him the outside and you know he is never going to go there.

Our wingers the past few years have been inside forwards really, always cutting inside, never changing it up. Templeton was a prime example, but got quickly found out and I think Nicholson is heading the same way sadly.

[Gambo]

Levein's team's in 2002/3 and 2003/4 scored plenty goals and played attacking football. The original 5-1, 4-4, 4-2 v Motherwell, 7-1 v Dunfermline.

 

Let's not let personal agendas lead to people making shit up.

2002/03 scored 57 goals in 38 games.

We drew and lost more than we won.

 

2003/04 scored 56 goals in 38 games.

We won only half our games.

 

Now taking into account these 7/5/4 goals scored in a some games, meant there were a lot of low scoring games.

 

A bit like how we do just now.

 

Reading comments from many on last night's game was like reading my posts from Levein's time as manager.

 

We will win the odd game by a few goals, we will lose the odd game by a few goals, the rest (majority) of game will be dull.

 

This team reaks of Levein.

[RS86]

Levein's team's in 2002/3 and 2003/4 scored plenty goals and played attacking football. The original 5-1, 4-4, 4-2 v Motherwell, 7-1 v Dunfermline.

 

Let's not let personal agendas lead to people making shit up.

 

Agreed

[August Landmesser]

You guys should set up your own microsite. One of you was sitting behind me last night. Rherras is already worse than Oshinawa

 

Two weeks into pre-season, these games might be Europa League, but they are our pre-season. I am sorry for you if you cant realise this, though sadly last night, you are the majority rather than the minority.

 

Sent from my LG-H340n using Tapatalk

[Locky]

Said it all last season and it was still there last night.

 

I'm in full support of the management but Robbie is no motivator.

 

It's almost robotic the way we play. Sideways pass after sideways pass.

[Thomaso]

Said it all last season and it was still there last night.

 

I'm in full support of the management but Robbie is no motivator.

 

It's almost robotic the way we play. Sideways pass after sideways pass.

 

Robot Neilson...............  

[the_jailer]

Levein & Neilson should have done one after the embarrassing displays v h**s in the cup. That was it for me - game over.

This

[Getintaethem]

Not one for knee jerk reactions and I get that the players are not up to speed yet, but I'm really worried about the season ahead. I've backed Neilson so far as he's done enough to deserve to lead the team into this campaign. I could see that after we lost Sow last year we didn't have the players to dominate games at the end of last season. Most of the problems don't seem to have been rectified though.

 

We needed a left back and Rherras may fit the bill, hoping he's going to improve us.

 

We lack pace and play at too slow a tempo, none of our signings have addressed this problem.

 

Our delivery from wide areas is poor, King, Nicholson and Walker (aside from a very good corner) all failed to get decent crosses in, as did Paterson and Rherras. We badly need our wingers to find form and give our strikers better service.

 

We lack pace and movement up front. Last year we had one immobile lump up front, this year we seem to have two.

 

We are guilty of losing possession from our own throw ins - not too much of a problem last night granted.

 

Our discipline is poor. Stupid bookings again last night and Patersons petulance should see him hooked, Robbie needs to stamp this out.

 

Our set pieces are generally poor and seem to have no organisation. The corner routine that lead to the second goal was obviously from the training ground and that was good to see. However, players arguing over who takes penalties and free kicks is unprofessional, this should be delegated by the manager before kick off.

 

We lack a creative attacking midfielder, no sign of this being addressed.

 

 

We will get better as players get up to full fitness, but we need at least three more signings if we plan to challenge at the top.

[Busby8]

Not one for knee jerk reactions and I get that the players are not up to speed yet, but I'm really worried about the season ahead. I've backed Neilson so far as he's done enough to deserve to lead the team into this campaign. I could see that after we lost Sow last year we didn't have the players to dominate games at the end of last season. Most of the problems don't seem to have been rectified though.

 

We needed a left back and Rherras may fit the bill, hoping he's going to improve us.

 

We lack pace and play at too slow a tempo, none of our signings have addressed this problem.

 

Our delivery from wide areas is poor, King, Nicholson and Walker (aside from a very good corner) all failed to get decent crosses in, as did Paterson and Rherras. We badly need our wingers to find form and give our strikers better service.

 

We lack pace and movement up front. Last year we had one immobile lump up front, this year we seem to have two.

 

We are guilty of losing possession from our own throw ins - not too much of a problem last night granted.

 

Our discipline is poor. Stupid bookings again last night and Patersons petulance should see him hooked, Robbie needs to stamp this out.

 

Our set pieces are generally poor and seem to have no organisation. The corner routine that lead to the second goal was obviously from the training ground and that was good to see. However, players arguing over who takes penalties and free kicks is unprofessional, this should be delegated by the manager before kick off.

 

We lack a creative attacking midfielder, no sign of this being addressed.

 

 

We will get better as players get up to full fitness, but we need at least three more signings if we plan to challenge at the top.

 

 

That about nails it mate.

My only concern now though is that any player that we sign ends up having to fit into this tedious slow build up that we adopt.

 

We could have genuine international class players out there right now for all we know, but if our management team are so keen on playing this numbingly boring system, we might never see the best of them.

And that goes for anyone else we may sign.

 

.

[airdriejambo3]

you missed one OP, there was a distinct lack of passion imo, unless you count Patterson's mocking of his team mate passion. 

 

I still cant get my head around the fact that it was our first game with players that were not fully fit yet there was no need to use our last sub, and on a slightly more positive note Billy King seemed to have bulked up a bit which should help him progress a bit.

[OTT]

I was deeply unhappy at the performance last night. We were embarrassingly flat and there was no teamwork. It didn't feel like anyone was on the same wave length. 

 

Djoum lost the ball more times in that game than he did last season!

Juanma needs to understand the offside rule. He's turning into Balotelli with no ability!

Nicholson, sorry to say is pish. He has no physicality to his game and cannot beat a man.

Souttar had a mare.

 

 

For the away leg I want to see,

 

Hamilton

Paterson Ozturk Souttar Rherras

Kitchen Buaben

Walker Djoum King

Sammon

 

We lacked any presence in midfield and I think thats why Djoum was losing the ball so much. I saw some exciting attempts at play from Sammon & King. But this 442 doesn't seem a successful system with the players we have.

[airdriejambo3]

I was deeply unhappy at the performance last night. We were embarrassingly flat and there was no teamwork. It didn't feel like anyone was on the same wave length. 

 

Djoum lost the ball more times in that game than he did last season!

Juanma needs to understand the offside rule. He's turning into Balotelli with no ability!

Nicholson, sorry to say is pish. He has no physicality to his game and cannot beat a man.

Souttar had a mare.

 

 

For the away leg I want to see,

 

Hamilton

Paterson Ozturk Souttar Rherras

Kitchen Buaben

Walker Djoum King

Sammon

 

We lacked any presence in midfield and I think thats why Djoum was losing the ball so much. I saw some exciting attempts at play from Sammon & King. But this 442 doesn't seem a successful system with the players we have.

I really might be tempted to bring Rossi in for Souttar, while the boy did better than some last night i think Rossi might be a better option in the away leg

[theo1874]

Plays 2 upfront with 2 wingers who keep cutting inside, narrowing the play which clearly wasn't working.

 

Play them as wingers and stretch the opposition, which will suit sammon and juanma (if he stays onside)

[Bazzas right boot]

You know, I like to think I look at football in a simple way.

 

3 of that back 4 played together last season.

 

You'd think the understanding would be there long ago but they turn up and look like total strangers.

 

Once you get that understanding it should never leave you. There's something wrong there. Could you imagine Levein, Jardine, Pressley, Webster etc...losing it over a close season? No.

 

Maybe our players just don't have the intelligence, maturity and understanding? Who's progressing as a player in the team? Who's blossoming?

 

We could go on but it always goes back to the manager. He's the one with them on a daily basis, he's the one who should see things aren't right with individuals, or change personel who don't have the right mentality.

 

To some, Neilson just can't do no wrong(some will say right too) but it's quite conceivable he just doesn't see things. He just doesn't have the managerial nous to inspire, see some players just don't have it, or see scenarios in games that need sorted.

 

That's why you have good teams and bad teams in the world. Crap managers normally end up at crap teams and they are so for a reason.

 

People aren't daft, can be wrong, but not daft. A lot of people have followed Hearts for a long time and just know when somethings not right.

 

Many flagged it up a while ago.

 

 

Don't think anyone has ever said that.

 

There is room for imrovement, but if people are going to lose thier shit after we win a game 2-1, then I fear for their sanity the  rest of the season.

 

If it was a friendly, everyone would be calm, but for some reason people expect Hearts to come out and play like Barca on their first game back.

 

There's no medium ground, its either we re brilliant or complete mince, it's the same posters that go from extremes each week, the truth is we are somewhere in between, and when we put the Estonian team out next week, no one will care what we played like in the first game.

[Harvey Specter]

I was deeply unhappy at the performance last night. We were embarrassingly flat and there was no teamwork. It didn't feel like anyone was on the same wave length. 

 

Djoum lost the ball more times in that game than he did last season!

Juanma needs to understand the offside rule. He's turning into Balotelli with no ability!

Nicholson, sorry to say is pish. He has no physicality to his game and cannot beat a man.

Souttar had a mare.

 

 

For the away leg I want to see,

 

Hamilton

Paterson Ozturk Souttar Rherras

Kitchen Buaben

Walker Djoum King

Sammon

 

We lacked any presence in midfield and I think thats why Djoum was losing the ball so much. I saw some exciting attempts at play from Sammon & King. But this 442 doesn't seem a successful system with the players we have.

 

Rossi for Souttar.

[HopeDiouf]

Don't think anyone has ever said that.

 

There is room for imrovement, but if people are going to lose thier shit after we win a game 2-1, then I fear for their sanity the  rest of the season.

 

If it was a friendly, everyone would be calm, but for some reason people expect Hearts to come out and play like Barca on their first game back.

 

There's no medium ground, its either we re brilliant or complete mince, it's the same posters that go from extremes each week, the truth is we are somewhere in between, and when we put the Estonian team out next week, no one will care what we played like in the first game.

 

Not losing my shit, but starting to have doubts about Neilson.  Performances were overwhelmingly poor during 2nd half of last season, although we did still grind out some results. 

 

Last nights performance was woeful.  It was not a friendly, it was a European Tie in front of > 14k fans.  We worked all of last season to qualify for that game, yet the players looked disorganised and lacking in desire.  We were very lucky to get a 2-1 win last night - had it been a draw or a defeat I don't think we could've had many complaints.  Our build up play was too slow, we lack any sort of creativity in midfield (signing required there), and not convinced that lumping the ball to 2 big strikers is the way forward.

 

Was very impressed with Robbie during first 18 months in charge - had us playing some great football and looked like players and team were improving month on month.  Still think he could turn things round, but we've been going backwards since January and the manager needs to reverse that trend pronto.