We need an experienced manager

[Smith&Weston]

We need to get the best out of these young players and somehow get this 15 point gap down to single figures by January. If we do that and can sign a couple of 21s and free agents in Feb then we could still do the great escape with the likes of St Mirren and Ross County in the league.

 

My major concern is the manager and his lack of experience or proven track record as a manager. We are a very young team and we lack players in certain positions but we should have more than 8 points from 11 games.

 

We have lost the siege mentality and we will lose the support if not careful very soon for these away games.

 

We need a change of manager and need to do this now. Levein or Paulo would help no end.

[The jj era]

Major

[Stuart McNeill]

We need a lot of things to sort this mess out, all the problems would be solved with one solution and that's money...

[lindybindy]

I have no doubt than Gary will be getting loads of advice from experienced past hearts people, Gary is all we can afford cause there is no money, im struggling with Billy, someone who plys his trade with our oldest bitter rivals ...... is it the love or the work !!! and the style of footie in the last few games has BB written all over it. Keep the ball on the ground look for space and go at them come Wednesday.....

 

 

For what its worth i still think we will survive ......

 

HHGH

[Paolo]

We do need an experienced manager. Whether we can afford one, is debatable.

[lindybindy]

Billy is experienced !!! as far as i know we haven't got any money .......

[Jambof3tornado]

I have no doubt than Gary will be getting loads of advice from experienced past hearts people, Gary is all we can afford cause there is no money, im struggling with Billy, someone who plys his trade with our oldest bitter rivals ...... is it the love or the work !!! and the style of footie in the last few games has BB written all over it. Keep the ball on the ground look for space and go at them come Wednesday.....

 

 

For what its worth i still think we will survive ......

 

HHGH

The hoofball tactics are BB and JJ in style but has Lockie desided they are good tactics as he seems happy to be going with them? We have players that pass the ball well on the deck but they arent doing that, its either them not doing whats asked or the manager is telling them to go long every ball.

[OTT]

I don't see why levein couldn't help out with locke on match days, and helping with team selection formations etc similar to how brown did.

 

I've seen a couple of articles where levein is saying he is desperate to get into management so this would be a good opportunity for him.

[Jamhammer]

Did this really need another thread? Aint there already a couple of Lockie oot threads? FWIW we have no dough and I don't think replacing the manager is gonna make any difference at this stage.

[lindybindy]

The hoofball tactics are BB and JJ in style but has Lockie desided they are good tactics as he seems happy to be going with them? We have players that pass the ball well on the deck but they arent doing that, its either them not doing whats asked or the manager is telling them to go long every ball.

Good point tornado, the kids we got aren't big enough for hoofball tactics and most have a good if not decent touch on the ball. Gary needs to get the kids to keep ball on the floor. I Gary cant get them to do that for whatever reasons then he need to step aside. Just my opinion, just a supporter like everyone is they are the one's who gotta do it :-(

 

Still optimistic for the season tho

 

HHGH

[Son Of Anarchy]

When we passed the ball quickly on the deck and attacked we looked a decent enough team. Hoofin the ball to CP etc isnt working,hasnt worked and wont work. Whoever,s idea it was is irrelevant as it needs changed now before its too late. The teams heads are down.Maybe playing the way they enjoy will raise those heads again. No matter what though I back Lockie all the way.

[jbee647]

 

The hoofball tactics are BB and JJ in style but has Lockie desided they are good tactics as he seems happy to be going with them? We have players that pass the ball well on the deck but they arent doing that, its either them not doing whats asked or the manager is telling them to go long every ball.

Or maybe the players ain't that good

Compared to Gauld Soutar Armstrong and Mackay-Stevens at Dundee United our lads seem miles behind in terms of guile maturity and technique

I'm seriously beginning to believe they have been over hyped beyond there ability

In my opinion McHattie is the only one I can see having a successful career in football

There is absoloutley no comparison with the likes of Robertson Mackay Levein Bowman McLaren & Naysmith at a comparable age

They compare more with the Gary Glens and the Joe Hammils

[Hearty Harry]

YAWN!

[mitch41]

lockie is a great hearts man and i have no doubt the only thing he is lacking

in football management is experience. the record shows us that we are worse of

now than we were at the start of the season. sure our young team has played more

games in the premier league but getting beat every week by poor teams like killie

and st mirren isn't going to improve them. i truely believe we can survive relegation

if we can get the right help in to help lockie manage/coach the team. now whether big

craig levein or some other unemployed manager with the know how to help could give

their services for free, until they become employed,it could just get us to safety

by the end of the season. it's a big ask and it might just take lockie to put his hand

up and tell the board he needs help.

 

[Alva-Jambo]

I back Lockie mainly beacause TINA applies .

Looking around, Levein is a man seeking a post who has that Hearts background but I am not for shoving Lock out.

[argyjambo]

I back Lockie mainly beacause TINA applies .

Looking around, Levein is a man seeking a post who has that Hearts background but I am not for shoving Lock out.

Pardon my ignorance, but what (or who) is TINA if she's female can I have her number?

[151]

I back Lockie mainly beacause TINA applies .

Looking around, Levein is a man seeking a post who has that Hearts background but I am not for shoving Lock out.

 

[vlad on the tyne]

Bring back George Burley?

[Backkick]

Saw the lads training today, quick passing in confined spaces with shots on target.

[Fxxx the SPFL]

some pish spouted on here even if we had SAF as manager we would be in same position it's up to the lads on the pitch to do the business end of. Just stating the obvious likes.

[Shug73]

We're not getting a new manager and we're not getting new players until we are out of admin. BDO are struggling to get enough cash in to keep us going until the end of the season. Even if we do come out of admin i can't see the club having enough money from the word go to bring in a new gaffer. Would probably have to wait until next season's ST's go on sale for there to be any cash.

[jambogemz]

TINA, it was a phrase used by Margaret Thatcher if i remember correctly. It stands for There Is No Alternative.

[Victor Mancini]

i wouldn't say i'm lockies biggest fan as a manager(the team selection and subs for the league cup final + persevering with Medhi Taoul last season spring to mind) but always though he was good person to have at the club as a coach, he was the perfect buffer between the players and JJ, Paulo then McGlynn.

this year was always going to be hard but we have also been desperately unlucky with some decisions, for instance at St Johnstone away there goal was dubious whether it should have have stood, at the utd game Gowsers goal was legit, if we'd earned a point at mcdiarmid and won against utd we'd be on -3 at present, these were things that were out of Lockies control, also failure to hold the lead at Ross County must really have left the players demoralised and short of confidence all we can hope is for a run of decent results starting on weds, i don't understand dropping Holt but maybe he's carrying a knock, there is raw talent in the team and hopefully we're still in with a chance of survival come february and can pull a few experienced players in on deals till the summer to help out

[Das Root]

Christ on a bike. The club needs to come out of admin before we can even consider buying a posher brand of big roll, let alone an experienced manager.

[FarmerTweedy]

We need to get the best out of these young players and somehow get this 15 point gap down to single figures by January. If we do that and can sign a couple of 21s and free agents in Feb then we could still do the great escape with the likes of St Mirren and Ross County in the league.

 

My major concern is the manager and his lack of experience or proven track record as a manager. We are a very young team and we lack players in certain positions but we should have more than 8 points from 11 games.

 

We have lost the siege mentality and we will lose the support if not careful very soon for these away games.

 

We need a change of manager and need to do this now. Levein or Paulo would help no end.

 

It's just as well we're not in administration or anything then! If we were, there would be no way we could contemplate sacking a member of staff (and having to pay them compensation) and hiring someone else to directly replace them!

[Shanks said no]

Unless someone gives us an example of an administrator who sacked a manager (other than cost cutting) then this thread is irrelevant unless GL resigns

[jambogjh]

We can't bring in any players just now but we can bring in a new manager, we really need to try something to change these results around. as things stand at the moment we're going down. Gary & Billy are not tbe answer the tactics this season have been staggering, ever team in the league know exactly how we'll play, this long hoof ball just doesn't work for us.

[gorgie rd eh11]

We need to get the best out of these young players and somehow get this 15 point gap down to single figures by January. If we do that and can sign a couple of 21s and free agents in Feb then we could still do the great escape with the likes of St Mirren and Ross County in the league.

 

My major concern is the manager and his lack of experience or proven track record as a manager. We are a very young team and we lack players in certain positions but we should have more than 8 points from 11 games.

 

We have lost the siege mentality and we will lose the support if not careful very soon for these away games.

 

We need a change of manager and need to do this now. Levein or Paulo would help no end.

 

 

[Jambof3tornado]

Unless someone gives us an example of an administrator who sacked a manager (other than cost cutting) then this thread is irrelevant unless GL resigns

Gary Locke would walk away for nothing if it was in the best interests of Hearts.

A heavy defeat on wednesday may be enough for him to realise he has bitten off more than he can chew.

[Debut 4]

I get jbees point and have continually made similar points in past threads regarding our alleged "hoofball".

 

Have most of you thought that maybe the young players aren't brave enough to implement the game they've been honed on at Spl level? It isn't easy and takes bravery and persistence to make it work as there'll be hiccups along the way as they try to make it work.

 

But that's the point.....have they lost their nerve?

 

Or are they simply not good enough at this moment in time?

 

Only two, maybe 3 look composed and have speed of thought and anticipation of play in the midfield but that's not enough. We simply haven't forged any sort of understanding in link play , or movement ahead of the ball to open space and give us time to pick options better.

 

It's all hurried and under pressure football. That's because the movement is sheight off the ball. You often see Holt make time for himself but he looks up and never sees and instant option to play someone in because there's no one there. It's all about responsibility.

[The People's Chimp]

I thought, how can a thread which is a repeat of the many Locke threads/manager threads going around have 30 replies.

 

But having read them I'm in awe. Some stunning insight and original discussion.

[deejtee]

Tend to agree with Gary Mackay on this one! We are hamstrung. A more experienced manager would not make enough difference as we don't have the players. Too many folk watching the under 20's and ignoring the evidence of history (and their own eyes) re the % who eventually make it. I have grown weary over the years with tales of the next great player surfacing from the Academy who then gets released a couple of years later. This season may now be about planning who to build the team around next year assuming we are not liquidated.

[Pants Shaton]

If we played 'hoofball' under Brown and JJ in 1997/98, can someone explain what 'hoofball' is?

 

It's obviously something completely different to what I understand.

[jambogjh]

Hoofball is fine if your team is set up for it but we don't have 2 big centre forward to hold the ball up and get the midfield player involved all were doing is humping the ball up to Patterson to knock it on the only problem being he has no one to knock the ball onto. No disrespect to Locke but IMO our team is a lot better that what's on display and an experienced manager with more knowledge of the game who can set the team up to its strengths is required ASAP

[deejtee]

Hoofball is fine if your team is set up for it but we don't have 2 big centre forward to hold the ball up and get the midfield player involved all were doing is humping the ball up to Patterson to knock it on the only problem being he has no one to knock the ball onto. No disrespect to Locke but IMO our team is a lot better that what's on display and an experienced manager with more knowledge of the game who can set the team up to its strengths is required ASAP

I'm afraid I don't see the "stengths" that a manager could play to. When he has been fit Stevo has looked about our best player which just about says it all I'm afraid.

[Patrick Bateman]

A more experienced manager would not make enough difference as we don't have the players.

 

No matter how many times this myth is repeated, it doesn't make it true.

[deejtee]

No matter how many times this myth is repeated, it doesn't make it true.

Which myth?

[Jammy T]

If your defenders are all

 

inexperienced

under pressure not to concede

losing goals easily

 

unfortunately human nature will be that they "get rid" of the ball sooner and longer than they might otherwise would.

 

Its a real tough call, but I dont think Locke is an advocate of the hoof really. His skill however should be in giving his defenders, young as they are, the confidence to pass from the back and not just launch it.

 

So he might be to blame but not for the reasons thought.

[GuitarJambo]

as ive said before, Alex ferguson would struggle with the squad we have right now. Nothing to do with manager, Lockie has worked with 2 Scottish Cup winning managers.

[Charlie-Brown]

People expecting instant results, instant improvements, expecting relatively or every inexperienced players to instantly be up to the demands of a relegation struggle and to not make costly mistakes or have periods of poor form or performances are being extremely unrealistic.

 

Our team and our players needs time to learn, to grow, to improve and will make mistakes whilst doing so.

 

Sure with a 15 point deficit we simply don't have that time and relegation is a very real possibility but it doesn't simply make our players or manager shite because things are not instantly go our way or because we're having a bad run of results or ars making too many mistakes.

 

It will be a long hard struggle to even have the possibility to avoid relegation, and we might well fail to do that but given the limitations and restrictions imposed on us there simply is no alternative, no other way, we just have to suck it up. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger (in the long run), the benefits or learning by these young players might not be instantly apparent.

[Jammy T]

People expecting instant results, instant improvements, expecting relatively or every inexperienced players to instantly be up to the demands of a relegation struggle and to not make costly mistakes or have periods of poor form or performances are being extremely unrealistic.

 

Our team and our players needs time to learn, to grow, to improve and will make mistakes whilst doing so.

 

Sure with a 15 point deficit we simply don't have that time and relegation is a very real possibility but it doesn't simply make our players or manager shite because things are not instantly go our way or because we're having a bad run of results or ars making too many mistakes.

 

It will be a long hard struggle to even have the possibility to avoid relegation, and we might well fail to do that but given the limitations and restrictions imposed on us there simply is no alternative, no other way, we just have to suck it up. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger (in the long run), the benefits or learning by these young players might not be instantly apparent.

 

Problem is C-B relegation will see a new squad have to rebuild again with a distinct possibility we will not bounce straight back up. We would not be as attractive to sign for if we got relegated without Sevco in the league, for example.

 

Real risk of being in complete mediocrity for years.

 

We must stay up this season IMO if we want a proper foundation to build on. If not its a 3 to 5 year job at least

[deejtee]

I think we all can see the advantages of staying up. However most of us are now seeing that target as increasingly unlikely and accept the fact that we have an inexperienced manager with squit diddly options, bit like being the manager of San Marino and having the natives claim a better manager could get them to the WC finals.

[BIG ECK]

We need to get the best out of these young players and somehow get this 15 point gap down to single figures by January. If we do that and can sign a couple of 21s and free agents in Feb then we could still do the great escape with the likes of St Mirren and Ross County in the league.

 

My major concern is the manager and his lack of experience or proven track record as a manager. We are a very young team and we lack players in certain positions but we should have more than 8 points from 11 games.

 

We have lost the siege mentality and we will lose the support if not careful very soon for these away games.

 

We need a change of manager and need to do this now. Levein or Paulo would help no end.

We need a striker who can put the ball in the net, we need more maturity within the squad, we need loads 'o' money to get us out the mess wer'e in.

 

Oh I wish it could be Christmas everyday

 

Give Lockie the support the guy needs cause at the minute we don't have too many options.

 

Patience is key to our survival and the long term future is what really matters.

 

Think some people need to sober up and face reality cause without giving up, the 1st division is looking more & more likely as each week passes by. It's not lack of effort from anyone and I believe most of our young boys are good enough and the manager himself will learn and become a good manager too.

 

Keep believing

[jambokev]

We need to get the best out of these young players and somehow get this 15 point gap down to single figures by January. If we do that and can sign a couple of 21s and free agents in Feb then we could still do the great escape with the likes of St Mirren and Ross County in the league.

 

My major concern is the manager and his lack of experience or proven track record as a manager. We are a very young team and we lack players in certain positions but we should have more than 8 points from 11 games.

 

We have lost the siege mentality and we will lose the support if not careful very soon for these away games.

 

We need a change of manager and need to do this now. Levein or Paulo would help no end.

We need to save HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN FC first !!

[Charlie-Brown]

 

 

Problem is C-B relegation will see a new squad have to rebuild again with a distinct possibility we will not bounce straight back up. We would not be as attractive to sign for if we got relegated without Sevco in the league, for example.

 

Real risk of being in complete mediocrity for years.

 

We must stay up this season IMO if we want a proper foundation to build on. If not its a 3 to 5 year job at least

 

How do you expect a very inexperienced squad to instantly mature and cut out the learning phase? It's totally unrealistic to expect them to compete like seasoned pros week in week out but that is where we currently are until circumstances change. The laddies will improve and stutter at their own rate of progress there are no shortcuts.

 

We might well get relegated, we might be lucky and things might click, I do t know what will happen but there are no easy or instant solutions.

[McCrae]

I think Locke is doing a good job in very difficult circumstances.

 

Always thought this would be a tough season.

 

Dont think a change in manager will see results improve.

 

He is getting the best out the players available.

 

 

[Deevers]

Who knows what"s in the future - that will all come post administration. What's is cast iron fact just now is that Gary Locke is not going anywhere, just as we are not going to get any fresh faces in in the short term. Live with it and get behind the team.