A team that plays good football....or a winning team???

[scotty2442]

Would you guys prefer a team next year that plays attractive free flowing football.....or would you be happy with a Craig Levein type Hearts team that don't play great football to watch but grind out results?

 

From all the managers that are being mentioned as favourites for the job just now...(Jim Jefferies and Craig Levein) are those guys going to get a team to play the kind of football we all craved last season.....i personally dont think so, Craig Levein certainly wouldnt, he's no doubt a great manager but he's super defensive....remember what people thought about playing us when he was in charge the first time. I dont care if we lose some games next year, but i want to see good attacking football at Tynecastle again....that means playing with a more attacking midfield....if you look at our midfield last year it was way to defensive..

 

Billy Davies would be my choice for the job....he's known for producing good footballing temas

 

Any thoughts ??

[shaun.lawson]

Would you guys prefer a team next year that plays attractive free flowing football.....or would you be happy with a Craig Levein type Hearts team that don't play great football to watch but grind out results?

 

From all the managers that are being mentioned as favourites for the job just now...(Jim Jefferies and Craig Levein) are those guys going to get a team to play the kind of football we all craved last season.....i personally dont think so, Craig Levein certainly wouldnt, he's no doubt a great manager but he's super defensive....remember what people thought about playing us when he was in charge the first time. I dont care if we lose some games next year, but i want to see good attacking football at Tynecastle again....that means playing with a more attacking midfield....if you look at our midfield last year it was way to defensive..

 

Billy Davies would be my choice for the job....he's known for producing good footballing temas

 

Any thoughts ??

 

Arf! Did you ever watch BD's Derby in the Championship? Think Tony Pulis' Stoke, or Aidy Boothroyd's Watford. In other words, it was to attractive football what King Herod was to child welfare.

[vegas-voss]

They generally go hand in hand.Unless your the Hobos but as we all know that was always a myth.

[Hagar the Horrible]

Such a dilemma?

 

the delusion that is Hibs or the reality that is Rangers?

[scotty2442]

Arf! Did you ever watch BD's Derby in the Championship? Think Tony Pulis' Stoke, or Aidy Boothroyd's Watford. In other words, it was to attractive football what King Herod was to child welfare.

 

Ah from what i saw of his Preston team and Derby they both played nice stuff

[winston churchill]

win at all costs,you dont get medals for disco football.

[neave]

Would you guys prefer a team next year that plays attractive free flowing football.....or would you be happy with a Craig Levein type Hearts team that don't play great football to watch but grind out results?

 

From all the managers that are being mentioned as favourites for the job just now...(Jim Jefferies and Craig Levein) are those guys going to get a team to play the kind of football we all craved last season.....i personally dont think so, Craig Levein certainly wouldnt, he's no doubt a great manager but he's super defensive....remember what people thought about playing us when he was in charge the first time. I dont care if we lose some games next year, but i want to see good attacking football at Tynecastle again....that means playing with a more attacking midfield....if you look at our midfield last year it was way to defensive..

 

Billy Davies would be my choice for the job....he's known for producing good footballing temas

 

Any thoughts ??

Under Levein and Burley Tynecastle was a fortress. They played different styles of football but Levein, for 2 or 3 years, made Tynie one of the most undesirable places to come in Scottish football because of the sheer tightness of the defence and efficient football played.

 

Personally, I couldn't give a flying **** about the football we play. I'll just as happily see 1-0s than 5-2s, as long as we get winning again and make steps towards making Tynie the fortress it once was.

 

EDIT: And for a team that shipped goals like they were going out of fashion and with such little attacking ability as we do, a Levein-esque, defensively minded manager would probably be best, IMO.

[Drylaw Hearts]

win at all costs,you dont get medals for disco football.

 

Agreed.

 

Not one person would complain if we won something playing ugly.

 

The Rangers fans would not have cared a jot of they won the UEFA Cup even though they were crap all the way through.

[rudi must stay]

Would you guys prefer a team next year that plays attractive free flowing football.....or would you be happy with a Craig Levein type Hearts team that don't play great football to watch but grind out results?

 

From all the managers that are being mentioned as favourites for the job just now...(Jim Jefferies and Craig Levein) are those guys going to get a team to play the kind of football we all craved last season.....i personally dont think so, Craig Levein certainly wouldnt, he's no doubt a great manager but he's super defensive....remember what people thought about playing us when he was in charge the first time. I dont care if we lose some games next year, but i want to see good attacking football at Tynecastle again....that means playing with a more attacking midfield....if you look at our midfield last year it was way to defensive..

 

Billy Davies would be my choice for the job....he's known for producing good footballing temas

 

Any thoughts ??

 

like Derby in the premiership? To be honest i'd rather we got a manager who played good football but i think everyone would get a lift even if the manager was scottish.

[bil]

Personally would prefer good football, as someone already mentioned the winning tends to follow on naturally then....

[hearts_crazy]

Personally I couldn't give a flying **** if watching Hearts is like watching Rangers in the Uefa Cup, as long as they get back their winning mentality and find out how to score goals i'll be happy. As for the Manager, anyone but Frail, Korobochka, Vlad and Malofeev and i'll be happy (within reason of course, wouldn't want some other ex Kaunas duffer).

[Peebo]

To me, winning is all that matters. I don't watch Hearts for entertainment.

[Jambosimmy]

Agreed.

 

Not one person would complain if we won something playing ugly.

 

The Rangers fans would not have cared a jot of they won the UEFA Cup even though they were crap all the way through.[/QUOTE]

 

exactly. they were boring and prob should have been put out long before the final but they rode their luck anmd made it exciting for the fans.

 

Thats what its all about for me. cup finals, league deciders... who cares how we play!!!

[Billy the Jambo]

Here is an idea how about playing good football AND winning.

[scotty2442]

Here is an idea how about playing good football AND winning.

 

yeah doesnt always work that way sadly....look at Falkirk and the Hobos

[thejoff]

I would rather play boring football as long as we were winning!!

[Spellczech]

I think many people's perceptions of Levein's style are out of date. DUFC are not a dull team to watch - the pumpings they've given us on several occasions ought to have shown us this.

[scotty2442]

I think many people's perceptions of Levein's style are out of date. DUFC are not a dull team to watch - the pumpings they've given us on several occasions ought to have shown us this.

 

Ive been to a couple of those pumpings at Tynie and I have to say Dundee Utd didnt play great football....and both those pumpings have been mainly due to Barry Robson....

[Sherlock]

I'd prefer to win by playing good football.

 

I'd settle for just winning.

[Spellczech]

Ive been to a couple of those pumpings at Tynie and I have to say Dundee Utd didnt play great football....and both those pumpings have been mainly due to Barry Robson....

 

Did you watch the CIS cup final? They really took that one to Rangers. Levein's Hearts teams never did that...

[Coco]

The idea that we were set up in a defensive manner last year bemuses me.

 

Yes, we went with a cowardly one striker and two or three lightweight 'attacking midfielders' formation. But the midfield was certainly never defensive. Since Brellier left only Jonsson could be described as a defensive midfielder though Zaliukas filled in there at times. None of Kingston, Stewart, Palazuelos, Screpis, Ivaskevicius or any of the lightweight wingers is at all defensive.

 

I would like to see us play football the way Burley had us playing. High tempo, powerful football. A mixture of a hold the ball up striker and a pacey on the shoulder of the defender striker. A midfield which has balance of ballwinning, passing, dribbling, holding and attacking. A strong, powerful and settled defence. A clear No 1 goalkeeper. It isn't really too much to ask is it?

[topcat]

A team can't be a winning team without playing good football.

 

Good Football is football that get's results.

 

I'd rather we had a team that was good in all areas of the park but given the choice of us unearthing the next John Coulquhoun or a new Craig Levein I'd take the defender.

 

Watching Hearts is never going to be a stress free experience but it's certainly a lot easier to enjoy when you can be confident in your back four.

[Dr Ian Malcolm]

Results every single time. Look at Arsenal - can arguably play the nicest stuff in Europe when on form, but they've not won the league for 4 years and IIRC their last trophy was the FA Cup on 2004/5?

 

Rangers might have been dreadful to watch as a neutral, but its different when its your own team involved - the tension generates excitement. I'd take more direct stuff if it meant a bit of what success they had this season.

[Dazo]

The type of football played only becomes a issue when you lose(or a hobo) IMO. I couldn't care less how we played if we were winning.

[John Findlay]

50/60yrs ago you would get away with playing attractive football and losing as the game was then seen as an entertaining sport.

 

Now it is a sporting business and winning comes before anything.

 

Therefore winning all the time with good football alas being the bonus.

 

 

 

John

[Ben Dover]

To me, winning is all that matters. I don't watch Hearts for entertainment.

 

Whats the point of it all then ..............?

Are you happy to be a winner with no friends ( in the global footballing sense )

I'd like to think that if you play good football then the results will follow and in turn you will also gain admiration and respect from others.

[winston churchill]

yeah doesnt always work that way sadly....look at Falkirk and the Hobos

 

 

 

the hobos play football with a driver & pitching wedge.

[Charlie-Brown]

I'd like attacking football, 4-3-3 with 2 wingers playing wide to stretch & torment opponents down the flanks, a goal-scoring attacking midfielder in the Hartley / Cameron mould (hopefully Glen can become this player) and a central striker who can lead the line well & bring others into play as well as grabbing some goals, all players comfortable enough on the ball & passing & moving, 2 full-backs who can get beyond the wingers to further assists our attacks, proper crossing / cut-backs / threatening balls into the box.....basically anybody who saw Zenit humping Rangers or Bayern should get the idea.

[No Nonsense]

I'd prefer to win by playing good football.

 

I'd settle for just winning.

 

Ditto

[magicTs]

I'd like attacking football, 4-3-3 with 2 wingers playing wide to stretch & torment opponents down the flanks, a goal-scoring attacking midfielder in the Hartley / Cameron mould (hopefully Glen can become this player) and a central striker who can lead the line well & bring others into play as well as grabbing some goals, all players comfortable enough on the ball & passing & moving, 2 full-backs who can get beyond the wingers to further assists our attacks, proper crossing / cut-backs / threatening balls into the box.....basically anybody who saw Zenit humping Rangers or Bayern should get the idea.

 

I thought you said we are in the midst of cost cutting

[chester copperpot]

This thread smacks of Hoboness, however as the question was asked, winning every time for me.

 

Bring back Levein. Hated watching Hearts then, but at least we had some amount of success under him, and he knew how to defend.

 

We'd also most probably have the best centre half in Scotland with his experience coaching big Christophe.

[Debut 4]

win at all costs,you dont get medals for disco football.

 

My kind of thinking but if you breed a good attractive side at the same time then you`ve knocked it off.

 

Two years ago we had a team that gave us both and generally teams that are successful are good football teams anyway.

 

No manager goes out to play unattractive football, i think it comes down to what type of player you play in certain positions.

 

But winning is the name of the game.

[Debut 4]

This thread smacks of Hoboness, however as the question was asked, winning every time for me.

 

Bring back Levein. Hated watching Hearts then, but at least we had some amount of success under him, and he knew how to defend.

 

We'd also most probably have the best centre half in Scotland with his experience coaching big Christophe.

Honestly, i think Levein takes a well and truly unfair bashing from some fans who`s memory betrays them.

 

Yes, there was at times some dour games at the latter end but Levein`s team with Valois, De Vries in their first season played some nice football.

 

One memorable one was the 4-2 win over Motherwell when we were two down. He also got some good performances from Boyack who could cross a ball, at least not like some of the dross we have now.

[always a jambo]

I'd settle for 3pts every week. It would be nice to play attractive football at the same time but it doesn't always work that way.

[Charlie-Brown]

I thought you said we are in the midst of cost cutting

 

Doesn't mean we can't aspire to playing nice football like Zenit do - we either teach or find players to play that way or guide the youngsters in that direction - Hibs managed to play some decent stuff under Mowbray even if they did take the 'flair' and 'football the way it's meant to be played' propaganda too far.....and also limited footballers like Robbie Neilson could never play in a team like that.

[Charlie-Brown]

Doncaster Rovers managed to combine some excellent 'football' with winning this season from what i saw of the play-off's and their season highlights, so it doesn't necessarily require mega-bucks of cash.

[Debut 4]

Of course, young players have to be brought up the proper way in how the game is played but it`s important to strike a balance.

 

I love intelligent play and players but one thing in Scotland we have been unable to do is find that balance of talent and fighting spirit.

 

For too long Scotland has been blighted with the "get stuck in" mentality but all the same we must keep an element of that along with skilful play.

 

On the continent they have had it right for years. The teams at the top of the game have players who can mix it when it`s required but have full backs and centre halfs who can play football aswell.

 

You hardly notice the physical side in the top european leagues because of the technical ability of teams to keep the ball from the opposition but again, you see guys like Nistelrooy and Drogba who are big and strong and knock guys around for fun.(although Drogba`s a diving so and so at times!)

[Alan_R]

 

Any thoughts ??

 

yes...

 

HOBO!

 

next you'll be touting john collins for the job and wanting us to play with a bit of 'flair'

[portobellojambo1]

A bit of both would be nice purely from an entertainment point of view, but from a business point of view it is more important we get back to competing and winning than looking pretty.

[Only a Game]

Personally, I couldn't give a flying **** about the football we play. I'll just as happily see 1-0s than 5-2s, as long as we get winning again and make steps towards making Tynie the fortress it once was.

 

I'd be reasonably happy to watch us stifle the likes of Rangers and Celtic and whoever else is a close rival at the time. If we're winning most or even some of those types of game 1-0 and its excrutiatingly boring football, who cares because we'll be there or therabouts when the prizes are being handed out.

 

I'm not sure I want to be watching us grind out 1-0 against the likes of Hamilton and St Mirren though and if there's a need for us to be doing that, we're probably NOT going to be winning the big games 1-0.

 

If you see what I mean.

[lost in leith]

Doncaster Rovers managed to combine some excellent 'football' with winning this season from what i saw of the play-off's and their season highlights, so it doesn't necessarily require mega-bucks of cash.

 

Exactly. Also, as a previous poster pointed out, the better players we have left are not exactly suited to 'hoofball'. The small size of our pitch isn't suited to that style either. It's easy for well organised teams to sit in with two centre backs, squeeze the game and let us hump high balls in from wide areas 40 yards out - we saw plenty of that this season

 

Next season I want to see us getting the ball out wide and the likes of Driver attacking defenders early, adn getting crosses in from the byline - that hardly hapened this year. We need 2 up front and a box to box midfielder like Cameron or Hartley. I'd like to think that could be Larry, but I'm not convinced he'll be here next year if we get a decent offer.

[hmfc_liam06]

I'd be reasonably happy to watch us stifle the likes of Rangers and Celtic and whoever else is a close rival at the time. If we're winning most or even some of those types of game 1-0 and its excrutiatingly boring football, who cares because we'll be there or therabouts when the prizes are being handed out.

 

I'm not sure I want to be watching us grind out 1-0 against the likes of Hamilton and St Mirren though and if there's a need for us to be doing that, we're probably NOT going to be winning the big games 1-0.

 

If you see what I mean.

 

Spot on, teams who are generally better than us we are not going to get anywhere with all out attack, but sorry id be handing in my season ticket if it meant stiffling bloody hamilton, st mirren etc. Man United do it to perfection, batter the smaller teams but can still grind out the results in the bigger games (barcelona away).

 

I must admit i have the sort of brazil/real madrid philosophy where if a team scores 3 we'll score 4 kinda thing. Asked a question down the pub, if you were to win a game by one goal or draw what would u prefer, 3-2 and 3-3 etc or 1-0 and 0-0, have to say i went with the first one, the best memories for me at tynie are the likes of 4-4 v hibs and even though we got beat the 3-2 v celtic at new year was cracking entertainment.

[bil]

This thread smacks of Hoboness, however as the question was asked, winning every time for me.

 

Bring back Levein. Hated watching Hearts then, but at least we had some amount of success under him, and he knew how to defend.

 

We'd also most probably have the best centre half in Scotland with his experience coaching big Christophe.

 

Not so sure, maybe Levein's an exception going by his ultra-defensive stance when he was with us, and maybe it's a generalisation, but it seems defenders make the best managers for attacking football (Stein, Mowbray, Hughes), whereas forwards and midfielders are more defensive (Jordan, Miller, McLean)????

[Charlie-Brown]

What we lacked last season except when Velicka played was a centre forward who was a handful for defenders & who could also score - he wasn't the greatest but he was the most effective given Pinilla's constant absence - but IF (and it's a big IF) Pinilla could get focused and play then he COULD be the Torres of the SPL...failing that if he continues to be a fiasco it will be a big disappointment.

 

Anyway we need an effective central striker and 2 wingers who can play wide on the touchline and torment the full-backs (Kingston & Driver or Miko/Chesney) - this would keep the opposition back line stretched out and create space in the middle for the main striker and his support striker / attacking midfielder breaking into the box late to help finish off moves.

 

2 central midfielders to sit - helping to close down when in defence, helping to support attacks & make passes, feeding the strikers & wingers when in attack.

 

2 full-backs who can play in tandem with the wingers and get beyond them forcing the opposition to double up in defence.

 

2 centre backs who can defend, one at least who can pass the ball around & start moves, one to combat strong quick strikers either in the air or on the ground.

 

A safe pair of hands in goals.