Levein is not the answer ( merged )

[redm]

14 minutes ago, jbee647 said:

The whole set up is flawed, this coaching bootroom philosophy is not workable for a club the size of Hearts.

I will wager one of the first major decisions to happen after the FOH handover will be the disbanding of this pie in the sky project, and the appointment of the best man available to run the football team, the same way every other club is run

Anyone who believes we have any chance of ever competing with Celtic with this process is completely deluded.

The only way us or anyone else will have even the remotest chance of getting close, would be if Celtic completely take there eye of the ball in a Rangers 2012 style.

 

Some might suggest that’s the only circumstances in which we’ll ever be able to compete with Celtic anyway. 

[mitch41]

3 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Your memory is shot. Majority happy with Levein as manager. Substantial majority as well. 

I think most i us believed the interviews were a stitch up because a new manager had to keep Leveins bootroom cronies. There was also 100% relief Cathro was gone and Levein looked the better of 2 evils. And really whoever drew up the shortlist made sure it was Daly or Levein. The fans were duped because look at Steve Clarke getting the Killie job. That is quality.

[ford donald]

2 minutes ago, mitch41 said:

I think most i us believed the interviews were a stitch up because a new manager had to keep Leveins bootroom cronies. There was also 100% relief Cathro was gone and Levein looked the better of 2 evils. And really whoever drew up the shortlist made sure it was Daly or Levein. The fans were duped because look at Steve Clarke getting the Killie job. That is quality.

[soonbe110]

4 minutes ago, mitch41 said:

I think most i us believed the interviews were a stitch up because a new manager had to keep Leveins bootroom cronies. There was also 100% relief Cathro was gone and Levein looked the better of 2 evils. And really whoever drew up the shortlist made sure it was Daly or Levein. The fans were duped because look at Steve Clarke getting the Killie job. That is quality.

Just hypothesis then? No evidence or facts to base your beliefs  on?

Did Clarke or his agent get in touch with Budge? In any case he has already stated he is only interested in a short term stint in Scotland and still has ambition/aspirations for English football. Is that what we really wanted? A manager that will jump ship at first decent opportunity down south? Could be as soon as January given the merry go round that is English football. 

[Macros]

This is the first time I've tried adding a file or picture, hope it works. I'm in no way aligning Levein with anyone else, just hopefully illustrating a point that we seem to want instant answers at the moment. Levein, like the rest of the coaching and playing staff we've had over the last 3 and a bit seasons, has to take responsibility for the difficult stage we are in regarding the first team playing squad but there are a multitude of reasons why we are where we are and the responsibility for them all does not lie at one person's door. It's not blind faith I am asking for but be careful what you wish for. Like the vast majority I thought Cathro was going to be a great addition, we can't expect an immediate run of success from a low starting point, no matter how we got there in the first place.

[Taffin]

11 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Just hypothesis then? No evidence or facts to base your beliefs  on?

Did Clarke or his agent get in touch with Budge? In any case he has already stated he is only interested in a short term stint in Scotland and still has ambition/aspirations for English football. Is that what we really wanted? A manager that will jump ship at first decent opportunity down south? Could be as soon as January given the merry go round that is English football. 

That's exactly what we've got anyway. Have you forgotten Levein's first spell?

[bb8]

He might not be the answer, but he might be. If he can transform a team like he did early 2000’s and at Dundee Utd we’ll be fine but have to give him time.

 

Expectation from the support has changed since the last time he was here, because of the Romanov era. Winning two cups off the back of this, he has to adapt to the slight change in expectancy from his last spell.

[stotty]

To have the points we do, with that squad, is actually not bad. I think Levein will do fine. Unfortunately we need at least 2 transfer windows to sort things. 

[ford donald]

13 hours ago, OTT said:

 

I'll take a shot at it. 

 

Continuity. In theory that should mean when there is change over the consistency in management means that upset is minimal. Obviously that hasn't been the case  however, unlike McInnes at Aberdeen -Who is chomping at the bit for the hun job... like almost drowning in his own saliva, Levein wants to make a difference here and effect real long term change. So instead of jumping ship to a better paying gig leaving us high and dry (and nicking all our decent players in the process) he'll stay and continue trying to build. 

 

The problem with youth development is that it is a slow process that requires continuity. If we suddenly change manager (I.e remove Levein) and bring in Owen Coyle (for example) he may have a completely different footballing philosophy to Levein and that transmits to rapid change across the academy, or even worse a guy like Stubbs, who I believe wanted to reduce the funds allocated for the Hibs Academy to focus more on the first team (which would again effect youth development - quality of coaching?). For youngsters learning rapid change surely must be up there with really poor things to happen to them because it will hinder their development - One week they're being taught a high pressing 433 and then the following week its suddenly kick and chase down the channels. Not good. 

 

Once we see the fruits of his labour come into the first team I think he'll be justified but things (i don't think) are going to plan currently. The Cathro experiment failed, hard. Which has left us in a total mess. I think that came down to press scrutiny and Levein giving Cathro too much autonomy in who he wanted to sign. However, Levein has as much experience as a DoF as Neilson does as a manager so mistakes are going to be made. It is a learning curve. Virtually every player in the first team is a Cathro signing and the player that Levein has brought in (Callachan) has done pretty well considering the step up. Hopefully Levein will find a couple more gems in the next window which will help settle things down a bit and get more effective players in to fix the mess he's been left with.

 

 

 

Would think Callachan, was more to do with Gary Locke recommending him..

[gowestjambo]

5 minutes ago, bb8 said:

He might not be the answer, but he might be. If he can transform a team like he did early 2000’s and at Dundee Utd we’ll be fine but have to give him time.

 

Expectation from the support has changed since the last time he was here, because of the Romanov era. Winning two cups off the back of this, he has to adapt to the slight change in expectancy from his last spell.

 

I do not think its in anyway unreasonable that Hearts supporters expect that any Hearts team firstly compete with the teams they are playing against. It is also not unreasonable to expect a Left Back to be signed during the last 18 months.

 

Neither are our expectations lofty to provide a Midfield which is capable of competing with hibs to name one. The fact this area has been neglected when every single supporter can see what our current Manager, or the failed protégée could not see is not unreasonable.

 

What we witnessed yesterday was a team devoid of any ideas or notable style of play. The simple art of controlling a football or passing to another player wearing maroon is not unreasonable to expect. Therefore I suggest our expectations are not to win a cup, but simply to witness a Hearts team capable of performing the basics of a Football team.

[soonbe110]

1 hour ago, Taffin said:

That's exactly what we've got anyway. Have you forgotten Levein's first spell?

Results were excellent in very difficult times  financially. 

[Taffin]

44 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Results were excellent in very difficult times  financially. 

 

Unrelated but true yes.

 

He also hotfooted it to England at the first sniff of a job.

[frankblack]

3 minutes ago, Taffin said:

 

Unrelated but true yes.

 

He also hotfooted it to England at the first sniff of a job.

 

So will any manager when offered a considerably larger salary and player budget.  If you think differently, you are deluding yourself.

[stotty]

14 minutes ago, Taffin said:

 

Unrelated but true yes.

 

He also hotfooted it to England at the first sniff of a job.

Absolutely every manager and player in Scotland wants a move to England, let's be honest. 

[i wish jj was my dad]

2 hours ago, mitch41 said:

I think most i us believed the interviews were a stitch up because a new manager had to keep Leveins bootroom cronies. There was also 100% relief Cathro was gone and Levein looked the better of 2 evils. And really whoever drew up the shortlist made sure it was Daly or Levein. The fans were duped because look at Steve Clarke getting the Killie job. That is quality.

Nonsense

[soonbe110]

1 hour ago, Taffin said:

 

Unrelated but true yes.

 

He also hotfooted it to England at the first sniff of a job.

Don’t think there is any chance he would do the same again. He would need to be successful with us to get a chance down south but he wouldnt take it. He won’t walk away again. 

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

It was obvious that the club wanted to slip Daly into the role. Cheap, easy, won’t rock the boat, will just go along with the status quo. Then he lost the crucial game and Levein was basically an easy, cost-free and slightly more credible alternative.

 

That’s the way I see it.

[Rocky jamboa]

Just watched Levein's interview on Sportscene. What is he on about that Walker going off changed the game? We were rank rotten the whole game! He must have been watching a different game to me!

[Pilmuir]

3 hours ago, gowestjambo said:

 

I do not think its in anyway unreasonable that Hearts supporters expect that any Hearts team firstly compete with the teams they are playing against. It is also not unreasonable to expect a Left Back to be signed during the last 18 months.

 

Neither are our expectations lofty to provide a Midfield which is capable of competing with hibs to name one. The fact this area has been neglected when every single supporter can see what our current Manager, or the failed protégée could not see is not unreasonable.

 

What we witnessed yesterday was a team devoid of any ideas or notable style of play. The simple art of controlling a football or passing to another player wearing maroon is not unreasonable to expect. Therefore I suggest our expectations are not to win a cup, but simply to witness a Hearts team capable of performing the basics of a Football team.

 

Not unreasonable at all, yet we seem to be failing with the basics.

[tcjambo]

So the usual suspects are in full throttle right now bitching left, right and centre. Dead easy to be a critic but much more difficult to propse a solution .Not one of the Levein haters has come up with a reasonable alternative.

 

Why don't you all just give it a rest and let's just see where we are at the end of the season?

[Getintaethem]

Would certainly agree that it looks like Levien won't take us anywhere.  I was happy when he was put into the managers position.  The main reason I was happy was that it took him out of his ivory tower and made him accountable.  I've serious doubts about his youth policy and find him far too negative.  However, I really want him to prove me wrong.  Levien was a fantastic player for us, and I'll give him credit for a lot of good things that have happened at the club since the dark days of administration, but he'll have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to make me believe he's the best thing for Hearts long term.

 

  Sacking Levien now would be a financial nightmare, so I can only hope that he manages to turn things around.

[tcjambo]

No we weren't - we outplayed them up from midway through the first half until they equalised.

[Central Belt 1874]

22 minutes ago, tcjambo said:

So the usual suspects are in full throttle right now bitching left, right and centre. Dead easy to be a critic but much more difficult to propse a solution .Not one of the Levein haters has come up with a reasonable alternative.

 

Why don't you all just give it a rest and let's just see where we are at the end of the season?

 

Quite simple really, Anne Budge should have believed in her decades of managerial experience running businesses and paid up the money to get the right man in to do the job after Neilson walked out on us. 

 

Levein isint the right man for the job, because, well you know already, he didn’t want the job. We shouldn’t be giving people who clearly don’t want the job... the job.

 

plus, and it’s been said a million times already, Budge is only interested in building the club back up and the new stand. No interest whatsoever in the playing side. We’re going to have to grin and bear it at the moment until she leaves or the stand is paid off and she switches priorities. I’m not sure she will stick around.

[i wish jj was my dad]

6 minutes ago, Central Belt 1874 said:

 

Quite simple really, Anne Budge should have believed in her decades of managerial experience running businesses and paid up the money to get the right man in to do the job after Neilson walked out on us. 

 

Levein isint the right man for the job, because, well you know already, he didn’t want the job. We shouldn’t be giving people who clearly don’t want the job... the job.

 

plus, and it’s been said a million times already, Budge is only interested in building the club back up and the new stand. No interest whatsoever in the playing side. We’re going to have to grin and bear it at the moment until she leaves or the stand is paid off and she switches priorities. I’m not sure she will stick around.

You don't think Ann Budge is interested in our results?

[Central Belt 1874]

1 minute ago, i wish jj was my dad said:

You don't think Ann Budge is interested in our results?

 

As long as we are not in the bottom two or three then no. It took her long enough to give Cathro the bullet, Levein wanted to continue with him.

 

 

[McCrae]

I am confident that everything will be fine. Once we have paid off the new stand nothing will hols us back!

[tcjambo]

1 hour ago, Central Belt 1874 said:

 

Quite simple really, Anne Budge should have believed in her decades of managerial experience running businesses and paid up the money to get the right man in to do the job after Neilson walked out on us. 

 

Levein isint the right man for the job, because, well you know already, he didn’t want the job. We shouldn’t be giving people who clearly don’t want the job... the job.

 

plus, and it’s been said a million times already, Budge is only interested in building the club back up and the new stand. No interest whatsoever in the playing side. We’re going to have to grin and bear it at the moment until she leaves or the stand is paid off and she switches priorities. I’m not sure she will stick around.

OK genius who is the right person since you know better than AB?  How do you know CL didn't want the job after seeing how his initiative hadn't paid off?

[i wish jj was my dad]

10 minutes ago, tcjambo said:

OK genius who is the right person since you know better than AB?  How do you know CL didn't want the job after seeing how his initiative hadn't paid off?

He did want the job. File this pish in the same place as offering Jamie Walker a £20 a week pay increase.

[Central Belt 1874]

22 minutes ago, tcjambo said:

OK genius who is the right person since you know better than AB?  How do you know CL didn't want the job after seeing how his initiative hadn't paid off?

 

How do you know that I know better than Anne Budge? CL stated he did not want to come back into football management. 

 

In his interview with BT sport this week he even admitted he delegates tasks to other coaches. 

 

Craig Levein wanted Ian Cathro as coach. When he was fired Craig Levein wanted Jon Daly as coach. Craig Levein did not want Craig Levein as coach. It’s really not that hard to understand.

 

However, I’m still confident Craig Levein can punt a few in January and bring in better. But I still believe this could have all been avoided when Neilson left and Budge got a grip of the footballing side then.

 

 

[Bazzas right boot]

Thing's aren't great, but this worst team talk is ridiculous.

 

It's not.

[Morgan]

Honestly guys,  I was the answer, you just didn’t give me enough time...

 

 

[Ulysses]

10 hours ago, A_A wehatethehibs said:

 

Really we should be looking to go into the Celtic game with a run of at least 5 or 6 wins out of 7, these are the games which can put us in the hunt for 3rd. The other clubs above us have had their fair share of free points at home, we’ve had none, now it’s our turn. Stop crying into your cornflakes and move on. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six games before Celtic come to town.  Only one of those is against a team who is ahead of us in the league, Motherwell on December 9th.  The other five are against teams who are below us, even with the appalling form we've shown for a lot of the season.

 

How many points should we be looking for from those six games?  How many should we be happy with?

[Unknown user]

35 minutes ago, Central Belt 1874 said:

 

How do you know that I know better than Anne Budge? CL stated he did not want to come back into football management. 

 

In his interview with BT sport this week he even admitted he delegates tasks to other coaches. 

 

Craig Levein wanted Ian Cathro as coach. When he was fired Craig Levein wanted Jon Daly as coach. Craig Levein did not want Craig Levein as coach. It’s really not that hard to understand.

 

However, I’m still confident Craig Levein can punt a few in January and bring in better. But I still believe this could have all been avoided when Neilson left and Budge got a grip of the footballing side then.

 

 

What do you think that proves though? It's not unusual at all for football managers, why is it seen as some sort of smoking gun here?

[colinmaroon]

2 hours ago, Central Belt 1874 said:

 

Quite simple really, Anne Budge should have believed in her decades of managerial experience running businesses and paid up the money to get the right man in to do the job after Neilson walked out on us. 

 

Levein isint the right man for the job, because, well you know already, he didn’t want the job. We shouldn’t be giving people who clearly don’t want the job... the job.

 

plus, and it’s been said a million times already, Budge is only interested in building the club back up and the new stand. No interest whatsoever in the playing side. We’re going to have to grin and bear it at the moment until she leaves or the stand is paid off and she switches priorities. I’m not sure she will stick around.

 

 

Pong!!!

[Morgan]

5 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

 

Six games before Celtic come to town.  Only one of those is against a team who is ahead of us in the league, Motherwell on December 9th.  The other five are against teams who are below us, even with the appalling form we've shown for a lot of the season.

 

How many points should we be looking for from those six games?  How many should we be happy with?

Obviously we’d expect no points from Celtic but, maybe 12 to 15 would be good?

 

I would take that right now.

 

[Ulysses]

4 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Obviously we’d expect no points from Celtic but, maybe 12 to 15 would be good?

 

I would take that right now.

 

 

I was picking up A_A's point about the run of games before we play Celtic.  There are 18 points available from games against teams who are below us already, and one team ahead of us (Motherwell).

 

If those teams (with possibly the single exception of Motherwell) take points off us, what does that say about where we are likely to finish, given that it's hard to see any of them seriously aiming for a top 6 place?  Remember that they're behind us as we are now, even with whatever poor form we've had. 

[Escobar PHM]

59 minutes ago, BigDave'sHeed said:

Thing's aren't great, but this worst team talk is ridiculous.

 

It's not.

You'd have to go back a fair bit to find a worse one. In the last 12 years since Romanov took over, you could possibly consider the team who were relegated, but that team had hands behind its back, had a 15 point penalty to overcome and at the very least they fought and scrapped. Others have suggested that the relegated team would hammer our current team. I know who I'd bet on thats for sure. Pre-Romanov 04/05 wasn't a great team but it reached 2 semi finals and played in Europe. 98/99 team had a cup winning hangover and the post cup transfer window was an almighty feck up.I'd have to go back to the 93/94 team to find a comparably bad team results wise to this one, and that team finished 2 points above relegation. However you can discount that team as one of the worst because it had Robertson, Colquhoun, Mackay and Mckinlay and Levein in it.

 

So, although we are early to mid season, I'd say the signs are that every team we've had in over 25 years

Edited October 29, 2017 by Escobar PHM

[Bazzas right boot]

1 minute ago, Escobar PHM said:

You'd have to go back a fair bit to find a worse one. In the last 12 years since Romanov took over, you could possibly consider the team who were relegated, but that team had hands behind its back, had a 15 point penalty to overcome and at the very least they fought and scrapped. Pre-Romanov 04/05 wasn't a great team but it reached 2 semi finals and played in Europe.98/99 team had a cup winning hangover and the post cup transfer window was an almighty feck up.I'd have to go back to the 93/94 team to find a comparably bad team to this one, and that team finished 2 points above relegation. 

 

So, although we are mid season, I'd say every team we've had in the last 25 years has been better than this one.

 

Time will tell.

 

Top of my head, I think we'll get more points than our admin season.

In the mid nineties, I remember the Motherwell game that kept us up.

 

Seen a few bad teams, time will tell but I don't think this team will be anywhere near the worst team in 25 years.

 

Last season's team was worse as well.

[portobellojambo1]

19 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

I was picking up A_A's point about the run of games before we play Celtic.  There are 18 points available from games against teams who are below us already, and one team ahead of us (Motherwell).

 

If those teams (with possibly the single exception of Motherwell) take points off us, what does that say about where we are likely to finish, given that it's hard to see any of them seriously aiming for a top 6 place?  Remember that they're behind us as we are now, even with whatever poor form we've had. 

 

Depends very much on how we use the players we do have available. I'm no great believer in this idea that we have to show total respect to every team we play, and line up accordingly, which can involve a defensive formation against teams below us in the league. How we need to line up is to the strength of the players we have, and if that means attacking the opposition that is the way it should be. We won't get wins just because we are going back to Tynecastle, we will have to work for all of them. And if we rack up points against the vast majority of the visiting teams (potentially all) there is no reason at all that we then have to revert to defending against Celtic. Their weakness is their defence, a bit like both Hibs and Rangers, two sides we chose not to attack and suffered the consequences..

Edited October 29, 2017 by portobellojambo1

[graygo]

1 minute ago, portobellojambo1 said:

 

Depends very much on how we sue the players we do have available. I'm no great believer in this idea that we have to show total respect to every team we play, and line up accordingly, which can involve a defensive formation against teams below us in the league. How we need to line up is to the strength of the players we have, and if that means attacking the opposition that is the way it should be. We won't get wins just because we are going back to Tynecastle, we will have to work for all of them. And if we rack up points against the vast majority of the visiting teams (potentially all) there is no reason at all that we then have to revert to defending against Celtic. Their weakness is their defence, abit like both Hibs and Rangers, to sides we chose not to attack and suffered the consequences..

 

Come on PJ, the players we have are not playing well but taking them to court?

[portobellojambo1]

2 minutes ago, graygo said:

 

Come on PJ, the players we have are not playing well but taking them to court?

 

 

I noticed what I'd put in as soon as I hit enter, rather than before doing so. Maybe time to head to my kip

Edited October 29, 2017 by portobellojambo1

[Hendricks]

14 minutes ago, BigDave'sHeed said:

 

Time will tell.

 

Top of my head, I think we'll get more points than our admin season.

In the mid nineties, I remember the Motherwell game that kept us up.

 

Seen a few bad teams, time will tell but I don't think this team will be anywhere near the worst team in 25 years.

 

Last season's team was worse as well.

 

 

Lmao. You can't honestly be serious!!!!  I presume you mean our 1-0 at Partick Thistle in 1994. Our team that day below............I'll let others draw their own conclusions as to what they would do to the current imposters. 

 

Smith

Frail

McKinlay

Levein

Weir

McLaren

Colquhoun

Mackay

Robertson

Johnston

Locke

 

In my opinion the current team and squad are without question the poorest Hearts team side the 1980-81 relegation season.

 

 

[mitch41]

It seems most of us are right regarding Levein after watching Sportscene. Even the Levein lovers must of seen Levein's team selection & tactics were so bad thatmst of our fans and some of our players i'd bet will of lost faith in his ability to manager Hearts. I'd also think his first team coaching staff must take a large amount of blame for the shambles the team has been. All we the fans are getting is excuses and promises about new players in january but that is depending on getting rid of dead wood.

I'd call this PATHETIC!

Ann Budge has to act like an owner and listen to her fans/customers. Our manager & coaching staff are failing our team and it's time to put an end to Levein's old pals club.

[Just joe]

No shit Sherlock.

[Spencer]

4 minutes ago, mitch41 said:

It seems most of us are right regarding Levein after watching Sportscene. Even the Levein lovers must of seen Levein's team selection & tactics were so bad thatmst of our fans and some of our players i'd bet will of lost faith in his ability to manager Hearts. I'd also think his first team coaching staff must take a large amount of blame for the shambles the team has been. All we the fans are getting is excuses and promises about new players in january but that is depending on getting rid of dead wood.

I'd call this PATHETIC!

Ann Budge has to act like an owner and listen to her fans/customers. Our manager & coaching staff are failing our team and it's time to put an end to Levein's old pals club.

There is absolutely no chance of Budge listening to the fans relative to Levein. He's got the safest job in Scottish football.

 

The dross will continue indefinitely which is hugely depressing 

[Escobar PHM]

25 minutes ago, Spencer said:

There is absolutely no chance of Budge listening to the fans relative to Levein. He's got the safest job in Scottish football.

 

The dross will continue indefinitely which is hugely depressing 

I am not 100% sure the CEO of a club like Hearts, part funded the way it is, and soon to be in Fan ownership, will be able to entirely discount the strongly held views of  a vast majority of the fan base on key issues. I'm not so sure we're at rebellion point with Levein yet, but as soon as we reach that point, he'll go, and she won't flinch doing it. If she over protects him to the detriment of the club, she's nowhere near the owner/caretaker we thought she was.

 

Lets not forget, unless you're head is really in the sand on his appointment, he didn't want to do this. He was told to do it. Budge told him to do it. I believe she told him to do it partly because he vetoed Freedman and he vetoed Davies. She'll do the right thing when the time is right. I don't think we've quite reached that point yet, although the last week has undoubtedly pushed us closer.

Edited October 30, 2017 by Escobar PHM

[Spencer]

8 minutes ago, Escobar PHM said:

I am not 100% sure the CEO of a club like Hearts, part funded the way it is, and soon to be in Fan ownership, will be able to entirely discount the strongly held views of  a vast majority of the fan base on key issues. I'm not so sure we're at rebellion point with Levein yet, but as soon as we reach that point, he'll go, and she won't flinch doing it. If she over protects him to the detriment of the club, she's nowhere near the owner/caretaker we thought she was.

 

Lets not forget, unless you're head is really in the sand on his appointment, he didn't want to do this. He was told to do it. Budge told him to do it. I believe she told him to do it partly because he vetoed Freedman and he vetoed Davies. She'll do the right thing when the time is right. I don't think we've quite reached that point yet, although the last week has undoubtedly pushed us closer.

We accumulated the fewest points in the League from December to May. We've looked murder this season for the most part 

 

I just can't see any chance of her acting. It's pretty grim tbh 

[Ulysses]

2 hours ago, portobellojambo1 said:

 

Depends very much on how we use the players we do have available. I'm no great believer in this idea that we have to show total respect to every team we play, and line up accordingly, which can involve a defensive formation against teams below us in the league. How we need to line up is to the strength of the players we have, and if that means attacking the opposition that is the way it should be. We won't get wins just because we are going back to Tynecastle, we will have to work for all of them. And if we rack up points against the vast majority of the visiting teams (potentially all) there is no reason at all that we then have to revert to defending against Celtic. Their weakness is their defence, a bit like both Hibs and Rangers, two sides we chose not to attack and suffered the consequences..

 

The person who will use the players we have available well or badly will be Craig Levein.

 

How many points do we drop before his supporters say he's not delivering?  Or, how many points do we gain before his detractors say he's doing OK?

 

Working out an acceptable target points haul should, let's face it, be a no-brainer given the teams we're playing. 

[NANOJAMBO]

3 hours ago, mitch41 said:

It seems most of us are right regarding Levein after watching Sportscene. Even the Levein lovers must of seen Levein's team selection & tactics were so bad thatmst of our fans and some of our players i'd bet will of lost faith in his ability to manager Hearts. I'd also think his first team coaching staff must take a large amount of blame for the shambles the team has been. All we the fans are getting is excuses and promises about new players in january but that is depending on getting rid of dead wood.

I'd call this PATHETIC!

Ann Budge has to act like an owner and listen to her fans/customers. Our manager & coaching staff are failing our team and it's time to put an end to Levein's old pals club.

I don't see any way we are going to be moving players on AND getting players in during the Jan window - what club is going to be so hard pressed for the unwanted guff we've got ?

 

I'm not convinced either by CLs actual words on this either. It seems to me he was asked a hypothetical question and he responded accordingly- this isn't a statement of intent .

 

"If it's possible, she will try and help. We will see. I'm not going to be jumping up and down. If we get all the players back (fit) that we need then I still feel we are strong enough to do well this season."

 

That para says to me , CL is  not asking for players. Players were desperately needed in the summer , they haven't arrived, obviously. I can't see why they will be arriving when we are always being told how difficult it is to get players at that time of year.  Unless we are going to continue recruiting out of contact dross. 

[mitch41]

Spot on.