I can't help thinking

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Now I am hurting badly after tonight so forgive me from this as I don't want to post in haste but looking at Livi and the team spirit they have has me thinking again we changed the team too much from the championship winning squad. We are a bunch of journeyman now without the determination to go further than mid table at best. I sincerely hope that changes when Naismith, Uche and Vanacek are added but those there just now are nowhere near good enough to represent us and are showing nothing for our great club and its ambitions. 

[Bazzas right boot]

The lack of spirit and fight was the worse thing tonight. 

 

Showed a few up. 

 

I'd expect CL to take action and get some sort of reaction, although the quality and options up front won't be solved until January. 

[graygo]

We have (when fit) a far superior first team than we had in the championship.

[magicTs]

2 minutes ago, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

The lack of spirit and fight was the worse thing tonight. 

 

Showed a few up. 

 

I'd expect CL to take action and get some sort of reaction, although the quality and options up front won't be solved until January. 

 

 

The 2 away games before the break are staring him right in the coupon. No away wins at Pittodrie, Easter Road, Ibrox or Parkhead in our last 17 attempts, indeed 16 of them ended in defeat. He should be gone if he loses both those fixtures giving us time to get someone else in for the restart. Given the way he will likely set us up in these matches further pumpings are certainly possible. Winning at home to ****ing Hamilton, who if anything are even smaller than Livingston should give him no respite whatsoever. 

[EastSideJambo]

4 minutes ago, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

The lack of spirit and fight was the worse thing tonight. 

 

Showed a few up. 

 

I'd expect CL to take action and get some sort of reaction, although the quality and options up front won't be solved until January. 

Every single player out there tonight has arrived at the club whilst the manager has been at the club 

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

3 minutes ago, graygo said:

We have (when fit) a far superior first team than we had in the championship.

That is undoubtedly the case but team spirit and a determination to step up to the plate is definitely missing. 

[EastSideJambo]

Just now, magicTs said:

 

 

The 2 away games before the break are staring him right in the coupon. No away wins at Pittodrie, Easter Road, Ibrox or Parkhead in our last 17 attempts, indeed 16 of them ended in defeat. He should be gone if he loses both those fixtures giving us time to get someone else in for the restart. Given the way he will likely set us up in these matches further pumpings are certainly possible. Winning at home to ****ing Hamilton, who if anything are even smaller than Livingston should give him no respite whatsoever. 

No way Budge will pull the trigger. She thinks he's doing a wonderful job 

 

We have this to look forward to for the foreseeable.  There is no chance he'll  walk either. Why would he walk from the most secure job in British football? He'll be highly unlikely to work in football again after Hearts 

[Bazzas right boot]

1 minute ago, EastSideJambo said:

Every single player out there tonight has arrived at the club whilst the manager has been at the club 

 

Yip, and they've got us to 4th, and in about 2nd.

 

Not like you to give praiseti CL- his players have improved us, probably the wrong time to do so, tho. Tonight vwas shite. 

 

Nice change for you, keep up the positivity. 

[EastSideJambo]

Just now, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

 

Yip, and they've got us to 4th, and in about 2nd.

 

Not like you to give praiseti CL- his players have improved us, probably the wrong time to do so, tho. Tonight vwas shite. 

 

Nice change for you, keep up the positivity. 

Is there any chance you can post without getting personal? 

[Ministry MK2]

The team is definitely gutless. 

 

Even in the first half at 0-0 nobody was trying to take the game by the scruff of the neck. There was a few who looked like they would rather be anywhere else tonight.

[Bazzas right boot]

4 minutes ago, magicTs said:

 

 

The 2 away games before the break are staring him right in the coupon. No away wins at Pittodrie, Easter Road, Ibrox or Parkhead in our last 17 attempts, indeed 16 of them ended in defeat. He should be gone if he loses both those fixtures giving us time to get someone else in for the restart. Given the way he will likely set us up in these matches further pumpings are certainly possible. Winning at home to ****ing Hamilton, who if anything are even smaller than Livingston should give him no respite whatsoever. 

 

 

The league position, our  points this season and improvement v last season is what is relevant. 

 

Your stats and opinion are irrelevant. If we beat Hamilton we'll be a few points of third and maybe even 2nd still come the break. 

 

Giving our injuries, it is a good place to be and much better than last season. 

[Bazzas right boot]

2 minutes ago, EastSideJambo said:

Is there any chance you can post without getting personal? 

 

I was paying you a compliment. 

Touchy. 

[JamboGraham]

3 minutes ago, EastSideJambo said:

No way Budge will pull the trigger. She thinks he's doing a wonderful job 

 

We have this to look forward to for the foreseeable.  There is no chance he'll  walk either. Why would he walk from the most secure job in British football? He'll be highly unlikely to work in football again after Hearts 

 

Of course she won't pull the trigger, and neither would I if I suddenly found myself running Hearts with zero experience of the industry other than as a supporter. However, do you think any Hearts supporter (and let's not forget Budge and Levein are both Hearts supporters) are thinking that a wonderful job is being done right now?

 

His job (at least as DOF) is safe as long as Budge controls the club and for the very reason that she doesn't have the skills or experience to appoint a manager, in the same way that almost everyone is the stands doesn't have the skills or experience to either.

[EastSideJambo]

1 minute ago, JamboGraham said:

 

Of course she won't pull the trigger, and neither would I if I suddenly found myself running Hearts with zero experience of the industry other than as a supporter. However, do you think any Hearts supporter (and let's not forget Budge and Levein are both Hearts supporters) are thinking that a wonderful job is being done right now?

 

His job (at least as DOF) is safe as long as Budge controls the club and for the very reason that she doesn't have the skills or experience to appoint a manager, in the same way that almost everyone is the stands doesn't have the skills or experience to either.

His continued presence at DoF level restricts what options are available to us at Head Coach level. Events of last August will testify 

 

If he thinks he can muddle on through and extricate himself at earliest opportunity in order to bestow Fox/Daly/mcphee upon us, I'd suggest he will be sadly misjudge the mood of the Hearts support 

[hearts00]

21 minutes ago, graygo said:

We have (when fit) a far superior first team than we had in the championship.

 

Remains to be seen. We think we do but I’m not so sure. Of course Uche and Naismith make a huge difference but the midfield remains atrocious as it has been for years. No goals,  no creativity, no pace, no width and no bite. Livi’s midfield is far superior. 

 

We still have not fixed the left back situation.  Which coupled with no width in midfield equals poor on the flanks. 

 

And it is becoming quite clear to see we have a problem in goals. 

 

So I would be very very careful about judging how good we are when people are fit. Levein says he needs to sign no one when everyone is ready to play. Disagree. 

 

 

 

 

[JamboGraham]

2 minutes ago, EastSideJambo said:

His continued presence at DoF level restricts what options are available to us at Head Coach level. Events of last August will testify 

 

If he thinks he can muddle on through and extricate himself at earliest opportunity in order to bestow Fox/Daly/mcphee upon us, I'd suggest he will be sadly misjudge the mood of the Hearts support 

 

Perhaps, but Budge doesn't just want him at the club, she needs him at the club, that fact doesn't change with some poor form, or even a truly shocking result.

[iainmac]

Our first choice starting XI (when fit) are a decent bunch of players, as the early season results &  form proved. 

 

Sadly,  the squad / back up players have found to be wanting & have done themselves no favours when they've had to step in. Players can improve technically &  get fitter but it's almost impossible to instil desire & hunger if they don't already have it. Tonight showed that most of them don't and CL's "chucked it" comments were ominous. 

 

I think we will be doing business in January because injuries to key players are just a fact of life & we need better replacements than we currently have. 

[rudi must stay]

I don't see the Championship team as relevant to where we are now. Alot of those guys disgraced themselves when it came to loyalty and Buaben and Gomis both left at different times (one was maybe here too long) but we are a team that is a confusing and uninspiring one right now. Guys definatly talking money without putting much in in my opinion

[EasternRossco]

Just home. Shit night but that's football. I don't think we ever looked like winning it but if you told me at half time we were going to lose that game 5-0 I would have laughed in your face. Freak results happen, that is football. You sometimes have to take stock and accept that sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. If anything tonight showed the players that don't have the stomach for our club and that Aaron Hughes is no longer a viable option. Horrible to get thumped, especially to them but it's a fluke. People need to get a grip.

[OTT]

We've lost our attacking threat when we lost Naismith. Uche we could have just about held on until Vanecek got here but we've pished points away because Levein decided we didn't need anyone. He's absolutely accountable for that decision as it was a ****er shocker. 

 

We need character in that dressing room more than anything else. Lee, Djoum, Haring, Clare and Bozanic are not characters. They aren't leaders, and they clearly don't have much bottle either. Most aren't bad players but we need someone who can drive them on. I want Djoum so far to **** its unreal. He was completely anonymous all game - do you think someone like Naismith would let the game pass them by like that? No danger. We need someone who looks for the ball and can drive play on. 

 

I want to just call Mclean shite, the style of football we're playing doesn't suit him and he doesn't have the legs but what the hell was he doing all night? Offered **** all the entire game. Would have been better forgoing a striker and just chucking lee in there too and seeing where we got. 

 

Scott Allans contract is up at Celtic at the end of the season. He's not a player I like, but Hibs absolutely idolise him for what he can do on the ball. Maybe worth a look as a replacement for Djoum. - I've never got the hype with Allan tbh, but it might be what we need. 

Edited December 15, 2018 by OTT

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

1 minute ago, rudi must stay said:

I don't see the Championship team as relevant to where we are now. Alot of those guys disgraced themselves when it came to loyalty and Buaben and Gomis both left at different times (one was maybe here too long) but we are a team that is a confusing and uninspiring one right now. Guys definatly talking money without putting much in in my opinion

Maybe true with Wilson, what has happened to him? but I feel that we should have gradually changed the squad and looked at team spirit rather than rushing through signings in a haphazard fashion. Maybe this squad will gel when everyone is fit but tonight's result suggests that no one outside our strongest eleven has the ambition to fight for their jersey when the top players are back.

[jock _turd]

For me there is a major problem with the recruitment of player at Hearts. I have no idea why but we bring in players that are well rated and with a few exceptions they completely underperform! I myself think what the problem is that these players once the have signed think that the have done their part, the rest is just turning out and the supposed lesser players at lesser teams roll over and say wow these really are the genuine article. That though is not the way it works. If you look at the teams we perpetually struggle against... those diddy teams  with the diddy players have managers who constantly tell them they are better than they are and that hard work will make them better players with a chance to move to better things... and it shows. Look at the games against all the teams that are below us in the division and you will see opposition players playing out of their skin to get a result! In my opinion this is what is wrong at Hearts the players think the only have to turn up to collect the points. 

Now I really have no idea what CL is saying to these guys BUT it is definitely not the right stuff. Forget all the pish about how we have been struck badly by injuries... yes it is true BUT what the F are the other players worth if they are pulling on a Hearts shirt and playing like they did tonight? I am saying this out right EVERY PLAYER ON HEARTS BOOKS SHOULD BE BETTER THAN ANY PLAYER IN THE LIVI SQUAD END OF no ifs ands or buts we are "The Hearts" and players playing in a Hearts shirt should be made fully aware of what that actually means! There is a total lack of commitment from too many of the squad and from what I can see the coaching of the players we have is not making enough effort to get them playing at the level required. 

[magicTs]

56 minutes ago, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

 

 

The league position, our  points this season and improvement v last season is what is relevant. 

 

Your stats and opinion are irrelevant. If we beat Hamilton we'll be a few points of third and maybe even 2nd still come the break. 

 

Giving our injuries, it is a good place to be and much better than last season. 

 

Nope. We are an utterly shite team to watch. There is very little improvement whatsoever. A team going through the motions. 

[Bazzas right boot]

2 minutes ago, magicTs said:

 

Nope. We are an utterly shite team to watch. There is very little improvement whatsoever. A team going through the motions. 

 

 

You're wrong. 

 

We have improved v last year. 

 

Further in the lc, higher in the league. 

 

Simples. 

 

And that is despite our injuries. 

 

Facts are facts. ?

[graygo]

44 minutes ago, hearts00 said:

 

Remains to be seen. We think we do but I’m not so sure. Of course Uche and Naismith make a huge difference but the midfield remains atrocious as it has been for years. No goals,  no creativity, no pace, no width and no bite. Livi’s midfield is far superior. 

 

We still have not fixed the left back situation.  Which coupled with no width in midfield equals poor on the flanks. 

 

And it is becoming quite clear to see we have a problem in goals. 

 

So I would be very very careful about judging how good we are when people are fit. Levein says he needs to sign no one when everyone is ready to play. Disagree. 

 

 

And yet we were clear at the top of the league when everyone was fit. 

 

Crazy eh?

[magicTs]

15 minutes ago, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

 

 

You're wrong. 

 

We have improved v last year. 

 

Further in the lc, higher in the league. 

 

Simples. 

 

And that is despite our injuries. 

 

Facts are facts. ?

 

Sure ?

 

A good awful side managed by a total chancer I wish he was half as good as he thinks he is. 

Edited December 15, 2018 by magicTs

[1971fozzy]

3 hours ago, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

The lack of spirit and fight was the worse thing tonight. 

 

Showed a few up. 

 

I'd expect CL to take action and get some sort of reaction, although the quality and options up front won't be solved until January. 

 

Spot on

[1971fozzy]

1 hour ago, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

 

 

You're wrong. 

 

We have improved v last year. 

 

Further in the lc, higher in the league. 

 

Simples. 

 

And that is despite our injuries. 

 

Facts are facts. ?

 

MagicT doesn’t deal with facts

[jamtartan74]

Complete and utter disgrace tonight/last night, even before the penalty we could have been 2 or 3 down ?, where was the attacking threat, the wingers, the midfield battles, Livingston were all over it from the beginning and they deserved the 5-0 and that pains me to say. I’m from Livingston and took my cousin in with me tonight (livi fan) so stayed till the bitter end for his sake, I will and have received no ends of ridicule about that result, as freakish as it might have been, we utterly deserved it. Nothing can be said about that tonight other than well done Livingston on a well deserved victory albeit against a shambles of a Hearts team if there’s ever going to be one but credit where credits due. Merry Christmas bawbags ??????

[The Internet]

Top of the list of things guaranteed after a defeat: someone saying we changed the championship squad too much. 

[magicTs]

4 hours ago, 1971fozzy said:

 

MagicT doesn’t deal with facts

 

 

Clearly you are not very very good at reading posts! Have a delve into my post history and you’ll find endless facts. They’ll embarrass your boy Levein though as he’s a busted flush of a manger. 

 

Just as a taster though: 

 

- no cup finals and 2 pathetic semi final defeats in his spells at Hearts 

- 17pts out of 123pts against the Old Firm in 41 league games (4 wins, 5 draws, 32 defeats)

- 16 losses and 1 draw in our last 17 away games at Pittodrie, Easter Road, Ibrox and Parkhead under him and his protege (puppet)

I could go on. Serial loser especially in any game that matters. Should be paid off and sent to retirement in the Fife countryside. 

[Dallas Green]

6 hours ago, EasternRossco said:

Just home. Shit night but that's football. I don't think we ever looked like winning it but if you told me at half time we were going to lose that game 5-0 I would have laughed in your face. Freak results happen, that is football. You sometimes have to take stock and accept that sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. If anything tonight showed the players that don't have the stomach for our club and that Aaron Hughes is no longer a viable option. Horrible to get thumped, especially to them but it's a fluke. People need to get a grip.

 

This all day long.

[Tommy Brown]

7 hours ago, EasternRossco said:

Just home. Shit night but that's football. I don't think we ever looked like winning it but if you told me at half time we were going to lose that game 5-0 I would have laughed in your face. Freak results happen, that is football. You sometimes have to take stock and accept that sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. If anything tonight showed the players that don't have the stomach for our club and that Aaron Hughes is no longer a viable option. Horrible to get thumped, especially to them but it's a fluke. People need to get a grip.

 

I am trying to take the same relaxed attitude as you, these results do pop up from time to time. (Motherwell, Falkirk, Partick, Dumbarton)

 

I will only pull you up with it being a fluke, it most definitely wasn't.

It was an amateur capitulation by a gutless shower, taken full advantage by a hard working & determined side (a very decent side, too).

 

Freak (possibly), but not a fluke.

[Bull's-eye]

Coming into Xmas, 3 points off the top, I'd have taken that at the start of the season. 

 

Need a few favours from round about us and there's a great chance of still winning the league.

 

Onwards and upwards.

[Top Corner]

Bring back Malaury Martin

[Nookie Bear]

9 hours ago, JamboGraham said:

 

Of course she won't pull the trigger, and neither would I if I suddenly found myself running Hearts with zero experience of the industry other than as a supporter. However, do you think any Hearts supporter (and let's not forget Budge and Levein are both Hearts supporters) are thinking that a wonderful job is being done right now?

 

His job (at least as DOF) is safe as long as Budge controls the club and for the very reason that she doesn't have the skills or experience to appoint a manager, in the same way that almost everyone is the stands doesn't have the skills or experience to either.

 

She has years of experience now and it’s no longer a valid excuse. 

 

Very few Chief Execs or owners have prior experience of the game either. The only Hearts one I can think of was Vlad !

 

[Nookie Bear]

35 minutes ago, Oliver Twist said:

Coming into Xmas, 3 points off the top, I'd have taken that at the start of the season. 

 

Need a few favours from round about us and there's a great chance of still winning the league.

 

Onwards and upwards.

 

Europe is our only realistic target. Before that we need to make sure the season doesn’t collapse around us and we fall into the bottom 6.  

[gashauskis9]

38 minutes ago, Oliver Twist said:

Coming into Xmas, 3 points off the top, I'd have taken that at the start of the season. 

 

Need a few favours from round about us and there's a great chance of still winning the league.

 

Onwards and upwards.

We need to bottle that optimism chief, fair play to you.  You’re a far more patient individual than me.

 

I’ll take the table with a pinch of salt.  Most teams around us have at least a game in hand (Celtic have 3!), so realistically we’re 12 points off the top.  No way we’re making that up.

 

As I said before, I’ll never accept a 5-0 defeat against Livi and it’s tainted my view of this squad of players, who up to this point I’d given the benefit of the doubt.  The weight of expectation on Naismith, Uche, Vanacek and Souttar will be ridiculous now and I think we should prepare for further disappointments.

[Des Lynam]

43 minutes ago, Oliver Twist said:

Coming into Xmas, 3 points off the top, I'd have taken that at the start of the season. 

 

Need a few favours from round about us and there's a great chance of still winning the league.

 

Onwards and upwards.

 

Just stop. 

[Bazzas right boot]

2 hours ago, magicTs said:

 

 

Clearly you are not very very good at reading posts! Have a delve into my post history and you’ll find endless facts. They’ll embarrass your boy Levein though as he’s a busted flush of a manger. 

 

Just as a taster though: 

 

- no cup finals and 2 pathetic semi final defeats in his spells at Hearts 

- 17pts out of 123pts against the Old Firm in 41 league games (4 wins, 5 draws, 32 defeats)

- 16 losses and 1 draw in our last 17 away games at Pittodrie, Easter Road, Ibrox and Parkhead under him and his protege (puppet)

I could go on. Serial loser especially in any game that matters. Should be paid off and sent to retirement in the Fife countryside. 

 

Your list of stats and away stats are strange. 

 

Most teams have a poor record v these teams, just like Aberdeen and hibs have a poor record v us at home. 

Aberdeen have won twice at Ibrox in over 26 years, for example. 

For that stat you have to compare all the results, not just away and compare that v hibs and Aberdeen for the same time. 

That stat is irrelevant.  Even for the of stat you fail to acknowledge his two defeats of celtic, while even rangers can't touch them. 

 

The loser thing and no cups is so hibs, it's unbelievable and shouldn't be tolerated on here. We went over 35 years without a cup and many of our players, some fine players  and managers won nothing. 

 

To use that against players such as him and therefore Smith, Berry, mackay, Jc, macpherson, doddie even Robbo to an extent  is absolutely shite patter. 

[goldie83]

55 minutes ago, Oliver Twist said:

Coming into Xmas, 3 points off the top, I'd have taken that at the start of the season. 

 

Need a few favours from round about us and there's a great chance of still winning the league.

 

Onwards and upwards.

Still on the sauce my man? Little mojito for breakfast?? ?

[JamboGraham]

22 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

She has years of experience now and it’s no longer a valid excuse. 

 

Very few Chief Execs or owners have prior experience of the game either. The only Hearts one I can think of was Vlad !

 

 

Rightly or wrongly she appears to have delegated all responsibility of this (and the associated experience/learning that it brings) to Levein so I believe the explanation (not excuse) is valid.

 

Given that almost every managerial appointment is ultimately viewed to be a failure I am not sure a comparison to other chief execs or owners is a good benchmark.

 

If you ever listen to Budge she manages performance by targets, not form. Given we have the 4th highest player spend in the league the target will almost certainly be 4th and probably last 4 in cup competitions. At the moment its job done, with the caveat of concern over current form but that form comes with the caveat of injuries.

 

It doesn't make me feel better in any way about last nights result (or our form in general since late October) but it is clear to see how Ann runs the club and how she will respond to various things. 

[The Internet]

1 hour ago, Oliver Twist said:

Coming into Xmas, 3 points off the top, I'd have taken that at the start of the season. 

 

Need a few favours from round about us and there's a great chance of still winning the league.

 

Onwards and upwards.

 

[Bull's-eye]

27 minutes ago, Gashauskis9 said:

We need to bottle that optimism chief, fair play to you.  You’re a far more patient individual than me.

 

I’ll take the table with a pinch of salt.  Most teams around us have at least a game in hand (Celtic have 3!), so realistically we’re 12 points off the top.  No way we’re making that up.

 

As I said before, I’ll never accept a 5-0 defeat against Livi and it’s tainted my view of this squad of players, who up to this point I’d given the benefit of the doubt.  The weight of expectation on Naismith, Uche, Vanacek and Souttar will be ridiculous now and I think we should prepare for further disappointments.

 

Don't really see the point in losing my Shit over something I have no control over.

I'm not embarrassed and I'm certainly not going to let 90 minutes of football turn me into a slavering lunatic like the rest of the inhabitants on here. 

I had flights booked and was going to go until they changed the fixture date. 

Quite pleased now in actual fact.

 

Some you win, some you lose.

The joys of supporting Hearts.

 

 

[Nookie Bear]

1 minute ago, Oliver Twist said:

 

Don't really see the point in losing my Shit over something I have no control over.

I'm not embarrassed and I'm certainly not going to let 90 minutes of football turn me into a slavering lunatic like the rest of the inhabitants on here. 

I had flights booked and was going to go until they changed the fixture date. 

Quite pleased now in actual fact.

 

Some you win, some you lose.

The joys of supporting Hearts.

 

 

 

And yet, here you are, slavering like a lunatic. 

 

“...great chance of winning the league” 

 

[Bull's-eye]

2 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

And yet, here you are, slavering like a lunatic. 

 

“...great chance of winning the league” 

 

 

Ok, we're Shit, will never win again and everybody should be sacked.

 

Do you feel better now?

[merrymac]

1 minute ago, Oliver Twist said:

 

Ok, we're Shit, will never win again and everybody should be sacked.

 

Do you feel better now?

You changed your tune sharpish 

[Bull's-eye]

1 minute ago, merrymac said:

You changed your tune sharpish 

 

Just getting with the program.

 

Snarl  Nash  Grrr  Nash  Snarl  Nash 

[merrymac]

Just now, Oliver Twist said:

 

Just getting with the program.

 

Snarl  Nash  Grrr  Nash  Snarl  Nash 

Short one Grr and one Nash too many

[ramrod]

10 hours ago, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

Now I am hurting badly after tonight so forgive me from this as I don't want to post in haste but looking at Livi and the team spirit they have has me thinking again we changed the team too much from the championship winning squad. We are a bunch of journeyman now without the determination to go further than mid table at best. I sincerely hope that changes when Naismith, Uche and Vanacek are added but those there just now are nowhere near good enough to represent us and are showing nothing for our great club and its ambitions. 

The biggest single problem is recruitment. 

We need players with the correct mentality for Scottish football even if it means forgoing a l bit of skill   

Players like Mitchell , Clare , Djoum,Hughes ,Zamal etc are a case in point . 

All dreadful when the going gets tough.

We really are back to looking a shambles from top to bottom . Coaching , recruitment, discipline under pressure , utter shambles .