Creativity is required.

[Walter Bishop]

Think we are crying out for a creative player in the middle of the park, Naismith is capable but we need him being on the end of the creativity! Would love to see one or two more come in before window shuts, Not sure who is available though, that`s the problem. 

 

A number 10 and a winger would do nicely! 

 

[1971fozzy]

We have Cochrane 

[Agentjambo]

Craig says midfield is strong...have to disagree with him.No creativity at all.

[Mikey1874]

Maybe. In general terms I agree. 

 

But play at the pace, speed of attack we did a few times today we'll do alright. 

[Psychedelicropcircle]

The oppositions first task today was to stop us being creative. A horrible team playing ugly but effective football ?

[Muppetboy]

7 minutes ago, 1971fozzy said:

We have Cochrane 

That’s alright then 

[Tatlock]

Haring is what we are missing. HIs ball winning and work rate allowed our other midfielders space and time to create. He is the protection for the team. We do still need a winger who doesn’t go to pieces whenever he has a chance to cross or shoot. It’s nearly ther, just a couple of weeks till he’s back and barring more injuries we will see the return of early season swagger?

[savage]

Cochrane is not the answer

[jambopilms]

Nobody has an comfortable, easy game against Livi. They are set out to stop teams playing and that's what they did. Again.

[siegementality]

1 minute ago, Tatlock said:

Haring is what we are missing. HIs ball winning and work rate allowed our other midfielders space and time to create. He is the protection for the team. We do still need a winger who doesn’t go to pieces whenever he has a chance to cross or shoot. It’s nearly ther, just a couple of weeks till he’s back and barring more injuries we will see the return of early season swagger?

Sorry, disagree. Regardless of Haring being in there doing the spade work there is a lack of creativity. Djoum is not the answer. Let his contract expire and bring someone else in. We need someone in the middle of the park who can pull the strings.

[1953]

We've been crying out for creativity for ages, Haring will improve things when he's back but we could do with a Cameron or a Hartley, no idea where we'll find one though.

[kila]

It’ll come with confidence. We look a bit rusty at times but new faces and some returning from injury. We have favourable fixtures coming up though.

[jambopilms]

I don't think any team comes back from a 3 week break firing on all cylinders. Hopefully we will be better midweek .

[communist]

11 minutes ago, Tatlock said:

Haring is what we are missing. HIs ball winning and work rate allowed our other midfielders space and time to create. He is the protection for the team. We do still need a winger who doesn’t go to pieces whenever he has a chance to cross or shoot. It’s nearly ther, just a couple of weeks till he’s back and barring more injuries we will see the return of early season swagger?

 

 

Said this a few times today. We missed a ball winning, box to box midfielder today. We really need to get Haring tied down for a year or 2 more. 

[Alex Kintner]

If only we had managed to get a win today against a pretty good Livi team despite having two debutants then this place would have been much less negative tonight. 

 

Oh wait ?

[communist]

5 minutes ago, To Be Frank said:

If only we had managed to get a win today against a pretty good Livi team despite having two debutants then this place would have been much less negative tonight. 

 

Oh wait ?

 

Meanwhile your positivity really helps lift the place. 

 

Oh wait, we did win. 

[DG_HMFC]

I think we have decent creativity, it's the movement in forward areas that isn't great. 

 

We don't have wingers or strikers that look to run in behind, everything is far too static and easy tonpkay against at times.

 

We wingers, and have done now for quite some time. Any money we have should be spent on guys that are good at being a winger - being direct and whipping in a decent cross.

[Tatlock]

10 minutes ago, siegementality said:

Sorry, disagree. Regardless of Haring being in there doing the spade work there is a lack of creativity. Djoum is not the answer. Let his contract expire and bring someone else in. We need someone in the middle of the park who can pull the strings.

It’s your prerogative to disagree, however, Lee is creative but never a ball winner, so is Cochran, but neither will run the show without protection. Djoum, I agree with, he’s just too timid in any challenge. A creative midfielder who has pace, speed of thought and likes a challenge is what we need but won’t be able to afford so I think we are working on the individuals who complement each other until we can find that all in one player.  One of the most creative players we have is Martin, who passes, moves and looks for a return but gets slated because of his timidity and lack of stamina. I don’t think you and I are poles apart in wanting the same thing, in fact think we are pretty close to agreeing what we need but perfect takes time to find.?

[Cruyff Turn]

We need to work on crossing and work on how we get the ball into those areas more frequently then we’ll score loads with Uche, Vanecek and Naisy attacking the crosses. 

 

I think we do have creativity, we’ve got Naisy, Clare, Lee, Cochrane, Djoum who can all create through the middle and I still think Morrison, Wighton, Mulraney & young McDonald have a lot to offer in time. 

 

We we can go direct, we can play through teams, we can hit on the break, we can score from outside the area, it’s crossing and what we do out wide that will create the most goals. 

[Phil Dunphy]

Most midfielders would struggle to break down a ten man defence on a pitch like ours.

[Famous 1874]

Djoum could be that player but he is playing too far back. Stick him at 10 in behind Naisy and Vanecek and we might see some more goals. Perfect time to try it on Wednesday.

[clark963]

12 minutes ago, Cruyff Turn said:

We need to work on crossing and work on how we get the ball into those areas more frequently then we’ll score loads with Uche, Vanecek and Naisy attacking the crosses. 

 

I think we do have creativity, we’ve got Naisy, Clare, Lee, Cochrane, Djoum who can all create through the middle and I still think Morrison, Wighton, Mulraney & young McDonald have a lot to offer in time. 

 

We we can go direct, we can play through teams, we can hit on the break, we can score from outside the area, it’s crossing and what we do out wide that will create the most goals. 

My thoughts entirely. Got down the sides loads today but the final ball was chronically poor. 

[Bainy]

Djoum frustrated the hell out of me today seemed to hide when Shugnessy or berra were looking for an out ball instead of launching it long there's nobody that drops into space to look for the ball so it goes long and livi will lap that up all day long. A terrible game of football to watch today. Think we are missing a game changer in the middle as naismith didn't seen to be as influential out left. 

 

 

[Strummerville]

It's the pace in the middle that needs addressed. We are about a yard away in there and can see that by the midfield passing back constantly. 

 

Also I'd like to see 2 wingers playing, naismith was wasted on the left first half and ironically clare scored from cutting in from there.

[Bauld]

Soon as we stopped shelling it forward we looked creative.

 

From the 40th to half time we carved them open a couple of times with decent passing to stretch the defenders.

 

I think there is creativity there but we had the style wrong.

[Beast Boy]

1 hour ago, Walter Bishop said:

Think we are crying out for a creative player in the middle of the park, Naismith is capable but we need him being on the end of the creativity! Would love to see one or two more come in before window shuts, Not sure who is available though, that`s the problem. 

 

A number 10 and a winger would do nicely! 

 

 

Are you Liam MacLeod?

 

[amadjambo]

Stewart that was at Killie, and now Aberdeen, would have been ideal.

[DH1986]

We desperately need a winger who lifts his head and picks out a player with a cross instead of the hit and hope Morrison. 

 

[Koolkeith]

We need a ball carrier in midfield. Someone who drives the team forward. The build up is painfully slow at times with lots of backwards and sideways passing.

[Guest]

I think Naismith is a much more creative player than people give him credit for. We started the season with him on the left a fair bit or behind the strikers and McLean and Uche up top, plus often with Morrison wide. That's a very attacking formation. Not sure where a playmaker type No. 10 or a McGinn style No. 8 would fit in without leaving us light in midfield. With everyone fit I think we'll see a different team. Lee, Clare, Djoum and even Haring are all pretty attack-minded and have shown they can be capable of going forward. It's not like we're playing a midfield of cloggers.

 

We definitely lack a really reliable wide player/winger though. The crossing was very poor today.

[Jim Weir]

1 hour ago, Psychedelicropcircle said:

The oppositions first task today was to stop us being creative. A horrible team playing ugly but effective football ?

And don't we just hate coming up against that. The maximum effort bit seems to be a real chore for us as a side 

 

Pace, creativity and proper width.  All still missing imo 

[Mr Elwood P]

Strangely our much maligned midfield have produced four out of the last five goals that we've scored, including two great goals from Lee and Clare. I think Sean Clare can become the player that folk are highlighting that we need, he's gradually coming onto a game. Great goal today and involved in a lot of the better moments against the wee team.

[merrymac]

12 minutes ago, DH1986 said:

We desperately need a winger who lifts his head and picks out a player with a cross instead of the hit and hope Morrison. 

 

People have said that Mulraney has no end product, but every time i have seen him play neither has Morrison.

Think he has had a fair chance this season, time to give Mulraney a chance to see if he can turn his raw pace into something more.

Cant think we will be any worse off.

[henry]

The age old problem we have is lack of pace, we’ve failed time upon time to address this blatantly obvious problem. We’ve tried but failed to get that player that frightens defenders with real pace. Until we sort this out we can’t break quickly or find an out ball. This should be an absolute priority in the summer. 

[Mr Elwood P]

3 minutes ago, henry said:

The age old problem we have is lack of pace, we’ve failed time upon time to address this blatantly obvious problem. We’ve tried but failed to get that player that frightens defenders with real pace. Until we sort this out we can’t break quickly or find an out ball. This should be an absolute priority in the summer. 

 

Mulraney, Morrison, Clare and Mitchell are all fast, it is speed combined with end product that is required. Unfortunately like many such qualities in football it is expensive to acquire a player that has both of these qualities, especially for a club at our level.

[Bauld]

3 minutes ago, henry said:

The age old problem we have is lack of pace, we’ve failed time upon time to address this blatantly obvious problem. We’ve tried but failed to get that player that frightens defenders with real pace. Until we sort this out we can’t break quickly or find an out ball. This should be an absolute priority in the summer. 

 

All the best teams who break at pace make the ball do the work. They break from their own box and have the ball in the net with 3-4 passes maximum. The only real pace required is from the forward to get on the end of the ball before defender or keeper, if that is even required.

 

On todays evidence we failed many times to move the ball quickly enough and accurately enough to create an overload or break in behind.

 

We hardly ever forced  Livi into a situation where they were chasing back to their own goal but having said that they played so deep and so defensively doing any of the above was difficult. They would have been delighted with a draw and only briefly made attempts to win the game.

[feedthefox]

Despite very little time to show much today I thought Mulraney showed he could be more of a player than some think,  I'd like to see him get more of a chance, he is very quick of that there is no doubt certainly more rapid than Morrison and I suspect he could actually get passed a player. 

[1971fozzy]

1 hour ago, Muppetboy said:

That’s alright then 

Aye it is

[Fxxx the SPFL]

I'll take twenty one nil wins between now and the end of the season it wasn't pretty but we deserved the win just waiting on someone to suggest bringing back JW lol.

[Enzo Chiefo]

1 hour ago, Cruyff Turn said:

We need to work on crossing and work on how we get the ball into those areas more frequently then we’ll score loads with Uche, Vanecek and Naisy attacking the crosses. 

 

I think we do have creativity, we’ve got Naisy, Clare, Lee, Cochrane, Djoum who can all create through the middle and I still think Morrison, Wighton, Mulraney & young McDonald have a lot to offer in time. 

 

We we can go direct, we can play through teams, we can hit on the break, we can score from outside the area, it’s crossing and what we do out wide that will create the most goals. 

You make us sound like world beaters Cruyff. Our problem is the lack of pace and movement. We have short spells in games where we string a few good passes together but today we created very little. A moment of magic won the game but we need to create more. The goals for column speaks for itself.

 

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Mr Elwood P said:

 

Mulraney, Morrison, Clare and Mitchell are all fast, it is speed combined with end product that is required. Unfortunately like many such qualities in football it is expensive to acquire a player that has both of these qualities, especially for a club at our level.

 

Uche can shift too. A cup game like this is never going to see much creativity. It's more about being more direct sometimes for me (Suso Santana type direct), or knowing when to be direct and when to slow things down. I like Djoum as a player but there are times I wish he'd keep going when there's some space in front of him. Clare also hesitates a lot which I'm putting down to confidence. Morrison, Mitchell and Mulraney are the most direct players but definitely haven't produced the end product.

 

Haring has been doing well at driving out of midfield though and Souttar can do that too from defence so I think we'll carry much more threat with Haring and Uche back in particular..

Edited January 20, 2019 by Guest

[Mr Elwood P]

1 minute ago, ToqueJambo said:

 

Uche can shift too. A cup game like this is never going to see much creativity. It's more about being more direct sometimes for me (Suso Santana type direct), or knowing when to be direct and when to slow things down. I like Djoum as a player but there are times I wish he'd keep going when there's some space in front of him. Clare also hesitates a lot which I'm putting down to confidence. Morrison, Mitchell and Mulraney are the most direct players but definitely haven't produced the end product.

 

Haring has been doing well at driving out of midfield though and Souttar can do that too from defence so I think we'll carry much more threat with Haring and Uche back in particular..

 

Missed this today. Berra's downfall is his distribution and having a ball playing centre back like Souttar next to him is almost essential. He wins absolutely everything in the air and is a great captain, if he had better distribution and general footballing ability I think he could have played at a very high level.

[portobellojambo1]

1 hour ago, Psychedelicropcircle said:

The oppositions first task today was to stop us being creative. A horrible team playing ugly but effective football ?

 

Agree. Today wasn't a good day to judge creativity or lack of it. I do think we missed Haring in midfield today, but I suspect the more than regular movement of the ball backwards and/or across the field rather than forward was possibly how the team were asked to play given the way Livingston play.

[Glottis]

Today we had 2 players doing Peter Haring's job and they still weren't as confident as he is.

Djoum and Lee clearly found it difficult to do their assigned jobs today but they did ok.

 

We played a different system to usual and it took the team a while to get into it, especially with Livi's style of play.

[Cruyff Turn]

20 minutes ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

You make us sound like world beaters Cruyff. Our problem is the lack of pace and movement. We have short spells in games where we string a few good passes together but today we created very little. A moment of magic won the game but we need to create more. The goals for column speaks for itself.

 

We’re not bad, far from the finished article but I think people need to be a bit more patient as a lot of our guys are a bit raw. Agree we need a bit more pace.

 

Livi are a tough side though and today was a battle. They stifled us , made every ball a contest and got men behind the ball forcing us long.

 

Agree that we didn’t create a lot and the opportunities we did have came from Morrison, which either ended with poor delivery or him taking the wrong option even when he had done well initially. 

 

We did have 2 very good chances though that we missed. Naisys one and Morrison’s. If those go in then I don’t think this thread exists. Fine margins between us winning 3-0 and winning 1-0. We were a bit cautious today and I think that’s possibly because it was a cup match and Livi are difficult to break down, so we didn’t want to concede and find ourselves open to them on the counter which they are good at. 

 

I actually thought that we’d have created more if we had been 3-4-1-2 rather than the 4-2-3-1 we played. Vanecek was isolated too often  or having to drop deep and therefore wasn’t available to hit early as he was behind play. 

[Enzo Chiefo]

1 minute ago, Cruyff Turn said:

We’re not bad, far from the finished article but I think people need to be a bit more patient as a lot of our guys are a bit raw. Agree we need a bit more pace.

 

Livi are a tough side though and today was a battle. They stifled us , made every ball a contest and got men behind the ball forcing us long.

 

Agree that we didn’t create a lot and the opportunities we did have came from Morrison, which either ended with poor delivery or him taking the wrong option even when he had done well initially. 

 

We did have 2 very good chances though that we missed. Naisys one and Morrison’s. If those go in then I don’t think this thread exists. Fine margins between us winning 3-0 and winning 1-0. We were a bit cautious today and I think that’s possibly because it was a cup match and Livi are difficult to break down, so we didn’t want to concede and find ourselves open to them on the counter which they are good at. 

 

I actually thought that we’d have created more if we had been 3-4-1-2 rather than the 4-2-3-1 we played. Vanecek was isolated too often  or having to drop deep and therefore wasn’t available to hit early as he was behind play. 

Yes, i agree. Vanacek was isolated up top and there was a big gap between him and the midfield at times. We did have a couple of chances as did Livvy at 0-0. It's always a bit nervy at 1-0 going into the last few minutes as I don't think anyone fancied a replay through there.

[Muirhead]

We have some technically gifted players like Lee and Clare who do the safe thing but our issue is nobody other than Naismith takes responsibility to go over and above their own wee job to make things happen and go beyond the striker or play between the lines.  For me it’s not ability but mindset.  Additional quality out wide is a must however 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Muirhead

[Nelly Terraces]

Every time a Hearts player gets the ball their 1st instinct is to stop, check back & either pass it backwards or sideways. Its grom viewing. The same football philosophy that got Mourinho the sack at Man Utd (though admittedly he was also acting like a monumental ba'bag). Dreadfully boring, outdated & ultimately unsuccessful football. 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Nelly Terraces said:

Every time a Hearts player gets the ball their 1st instinct is to stop, check back & either pass it backwards or sideways. Its grom viewing. The same football philosophy that got Mourinho the sack at Man Utd (though admittedly he was also acting like a monumental ba'bag). Dreadfully boring, outdated & ultimately unsuccessful football. 

 

This isn't true. Naismith for one is always looking for positive passes and Morrison was charging up the wing as much as possible. It was pretty clear early in the season how Levein wants us to play and I don't think it fits your description. We wouldn't sign target men if the plan is sideways passing. Levein wants it played forward with supporting runs from midfield. That said, he's pragmatic, so he also understands the whole philosophy of the other team not being able to score if they don't have the ball, so he wants us to keep possession too. 

 

We're still missing key players and it was our main striker's first game today. Can only assume that was behind the very few chances we created. 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Guest

[Bauldrick]

I agree that we lack creativity in midfield, we have done so for a long time, someone who can control the midfield, pick a telling forward pass and not treat the ball like a hot potato, usually such a player is someone in the autumn of their career perhaps Charlie Adam could have been the answer, surely somewhere in Europe such a player could possibly be available, oh for even another Stevie Fulton to come along. Craig says he is happy with the midfield options that we have, I have to disagree, Djoum and Clare are too similar in style, both being attack minded midfielders, Haring is an exciting ball winner, Lee has the occasional superb strike from distance but does not offer much else, so, my ideal midfield would be one attacking midfielder, one defensive ball winning midfielder, plus that elusive, talented, crafty midfielder.