***OFFICIAL SUMMER TRANSFER THREAD***

[Mr Elwood P]

2 hours ago, Bauld said:

 

It just feels like a mistake.

 

When you have someone who puts that much effort into their game and is playing for the privilege of playing for the club I just don't think they should be allowed to leave so easily. 

 

He came from nowhere to start the Scottish cup final and his work rate along with Haring had us competing to the point where we actually took the lead. Not only that it was his goal getting us in front. It wasn't to be in the end but his performance in that match showed exactly what we have been missing in midfield. Drive.

 

It can't feel like anything until we see the calibre of midfielders coming in as replacements for Lee, Djoum and Edwards. Every chance it will be a 1 or 2 very good players and Edwards will be almost instantly forgotten.

[dougal]

36 minutes ago, Mr Elwood P said:

 

It can't feel like anything until we see the calibre of midfielders coming in as replacements for Lee, Djoum and Edwards. Every chance it will be a 1 or 2 very good players and Edwards will be almost instantly forgotten.

 

Arguably correct but just wondering what have you seen in the midfielders that Levein has brought in the past to suggest that he's going to be signing very good midfielders. His record is pretty poor on the midfielder front.

[Pasquale for King]

How much did Barca pay for Lee and Halkett 🤔🤷🏾‍♂️?

[Walter Bishop]

Cummings played and scored for NFFC youth team tonight.  

Edited July 23, 2019 by Walter Bishop

[Alex Kintner]

8 minutes ago, Walter Bishop said:

Cummings played and scored for NFFC youth team tonight.  

 

Shankland would have scored twice.

[Mr Elwood P]

30 minutes ago, dougal said:

 

Arguably correct but just wondering what have you seen in the midfielders that Levein has brought in the past to suggest that he's going to be signing very good midfielders. His record is pretty poor on the midfielder front.

 

I don’t think any of the midfielders could be described as ‘poor’. Lee, Edwards and Bozanic all decent players who have contributed in different ways. Clare and Haring are both very good signings. Naismith has been excellent. Walker has the potential also to be excellent and Clare has loads of potential growth as he’s only 22. I just feel that with three players leaving and us taking a considerable amount of time to bring in replacements, that we might be getting a player in the special or marquee category. All educated guess work. Hope to be proven correct.

Edited July 23, 2019 by Mr Elwood P

[sadj]

5 minutes ago, To Be Frank said:

 

Shankland would have scored twice.

😂

[wheatfield to sheffield]

9 hours ago, Cygnet said:

Edwards to Burton Albion confirmed. 

Farewell to the burglar

[jambmoz]

Any chance of a signing anytime soon??🤷‍♂️

[dougal]

6 hours ago, Mr Elwood P said:

 

I don’t think any of the midfielders could be described as ‘poor’. Lee, Edwards and Bozanic all decent players who have contributed in different ways. Clare and Haring are both very good signings. Naismith has been excellent. Walker has the potential also to be excellent and Clare has loads of potential growth as he’s only 22. I just feel that with three players leaving and us taking a considerable amount of time to bring in replacements, that we might be getting a player in the special or marquee category. All educated guess work. Hope to be proven correct.

 

Lee did okay last season but was limited due to his lack of pace. Bozanic hasn't really had a decent run in the team to see what he can really contribute but on the glimpses so far, it's nothing to write home about. Edwards while doing great work in the final didn't show too much more and while full of energy and drive seemed to be lacking in actual footballing ability. Clare if I'm being honest still hasn't stepped up enough. For a guy who has played in the English championship and who came here with pretty high expectations still hasn't hit the heights that we thought he might. As you say he is young so there may be time but it needs to happen soon. Haring was good but let's not kid ourselves, he was brought in as a centre half and just so happened to find himself in a defensive midfield position, where he performed very well. I doubt that this was deliberate from Levein but rather good fortune. Naismith similarly was signed as an attacker but is good enough to drop back into midfield and perform well. Walker is a good player but again brought in a winger but can play as an attacking midfielder. As I said, his actual midfield signings haven't been great and he's enjoyed some luck with players brought in to fill other positions being able to fill in in the midfield. I hope that your confidence in Levein is well placed, time will tell.

[GorgieFifeLife]

20 minutes ago, jambmoz said:

Any chance of a signing anytime soon??🤷‍♂️

We are seemingly not in any rush.

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

1 hour ago, jambmoz said:

Any chance of a signing anytime soon??🤷‍♂️

Patience ! Manager quite rightly taking his time to make sure gets right player in 

[jr ewing]

1 hour ago, jambmoz said:

Any chance of a signing anytime soon??🤷‍♂️

If it is loan players then it will be closer to the end of the transfer window before we know who may be available. 

[GorgieRules22]

8 minutes ago, Selkirkhmfc1874 said:

Patience ! Manager quite rightly taking his time to make sure gets right player in 

The league campaign starts a week on Sunday and our options in midfield are ridiculously short. You can keep saying have patience but I’m afraid we should be in a position right now we’re we almost know what team will start in that game. Our current midfield won’t go to Pittodrie and compete with their midfield it’s as simple as that and that’s not good enough in my opinion.

[Homme]

3 minutes ago, GorgieRules22 said:

The league campaign starts a week on Sunday and our options in midfield are ridiculously short. You can keep saying have patience but I’m afraid we should be in a position right now we’re we almost know what team will start in that game. Our current midfield won’t go to Pittodrie and compete with their midfield it’s as simple as that and that’s not good enough in my opinion.

 

New faces this week or not, they won't be playing at Pittodrie. 

[cheetah]

4 minutes ago, Homme said:

 

New faces this week or not, they won't be playing at Pittodrie. 

 

 

Why not?

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

7 minutes ago, GorgieRules22 said:

The league campaign starts a week on Sunday and our options in midfield are ridiculously short. You can keep saying have patience but I’m afraid we should be in a position right now we’re we almost know what team will start in that game. Our current midfield won’t go to Pittodrie and compete with their midfield it’s as simple as that and that’s not good enough in my opinion.

The players we've got just now well capable of seeing us through our next 2 games against stenhousemuir and east fife ! I'm sure by time we go to aberdeen we'll be ready to compete there 

[Homme]

Just now, cheetah said:

 

 

Why not?

 

Because the chances are they won't be fit enough. 

 

[davemclaren]

8 hours ago, Walter Bishop said:

Cummings played and scored for NFFC youth team tonight.  

I don’t have any issues with Cummings coming to Hearts if that is at all likely. Not sure how good he really is though as I don’t remember him doing too much at Rangers. 

[cheetah]

5 minutes ago, Homme said:

 

Because the chances are they won't be fit enough. 

 

 

 

Injured too i guess  

[North Berwick Jambo]

 Joaquim Adão would be ideal cover for Haring, where is he these days? 

Edited July 24, 2019 by North Berwick Jambo

[wavydavy]

14 minutes ago, Homme said:

 

New faces this week or not, they won't be playing at Pittodrie. 

I suppose that will depend on if they are currently with a club and have done pre season work.

 

A loan signing could be fully fit.

 

If it's a free agent then unlikely to be match fit.

 

[Mr Elwood P]

1 hour ago, dougal said:

 

Lee did okay last season but was limited due to his lack of pace. Bozanic hasn't really had a decent run in the team to see what he can really contribute but on the glimpses so far, it's nothing to write home about. Edwards while doing great work in the final didn't show too much more and while full of energy and drive seemed to be lacking in actual footballing ability. Clare if I'm being honest still hasn't stepped up enough. For a guy who has played in the English championship and who came here with pretty high expectations still hasn't hit the heights that we thought he might. As you say he is young so there may be time but it needs to happen soon. Haring was good but let's not kid ourselves, he was brought in as a centre half and just so happened to find himself in a defensive midfield position, where he performed very well. I doubt that this was deliberate from Levein but rather good fortune. Naismith similarly was signed as an attacker but is good enough to drop back into midfield and perform well. Walker is a good player but again brought in a winger but can play as an attacking midfielder. As I said, his actual midfield signings haven't been great and he's enjoyed some luck with players brought in to fill other positions being able to fill in in the midfield. I hope that your confidence in Levein is well placed, time will tell.

 

A very harsh critique coupled with a very narrow understanding of the game of football. 

 

Bozanic player 24 Scottish Premiership games last season so no idea how that can be described as not a ‘decent run’.

 

Clare only played 5 games in the English Championship and is very young. He has done more than enough to show,

those who know, that he’s got the potential to be a fantastic player.

 

Who are his ‘actual midfield signings’ who have been ‘poor’ then?

[wavydavy]

3 minutes ago, North Berwick Jambo said:

 Joaquim Adão would be ideal cover for Haring,, where is he these days? 

Still at FC Sion apparently.

[Mr Elwood P]

17 minutes ago, Homme said:

 

Because the chances are they won't be fit enough. 

 

 

Why? They could be signed from a league with summer football? They could have had a full pre season with their current club! They could have been training with a former club. Considering we’ve no idea who the potential signings are, to guess that they aren’t fit is a ridiculous statement to make.

[Debut 4]

6 minutes ago, Mr Elwood P said:

 

A very harsh critique coupled with a very narrow understanding of the game of football. 

 

Bozanic player 24 Scottish Premiership games last season so no idea how that can be described as not a ‘decent run’.

 

Clare only played 5 games in the English Championship and is very young. He has done more than enough to show,

those who know, that he’s got the potential to be a fantastic player.

 

Who are his ‘actual midfield signings’ who have been ‘poor’ then?

Bozanic started only 15 matches. How is that a decent run to get form, bed in and see what a player can offer over an extended period?

 

 

[FarmerTweedy]

1 hour ago, dougal said:

 

Lee did okay last season but was limited due to his lack of pace. Bozanic hasn't really had a decent run in the team to see what he can really contribute but on the glimpses so far, it's nothing to write home about. Edwards while doing great work in the final didn't show too much more and while full of energy and drive seemed to be lacking in actual footballing ability. Clare if I'm being honest still hasn't stepped up enough. For a guy who has played in the English championship and who came here with pretty high expectations still hasn't hit the heights that we thought he might. As you say he is young so there may be time but it needs to happen soon. Haring was good but let's not kid ourselves, he was brought in as a centre half and just so happened to find himself in a defensive midfield position, where he performed very well. I doubt that this was deliberate from Levein but rather good fortune. Naismith similarly was signed as an attacker but is good enough to drop back into midfield and perform well. Walker is a good player but again brought in a winger but can play as an attacking midfielder. As I said, his actual midfield signings haven't been great and he's enjoyed some luck with players brought in to fill other positions being able to fill in in the midfield. I hope that your confidence in Levein is well placed, time will tell.

You're just putting your own impressions on signings there and assuming Levein saw them the same way as you.

 

In the case of Haring, he did seem to be primarily signed as a defender, but he'd played as a midfielder for quite some time before moving into defence, and Levein would have been well aware of that, and would probably have seen him as someone who could at least provide cover as a defensive midfielder as well as actually in defence. I imagine Levein would have been pleasantly surprised by just how well he's done in midfield though.

 

In the case of Naismith, you're simply hopelessly out of date. Well before he joined Hearts, Naismith had already transitioned from being an out-and-out forward player into more of a number 10, tending to play deeper than a main striker, and more as a very attacking midfielder.

 

In the case of Walker, again you're hopelessly out of date. He may have started out as a winger, but even long before he left us for Wigan, he'd started playing in a much narrower, more central role, as an attacking midfielder.

[GorgieRules22]

30 minutes ago, Selkirkhmfc1874 said:

The players we've got just now well capable of seeing us through our next 2 games against stenhousemuir and east fife ! I'm sure by time we go to aberdeen we'll be ready to compete there 

We can all sit and pretend our glass is half full and say come Aberdeen we’ll be ready but I’m still to see evidence to back that up. We need two midfielders to come in before that in my opinion and at the moment there’s no signs of one. Steven Naismith hasn’t kicked a ball for 6 months also, are we pinning our hopes on him for this one aswell. I’ll call it for what it is at the moment and it’s far from ideal.

[Gavman81]

The season starts a week on Sunday and we do appear to be starting it with a weaker midfield then last season although completely get that we have significantly improved attacking options. It is a bit odd that four players are effectively out and yet we’re not in any perceived rush. Current options are fine for league cup but we do need quality in sooner rather than later. 

[Portable Badger]

EEN article:

 

Interesting to see Craig has had a few 'in' but decided not to pursue them. So maybe he is on the ball after all..... 

 

Craig Levein likes the look of his new Hearts squad - although one position remains a headache

Published: 06:30 Wednesday 24 July 2019

 

 

With just a week and a half to go until Hearts kick-off their Scottish Premiership, Craig Levein is relatively content about the way his team is shaping up.

The manager’s most pressing matter at present is to source an adequate replacement for the all-action holding midfielder, Peter Haring. Beyond this conundrum at the base of his engine room, however, the manager has plenty reason for optimism following a couple of promising Betfred Cup displays. 

The ongoing progress of several fleet-footed young players and the return to fitness of others has reduced the need for an extensive recruitment drive this summer. Craig Halkett has arrived to enhance a backline that was already in pretty good order, while Conor Washington and Jamie Walker have been added to bolster the attacking department. Steven Naismith, who is set to re-sign next week, should have a unifying effect on the whole team.

“It’s always an anxious time of the year,” said Levein, when asked how preparations for the season are going. 

“I feel the centre midfield area is a little bit of a worry because we’ve lost Peter and Arnaud Djoum. Peter will obviously be back in a couple of months but it gives us a little bit of a problem in that defensive midfield area. 

“We’ve got a bundles of attacking players, which was a problem last year. That one position in midfield is a slight worry but I don’t want to rush into anything because I’ll only have one shot at getting the right one.

“At times this season, I want to play 4-4-2, and to do that I need a strong, robust, aggressive player in there and that’s obviously not Andy Irving or Harry Cochrane at the moment. 

“Olly Bozanic and Sean Clare will play together against Stenhousemuir and they’ve done quite well when they’ve played. If I was really worried about it I’d have done something by now but I’ve been in the fortunate position this summer of not having to rush anything. 

“Everything’s been well thought out and well planned. I’ve had three or four players in who I was going to sign but then I didn’t quite get the right vibe, so it’s good to be in a position where I can take my time and not have to panic and bring somebody in at the last minute.”

Levein believes the arrival of a solid holding midfielder will help Clare as he gets to grips with playing central midfield in a 4-4-2. The 22-year-old Englishman was used in a more advanced role last season and Levein believes he is equipped to take on extra responsibility now that he has had time to acclimatise to Scottish football. 

“I’m happy with the way Sean’s adapting to playing in the two,” he said. “For me, his focus now is on winning second balls. I know he can go forward, I know he can score, I know he’s got a good range of passing, but to play in a two you need to be able to do the dirty work. It’s about getting that out of him. 

“He’s come back in good condition. His pre-season work’s been good. He’s definitely fitter, he’s much improved on that front. If Peter was available, him and Sean would dovetail perfectly in there for us. That side of things is all about getting that player in (to cover for Haring). That will help a lot.”

Attack is in good order, with Washington, Uche Ikpeazu, Steven MacLean and Aidan Keena - who Levein has been impressed with this summer - vying for the striker positions and Walker, Naismith, Jake Mulraney, Callumn Morrison, Dario Zanatta, Anthony McDonald all available to play wide or in attacking midfield. 

 

 

“The next problem is how I’m going to get them all in the team,” he smiled. “I’m in the fortunate position now of having a number of good attacking players. 

“It doesn’t matter where Naisy plays, that’s the beauty of it. He can play off the left, off the right, centre midfield, up front, or off the striker. And I’ve got Walker who can do the same. Jake is more of a winger and Morrison is the same. Then I’ve got McDonald, who is a bit like Walker in terms of his style of play. Zanatta’s done quite well as well so there’s a whole load of options.”

This new-found array of attackers has allowed Levein to play 4-4-2 in the Betfred Cup this summer. 

“That was what we worked on before the Betfred Cup started,” said the manager. “There are two other systems we’ll play this season that we haven’t touched on yet but we’ll obviously do that before the season starts. 

“There will be times we might play three at the back. Again, I’m quite fortunate that, touch wood, with everyone being fit and well, we’ve got a really strong back line. We’ll also get Ben Garuccio back, probably around November time, which will boost that group.”

 

 

[cheetah]

Close thread, no more signings 

[Mr Elwood P]

16 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

Bozanic started only 15 matches. How is that a decent run to get form, bed in and see what a player can offer over an extended period?

 

 

 

I think from the 15 starts the made it is clear he is a decent centre mid, takes good set pieces and has physical attributes to play in the Scottish Premiership. It is also clear that he isn’t as good a player as Djoum or Haring and will likely be squad player again this term.

[Gav M]

2 minutes ago, cheetah said:

Close thread, no more signings 

You get that from Levein saying he's bringing someone in, he's just taking his time to get the right one??

[Mr Elwood P]

3 minutes ago, cheetah said:

Close thread, no more signings 

 

Really?

[kimosavi]

Surely there could be a few potential signing/s in the stands watching tonight's game 

 

Keep a look out 👀👀👀

[Beast Boy]

10 hours ago, Tom Hardy’s Dug said:

Re Clare - he is a tall elegant runner in the middle of midfield with the ball at his feet so I understand why a lot of Hearts fans don’t ‘get him’.

 

Definitely this. 

[Byyy The Light]

1 hour ago, dougal said:

 

Lee did okay last season but was limited due to his lack of pace. Bozanic hasn't really had a decent run in the team to see what he can really contribute but on the glimpses so far, it's nothing to write home about. Edwards while doing great work in the final didn't show too much more and while full of energy and drive seemed to be lacking in actual footballing ability. Clare if I'm being honest still hasn't stepped up enough. For a guy who has played in the English championship and who came here with pretty high expectations still hasn't hit the heights that we thought he might. As you say he is young so there may be time but it needs to happen soon. Haring was good but let's not kid ourselves, he was brought in as a centre half and just so happened to find himself in a defensive midfield position, where he performed very well. I doubt that this was deliberate from Levein but rather good fortune. Naismith similarly was signed as an attacker but is good enough to drop back into midfield and perform well. Walker is a good player but again brought in a winger but can play as an attacking midfielder. As I said, his actual midfield signings haven't been great and he's enjoyed some luck with players brought in to fill other positions being able to fill in in the midfield. I hope that your confidence in Levein is well placed, time will tell.

 

Quite a lot of speculation in here amongst a few good valid points

[Swanny17]

Josh McEachran? 

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

20 minutes ago, GorgieRules22 said:

We can all sit and pretend our glass is half full and say come Aberdeen we’ll be ready but I’m still to see evidence to back that up. We need two midfielders to come in before that in my opinion and at the moment there’s no signs of one. Steven Naismith hasn’t kicked a ball for 6 months also, are we pinning our hopes on him for this one aswell. I’ll call it for what it is at the moment and it’s far from ideal.

Well all know we need a defensive minded midfield player and more importantly the manager knows we need one ! I'd rather he takes his time to get the right one rather than just bringing somebody in who isn't the standard required and few weeks down the line we're all on here slaggng the player , slagging the manager for poor recruitment etc 

[GorgieRules22]

Just now, Selkirkhmfc1874 said:

Well all know we need a defensive minded midfield player and more importantly the manager knows we need one ! I'd rather he takes his time to get the right one rather than just bringing somebody in who isn't the standard required and few weeks down the line we're all on here slaggng the player , slagging the manager for poor recruitment etc 

I get all that but time for me isn’t on our side just now and this situation hasn’t just occurred. He’s known that Lee wanted away,Djoum was heading and Haring was likely injured....dragging their heels now for me.

[HMFC86]

6 minutes ago, Cygnet said:

Josh McEachran? 

Suggestion or heard a rumour? 

 

Very highly rated as a youngster, but lost his way a bit. Think he’s had s few injuries. 

 

Would be a potentially great signing. 

[August Landmesser]

9 hours ago, To Be Frank said:

 

Shankland would have scored twice.

Mulraney would have scored 17

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

3 minutes ago, GorgieRules22 said:

I get all that but time for me isn’t on our side just now and this situation hasn’t just occurred. He’s known that Lee wanted away,Djoum was heading and Haring was likely injured....dragging their heels now for me.

We'll agree to disagree ! As I say I'd rather he took his time to get the right player rather than rush and get it wrong, it's a marathon and not a sprint so being bit patient much better for me 

[Swanny17]

1 minute ago, HMFC86 said:

Suggestion or heard a rumour? 

 

Very highly rated as a youngster, but lost his way a bit. Think he’s had s few injuries. 

 

Would be a potentially great signing. 

 

Just a suggestion bud, believe he’s out of the picture at Brentford so might be worth a look at. Highly rated as a youngster and still only 26. 

[HMFC86]

Just now, Cygnet said:

 

Just a suggestion bud, believe he’s out of the picture at Brentford so might be worth a look at. Highly rated as a youngster and still only 26. 

Fair enough, hoped you had heard something. Yeah definitely agree. 

[Absolute Scenes]

13 minutes ago, Cygnet said:

Josh McEachran? 

 

Very good calibre

Played consistently in the Championship for the last few seasons, free agent...

Have you heard something in this? (please say yes haha!)

 

EDIT: can see you've said it was just a suggestion  sad now

Edited July 24, 2019 by Absolute Scenes

[GorgieFifeLife]

31 minutes ago, Portable Badger said:

EEN article:

 

Interesting to see Craig has had a few 'in' but decided not to pursue them. So maybe he is on the ball after all..... 

 

Craig Levein likes the look of his new Hearts squad - although one position remains a headache

Published: 06:30 Wednesday 24 July 2019

 

 

With just a week and a half to go until Hearts kick-off their Scottish Premiership, Craig Levein is relatively content about the way his team is shaping up.

The manager’s most pressing matter at present is to source an adequate replacement for the all-action holding midfielder, Peter Haring. Beyond this conundrum at the base of his engine room, however, the manager has plenty reason for optimism following a couple of promising Betfred Cup displays. 

The ongoing progress of several fleet-footed young players and the return to fitness of others has reduced the need for an extensive recruitment drive this summer. Craig Halkett has arrived to enhance a backline that was already in pretty good order, while Conor Washington and Jamie Walker have been added to bolster the attacking department. Steven Naismith, who is set to re-sign next week, should have a unifying effect on the whole team.

“It’s always an anxious time of the year,” said Levein, when asked how preparations for the season are going. 

“I feel the centre midfield area is a little bit of a worry because we’ve lost Peter and Arnaud Djoum. Peter will obviously be back in a couple of months but it gives us a little bit of a problem in that defensive midfield area. 

“We’ve got a bundles of attacking players, which was a problem last year. That one position in midfield is a slight worry but I don’t want to rush into anything because I’ll only have one shot at getting the right one.

“At times this season, I want to play 4-4-2, and to do that I need a strong, robust, aggressive player in there and that’s obviously not Andy Irving or Harry Cochrane at the moment. 

“Olly Bozanic and Sean Clare will play together against Stenhousemuir and they’ve done quite well when they’ve played. If I was really worried about it I’d have done something by now but I’ve been in the fortunate position this summer of not having to rush anything. 

“Everything’s been well thought out and well planned. I’ve had three or four players in who I was going to sign but then I didn’t quite get the right vibe, so it’s good to be in a position where I can take my time and not have to panic and bring somebody in at the last minute.”

Levein believes the arrival of a solid holding midfielder will help Clare as he gets to grips with playing central midfield in a 4-4-2. The 22-year-old Englishman was used in a more advanced role last season and Levein believes he is equipped to take on extra responsibility now that he has had time to acclimatise to Scottish football. 

“I’m happy with the way Sean’s adapting to playing in the two,” he said. “For me, his focus now is on winning second balls. I know he can go forward, I know he can score, I know he’s got a good range of passing, but to play in a two you need to be able to do the dirty work. It’s about getting that out of him. 

“He’s come back in good condition. His pre-season work’s been good. He’s definitely fitter, he’s much improved on that front. If Peter was available, him and Sean would dovetail perfectly in there for us. That side of things is all about getting that player in (to cover for Haring). That will help a lot.”

Attack is in good order, with Washington, Uche Ikpeazu, Steven MacLean and Aidan Keena - who Levein has been impressed with this summer - vying for the striker positions and Walker, Naismith, Jake Mulraney, Callumn Morrison, Dario Zanatta, Anthony McDonald all available to play wide or in attacking midfield. 

 

 

“The next problem is how I’m going to get them all in the team,” he smiled. “I’m in the fortunate position now of having a number of good attacking players. 

“It doesn’t matter where Naisy plays, that’s the beauty of it. He can play off the left, off the right, centre midfield, up front, or off the striker. And I’ve got Walker who can do the same. Jake is more of a winger and Morrison is the same. Then I’ve got McDonald, who is a bit like Walker in terms of his style of play. Zanatta’s done quite well as well so there’s a whole load of options.”

This new-found array of attackers has allowed Levein to play 4-4-2 in the Betfred Cup this summer. 

“That was what we worked on before the Betfred Cup started,” said the manager. “There are two other systems we’ll play this season that we haven’t touched on yet but we’ll obviously do that before the season starts. 

“There will be times we might play three at the back. Again, I’m quite fortunate that, touch wood, with everyone being fit and well, we’ve got a really strong back line. We’ll also get Ben Garuccio back, probably around November time, which will boost that group.”

 

 

An abundance of attacking options yet still no sign of a proven penalty box striker who can get us goals.

[RS86]

53 minutes ago, North Berwick Jambo said:

 Joaquim Adão would be ideal cover for Haring, where is he these days? 

 

Sion still. Been injured pretty much since he left us and had another knee surgery

[johnthomas]

19 minutes ago, Byyy The Light said:

 

Quite a lot of speculation in here amongst a few good valid points

You think ?

To me it just reads like a gross distortion of the truth in a pathetic effort to support a fatuous argument

[Jambo83]

7 minutes ago, GorgieFifeLife said:

An abundance of attacking options yet still no sign of a proven penalty box striker who can get us goals.

I don't think Hearts could afford such a player if I'm being honest mate.. Certainly not at our level.  The jury is still out whether we should have went for the Ayr lad. 

I have a feeling he's trying to create a group of attackers who will all chip in with 10+ goals so we're not over reliant on one player.  Naismith has proved he will give a good return when playing, Walker has at times in the past and he'll be hoping he will again.  Uche would have hit double figures if he'd been fit all season.  it's only really Washington who is a bit of an unknown quantity.