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Our defence next season


Jammy T

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I guess the question for discussion is:

 

Post injury, is Berra still mobile enough to play in a traditional back 4 or do we need to accommodate him in a back 3?

 

I think it is widely acknowledged that since his injury Berra hasn’t seemed “quite right”.

 

He remains imperious in the air and “body on the line” defending and is a good captain with the experience we need in the team.

 

However, he seems increasingly awkward with the ball on the deck and is now possibly becoming a target for other teams to force the ball to him as they know he will mostly punt it or row Z it.

 

Halkett IMO is too good to be a cover CB, as is Souttar. Halkett also looks like he is a ball playing CB.

 

So, subject to Souttar staying with us should we now be utilising Berra in a back 3?

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See with Berra after a pre season think he may be ok too good to write off 

He certainly hasn’t looked great since injury maybe he isn’t fully fit 

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i wish jj was my dad

I'm very confident the skipper will be fine next season. Play him in a central position or in a back four and he will be god for another couple of years at least. 

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Brighton Jambo

I like Berra, Halkett and Souttar in a back three. Mulraney at left wing back, Smith on the right, Haring holding.  Two new creative midfielders which in this formation would be genuinely free to play and Naismith and Uche up top.  

 

New goalkeeper and job done! 

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FarmerTweedy
Just now, Jammy T said:

I guess the question for discussion is:

 

Post injury, is Berra still mobile enough to play in a traditional back 4 or do we need to accommodate him in a back 3?

 

I think it is widely acknowledged that since his injury Berra hasn’t seemed “quite right”.

 

He remains imperious in the air and “body on the line” defending and is a good captain with the experience we need in the team.

 

However, he seems increasingly awkward with the ball on the deck and is now possibly becoming a target for other teams to force the ball to him as they know he will mostly punt it or row Z it.

 

Halkett IMO is too good to be a cover CB, as is Souttar. Halkett also looks like he is a ball playing CB.

 

So, subject to Souttar staying with us should we now be utilising Berra in a back 3?

I agree that he hasn't seemed quite right since his return. I think it's difficult for any of us to know whether it's just a case of him having been rushed back a bit too early because of how much we were struggling at that time, and needing a bit of a rest and a preseason to get back to 100% again, or if age and/or injuries mean he's now permanently unable to reach the levels he was able to even a year ago. 

 

I've not seen nearly enough of Halkett to have any idea how we should expect to set up next season, but I doubt he'll have signed for us with being a backup in mind!

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Bull's-eye

Safe to say Berra hasn't been the same since his injury. 

I'm more concerned by his mental state rather than the physical. 

 

His position isn't guaranteed anymore and I can see him becoming a bit part player next season.

 

Or he could pull his finger out his arse and dominate the back line and behave like a captain  again. 

 

Just my opinion. 

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gashauskis9

Based on who we expect to have I’d go

 

Zlamal

 

Souttar

Berra

Halkett

 

M. Smith

Haring

Cochrane

Hickey (**** it why not)

 

Naismith

Mulraney

 

Uche

 

 

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AlimOzturk

Think Berra will be more or less back to his imperial best next season. Two young guys playing either side of him would be braw. Back three is the way to go for us IMO

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RustyRightPeg

If Berra is in a back 3, he's in the centre of it. Nowhere else. He lacks the pace, and has been sorely exposed this season when he played on the left of it. 

 

In a back 4 I'm comfy with him being there.

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BervieJambo

I’d be very pleasantly surprised if Souttar is still with us next season. Halkett and Berra have the makings of a strong partnership.

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Bring Back Paulo Sergio
1 minute ago, RustyRightPeg said:

If Berra is in a back 3, he's in the centre of it. Nowhere else. He lacks the pace, and has been sorely exposed this season when he played on the left of it. 

 

In a back 4 I'm comfy with him being there.

You're spot on. Anyone suggesting otherwise should actually go watch him trying to play in that position. Disgraceful that he was played there for so long.

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I like the look of our defence for new season. Good options for 4 or 3 at the back and cover in all areas, especially central defence. Good mix of solid defenders like Berra and Dikamona and footballers like Souttar, Halkett and the FBs. Still question marks over the full back positions, especially LB, but maybe the emergence of Hickey makes finding a new LB less of a priority, especially with White on the books.

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Captain Canada

I'm hoping he'll be back to his old self again next season. I think we rushed him, Uche, Haring and Naismith back from bad injuries and it showed. 

 

Obviously Naismith didn't play too many times on returning but he did get injured again.

 

Edwards and Hickey are probably gutted the season is over now but the rest will be glad of the break. 

 

 

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Arthur Morgan
57 minutes ago, BervieJambo said:

I’d be very pleasantly surprised if Souttar is still with us next season. Halkett and Berra have the makings of a strong partnership.

Yeah I can't see Souttar being here either. 

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Berra in the middle of a back three could work but that role is usually your ‘spare’ who brings the ball forward - Berra can’t do that.

 

From what I saw our best back 3 this season had a Smith as the middle man, he was excellent there - I think this was when Berra was injured.

 

The equation changes if Souttar goes - although I’d expect we’d sign another CB if he does.

Edited by Jammy T
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Cruyff Turn

Berra is a warrior. Needs a rest but will be back to his best next season. 

 

Should never ever be hung out on the left side of a 3 man defence, he should be central or plays in a back 4. 

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Famous 1874

Can Halkett play on the left of a back 3? Plays on the right off a 4 and in the centre of a 3 which Livi usually play. 

Berra has to be in the middle of the 3. 

I’d expect to see the pairing of Souttar and Halkett a lot next season in the 4 to gel them together. Berra to still play a lot of games though 

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Back three of Berra, Halkett and Souttar.

 

Yes please. Best defence in the country.... but can any of them play on the left?

 

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Jambof3tornado

Happy to give him preseason to get back to full fitness.

 

If soapy goes will clevid step in to form a back 3 with berra and halkett?

 

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If Berra can make a full recovery over the summer and get back to his best, then great.

 

If he's still a broken huddy after the summer, get rid.

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Somehow I think Halkett will not feature (sooner or later like Haring) in a back 3 or back 4.

He is comfortable on the ball and I understand he was a useful centre forward and is good in the air.  My guess is that he will be utilised further forward with or instead of Haring.  Just a hunch.

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It should have been ten
4 hours ago, alwaysthereinspirit said:

Not going to lie. I'm still trying to get over Saturday. ?

 

Same here :9:

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1 hour ago, JamboAl said:

Somehow I think Halkett will not feature (sooner or later like Haring) in a back 3 or back 4.

He is comfortable on the ball and I understand he was a useful centre forward and is good in the air.  My guess is that he will be utilised further forward with or instead of Haring.  Just a hunch.

 

No chance. We’d be foolish to move him away from CB.

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Cut The Crap

When we have played a back three this season, I think it has always looked most balanced when it has included Smith.

 

Berra will head away high balls all day, but has always lacked the footballing ability of a Weir, McPherson, Webster or even Pressley. Since his injury he's looked increasingly awkward and immobile.

 

I'm actually a little surprised we extended his contract so early.

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Bazzas right boot

 Berra is still our best defender. 

 

My concern with Berra is  at home v the worse teams he's of limited use. 

When we have a lot of the ball and we aren't defending too much he isn't much use as his distribution is poor. 

 

Halkett seems to have a knack of scoring and has better distribution. 

 

I think He'll still have his place but may play a little less. 

 

I'd still like a new goalkeeper. 

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I think that was his first ever bad injury, though happy to be corrected. Players can take a while to get back to match sharpness after sustained periods of absence. I suspect he will be back to pre-injury form next season. 

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Bob Loblaw

I actually think Berra has been back in good form since we shifted him from the left of a 3.  Was our best player at Easter Road and he had a mare at the goal on Saturday but he could've expected better coverage as well . he was a big part of why we restricted Celtic to so little overall though.  His use of the ball isn't great but it never has been, we need to make sure he has options in front of him and he won't just float it up.

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There’s no doubt Berra has been struggling since coming back from injury but he’s still an excellent defender. Hopefully a rest and a pre season will see him coming back sharper and fitter.

 

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https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/hearts-skipper-christophe-berra-named-16183424

 

Christophe Berra has been named as the 'most effective' defender in Europe according to a new survey.

The 34-year-old Hearts skipper tops a list published by CIES Football Observatory as having won the highest percentage of defensive air challenges in domestic league matches this season in Europe.

Berra has won 233 of his 268 defensive aerial challenges, or 86.9% if looked at as a percentage.

 

 

This puts him ahead of central defenders Marcelo Guedes (Lyon), Felipe Augusto (Porto) and Jake Cooper (Millwall), all three of which are tied in second place with 85.5% of their defensive headers won.

Only players with at least 80 aerial challenges to their name make the list, which places the Hearts captain streets ahead of the likes of Virgil Van Dijk (84.1%), Mats Hummels (80.5%), Gerard Pique (78.8%) and Real Madrid hardman Sergio Ramos (77% of defensive headers won).

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TyphoonJambo

Berra in the centre of a back 4 with Gordon in goals, thats a start. Lets get back to fortress Tynie status.

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Agentjambo
1 hour ago, stevie7147 said:

a decent goalkeeper should be top priority

I'd try to get Daniel Bachmann from Watford.Was on loan at killie last season and looks solid.

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21 minutes ago, Agentjambo said:

I'd try to get Daniel Bachmann from Watford.Was on loan at killie last season and looks solid.

I was impressed with him at Tynie but I fear we'll have no chance as Gomes has just retired and Foster is no spring chicken.

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Who_put_the_ball_in...

I would prefer to see Soutter and Halkett as our main pair next season with Berra coming in and out as needed. Not sure he still has the legs to play game after game showed on Saturday he was out worst player. 

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7 minutes ago, Who_put_the_ball_in... said:

I would prefer to see Soutter and Halkett as our main pair next season with Berra coming in and out as needed. Not sure he still has the legs to play game after game showed on Saturday he was out worst player. 

3
3

He has struggled since he came back but a good rest followed by a wee visit to Gullane might just make the difference.

Edited by JamboAl
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He is the perfect foil to Souttar and Halkett (if we play three at the back). A ball playing defender either side of him, with him providing the no nonsense approach he has mastered would provide great balance.

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King prawn

Berra needs to play in the middle of a back three - gets too exposed on the left.

 

He will be fine next season with a decent left back next to him. 

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20 minutes ago, jambobob61 said:

 

What about sweeper behind Soapy and Halket? He would stroll that!

 

Was going to post similar.

 

Berra's Bruno, to Souttar & Halkett's Ritchie & McManus.

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Smith Souttar Halkett Hickey(or White)

 

Berra is towing these days sadly and has cost us dearly in a few games.

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Ricardo Quaresma
8 hours ago, Who_put_the_ball_in... said:

I would prefer to see Soutter and Halkett as our main pair next season with Berra coming in and out as needed. Not sure he still has the legs to play game after game showed on Saturday he was out worst player. 

 

Your posts reek

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10 hours ago, Bob Loblaw said:

I actually think Berra has been back in good form since we shifted him from the left of a 3.  Was our best player at Easter Road and he had a mare at the goal on Saturday but he could've expected better coverage as well . he was a big part of why we restricted Celtic to so little overall though.  His use of the ball isn't great but it never has been, we need to make sure he has options in front of him and he won't just float it up.

 

I think someone else said opponents have identified Berra's distribution as weak, especially when under pressure, so they press him. He then will float a ball up the wing or punt it - and I assume has been told to do that - which is much safer. I don't want to see Berra doing Souttar style shoulder drops to get past someone! I do think though ideally we want Berra to give the ball to Haring or Djoum to start something. Not always possible though if the other team is doing it's job and closing him down.

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Berra has at least another season in him. His injury set him back but would rather play a half fit Berra than the "Jambo soldier" every day of the week, as did the manager.

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23 hours ago, Artful Dodger said:

Safe to say Berra hasn't been the same since his injury. 

I'm more concerned by his mental state rather than the physical. 

 

His position isn't guaranteed anymore and I can see him becoming a bit part player next season.

 

Or he could pull his finger out his arse and dominate the back line and behave like a captain  again. 

 

Just my opinion. 

I think your last opinion will be right and Craig Levein knows this 

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Arthur Morgan
2 hours ago, MTS1874 said:

If the EEN is to be believed the formation for next season is a 4-3-3. 

Is it Souttar/Halkett or Souttar/Berra 

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/latest-hearts-news/why-hearts-are-all-systems-go-for-a-new-formation-next-season-1-4937363

Has to be the former for me. I reckon Souttar will be off though so it will be Halkett/Berra imo. 

Edited by Arthur Morgan
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On 29/05/2019 at 23:58, Cade said:

If Berra can make a full recovery over the summer and get back to his best, then great.

 

If he's still a broken huddy after the summer, get rid.

 

You're brave in saying it but you're probably right to do so. He was never the best with the ball at his feet but if this element of his play has regressed since his last injury can we afford to keep him? It really worries me when I hear TV pundits openly talk of him being a legitimate target/area of weakness during games.

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