Ann Budge’s review of the football department

[TheOak88]

19 minutes ago, Noah Claypole said:

The genuine supporters will get behind the team as usual. 

They always do. 

[Robbo-Jambo]

Imagine the big, fat smile on Leveins face after reading that while he is finishing off his pint before nipping off to the bookies. 

 

Smugness wouldn't even cover it. 

[kila]

 

 

[TheOak88]

6 minutes ago, S Form said:

My take on this is that it’s the ‘vote of confidence’ that really means ‘start winning or collect your belongings’. I couldn’t speculate on how long she’s given him but I can’t see the club resisting the pressure if he loses the next two games.

I don’t think so mate. It would make no sense. 

 

You dont come out with a statement saying you are fully behind the Manager and believe in sticking to the plan. Then sack the Manager a week later. 

[Rannoch]

36 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

Is it possible with such a farcical and antagonising statement she is looking for a way out of the club now???. 

 

She is the one who said if I am not wanted I will stand diwn

 

That speech does nothing but turn everybody against her. 

 

Seems to me that could just be what she wants. 

 

If not that, it is the most arrogant and ignorant statement I have ever read in my life!!!! 

  Might be some method in her madness - the two may have signed a pact: "if you go I go"...... "aye we both go down together". How else to explain such a contemptuous statement reeking with defiance and rubbing the fans noses in it.

 

 

[Nelly Terraces]

Clear to me that both Budge & Levein think they are bigger than the club.

 

It's sickening to read her patronising shite. Both of them are the most arrogant people you could ever have the misfortune of knowing.    

[Martin]

An utter garbage statement. Either get rid of Levein or say nothing. Endless excuses for Levein and completely disregarding the fans. Keeps talking about investing in the team and best squad in years, well take a look at the guy who is doing nothing with that squad and the players look lost.

 

After doing so much for our club and have all the goodwill from the fans, to put a statement out like that, is an absolute shocker and basically turns the fans against her. It's complete stupidity.

[Pants Shaton]

Hearts fans bleating on Twitter about ‘not my club anymore’, ‘worst I’ve ever felt’ etc.

 

****ing hell - get some perspective.

 

We’ve had a shite start to the season - it will improve - if it doesn’t Levein’s gone. Win-win for all. 

 

 

[soonbe110]

37 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

They may be aware but they don’t understand.. they are off the view that a couple of wins and all will be forgotten.. there is no goodwill left.. we could win 5 in a row and the first loss we will be right back where we started.. they see it.. but they don’t get it

Doubt it. Win the next five and we have beaten Hibs, St Mirren, Killie and Rangers in the league and are in a cup semi-final. Not sure many wouldn’t take that even if we did lose to Livy in the next game. Not saying this will happen but your post suggests we won’t be happy if it did. 

[Bring Back Paulo Sergio]

3 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

Imagine the big, fat smile on Leveins face after reading that while he is finishing off his pint before nipping off to the bookies. 

 

Smugness wouldn't even cover it. 

Levein has genuinely ****ed this unique opportunity to do something special. To me he deserves all the torment that's coming his way.

[annushorribilis III]

1 hour ago, wavydavy said:

Part 2 maybe.

 

https://www.heartsfc.co.uk/news/article/chairmans-statement-1-2

Basically she's bought the "injuries" excuse so last season is a write off. 

This season? More injuries - and we STILL haven't fielded our best team yet. The fact we've played the weakest teams in the league AND a whole LC campaign against lower division teams, all pretty much abysmally, seems to be of little concern. In the meantime , injuries have got worse , player confidence has plummeted and the next few league games will be much tougher than RossCo/Hamilton/M'well.  

[weegie jambo]

5 minutes ago, Sagan said:

It wiznae working so we flung money at it, 

It wiznae working the next year so we flung money at it again, 

This year we're still fully sticking to the plan, 

if it doesnae work, we'll fling money at it. 

 

Anyone seeing a theme here!

The reason we are failing is that we have an egotistic dinosaur in charge who is clueless and incapable of getting results no matter how much money is flung at the team. A decent manager would be able to motivate the vast number of players at our disposal even with our level of injuries!

Maybe we are seeing the beginning of the end with that statement, fans, pundits and relentless deserved criticism have rattled her cage and she is surely forced to act if things don't improve very, very soon. Even some good results will paper over the cracks. The problem as we all know is Craig Levein.

[Debut 4]

She simply does not understand the mechanics of football.  

 

I’ve believed all along the owner/chairperson/chief exec must be prepared to make cutthroat decisions quick enough before the rot sets in.

 

Mostly in my time following Hearts a swift change has been made for the better and we largely made a recovery. The only one I can think of that didn’t really work was McLean coming in after Jordan and a stabilising period by Sandy Clark.

 

Wallace Mercer didn’t wait and seen the problems before they got worse under an all time favourite, Alex MacDonald.  Jordan then got us to 2nd. We then had the McLean period but JJ was in soon enough and took us back up.

 

Even when it went wrong for JJ in his first spell we didn’t waste time in getting Levein in.   As has been pointed out, we’ve just matched (maybe slightly worse?) our worst 3 season run in the last 30 years.  

 

There’s alot of work to do to stop it becoming an outright poor record in recent decades for Hearts. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by Debut 4

[Sagan]

[RudiHMFC]

4 minutes ago, Nelly Terraces said:

Clear to me that both Budge & Levein think they are bigger than the club.

 

It's sickening to read her patronising shite. Both of them are the most arrogant people you could ever have the misfortune of knowing.    

 

Absolutely, horrible people.

[soonbe110]

36 minutes ago, DETTY29 said:

It's a formal vote of confidence and I suppose we know how these can pan out.

Exactly, she has actually stated that if things don’t improve she will have to take action. Why have so many missed those comments in her statement? She has basically said there needs to be improvement soon or she will be forced to act. Think that’s what most have been asking for over the last few months. Seems a lot on here just can’t be satisfied these days. 

[joondalupjambo]

8 minutes ago, Rannoch said:

  Might be some method in her madness - the two may have signed a pact: "if you go I go"...... "aye we both go down together". How else to explain such a contemptuous statement reeking with defiance and rubbing the fans noses in it.

 

 

Think after considering this issue for a while, and now her statement I think my take on it is the same.  When the ship, sorry if the ship goes down then we will go down with it together Craig.  

 

It is what is not in the statement that is the key here and one thing is the Board members have most likely put a timescale on the removal of CL and he will be aware of it because he will have had to sign up to it.  Two in order to get that agreement AB will have offered up herself falling on the same sword.

Edited September 18, 2019 by joondalupjambo

[GorgieFifeLife]

That is the most ridiculous statement released by the Chairperson of a major football club.  To say it is amateur would be an understatement. She has signed and sealed her removal from the club with her arrogant disregard for the rubbish our support has had to put up with.  We must get her and her cronies out of our club.

[kingantti1874]

Just now, joondalupjambo said:

Think after considering this issue for a while, and now her statement I think my take on it is the same.  When the ship, sorry if the ship goes down then we will go down with it together Craig.  

 

It is what is not in the statement that is the key here and one thing is the Board members have most likely put a timescale on the removal of CL and he will be aware of it because he will have had to sign up to it.  Two in order to get that agreement AB will have offered up her falling on the same sword.

then they are misguide .. we can win 5 and lose one and we will be back to this.. it’s gone too far.. the trust is gone 

[gnasher75]

10 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

Imagine the big, fat smile on Leveins face after reading that while he is finishing off his pint before nipping off to the bookies. 

 

Smugness wouldn't even cover it. 

 

Pretty sure he helped her write it.

[soonbe110]

23 minutes ago, 1874robbo said:

He’s going nowhere under her guidance that’s what I take from that.

its only 5 games she says.

No, quite clearly says if there is no improvement soon they will have to revise plans and take action 

[soonbe110]

19 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

The only statement anyone wanted to see was one that started “Craig Levein has left his role as Head Coach with immediate effect...”

And that didn’t happen and toys are flying. 

[Nookie Bear]

Just now, soonbe110 said:

And that didn’t happen and toys are flying. 

 

What did you expect? 

[JamboAl]

3 minutes ago, GorgieFifeLife said:

That is the most ridiculous statement released by the Chairperson of a major football club.  To say it is amateur would be an understatement. She has signed and sealed her removal from the club with her arrogant disregard for the rubbish our support has had to put up with.  We must get her and her cronies out of our club.

I thought she was going anyway when, or soon after, FoH take over.

[1874robbo]

Just now, soonbe110 said:

No, quite clearly says if there is no improvement soon they will have to revise plans and take action 

You can speculate that action would be to remove Craig Levein but you don’t know that for sure.

maybe the revised plan and action would still include Levein in some capacity.

we are all guessing here.

[soonbe110]

9 minutes ago, Pants Shaton said:

Hearts fans bleating on Twitter about ‘not my club anymore’, ‘worst I’ve ever felt’ etc.

 

****ing hell - get some perspective.

 

We’ve had a shite start to the season - it will improve - if it doesn’t Levein’s gone. Win-win for all. 

 

 

Voice of reason and common sense. Well done 

[The Merse]

Massively unprofessional and unnecessarily provocative statement. Not what you’d expect to wait four days after the game for. The sort of rant one might make half an hour after the game and think better of sharing.

 

I thought the anti-Budge gripes were unfair before but my mind has changed. Levein has her mind warped.

[kimosavi]

Vote of no confidence in Anne Budge

 

When we do gain control I'll vote to get rid of her now 

[GorgieFifeLife]

1 minute ago, JamboAl said:

I thought she was going anyway when, or soon after, FoH take over.

No I thought she wanted to stay on. She is killing us we must get her out.

[upgotheheads]

10 minutes ago, Haringshairband said:

You're at it.

 

 Nope. I'll be behind the team. This is as bad a situation as we have seen since the collapse of Romanov and I don't believe that CL is the man to see it through. He'll get every opportunity to fix it though and then he'll be kicked upstairs.

[bistokid]

2 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Exactly, she has actually stated that if things don’t improve she will have to take action. Why have so many missed those comments in her statement? She has basically said there needs to be improvement soon or she will be forced to act. Think that’s what most have been asking for over the last few months. Seems a lot on here just can’t be satisfied these days. 

 

I read it and I took away the fact that she doesn't understand that this is 2.5 years in the making. She's talking about injuries and 5 games in. It's clueless and doesn't attempt to tackle the issues at hand.  Why would anyone be satisfied with that statement? If she sacks him in a weeks time she'll have contradicted herself. People want him gone now before more damage is done. There is no way he turns this around from this point merely prolongs the toxic atmosphere and underperformance to the point that her own reputation is in tatters and the season can't be salvaged. 

[S Form]

11 minutes ago, TheOak88 said:

I don’t think so mate. It would make no sense. 

 

You dont come out with a statement saying you are fully behind the Manager and believe in sticking to the plan. Then sack the Manager a week later. 

On the contrary, that’s what football boards are famous for. It’s why it’s referred to as ‘the dreaded vote of confidence.’ If we beat/draw with Hibs it might complicate things, but I do think she’ll have no choice but sack him if we get beat by them and Aberdeen.

[1874robbo]

2 minutes ago, kimosavi said:

Vote of no confidence in Anne Budge

 

When we do gain control I'll vote to get rid of her now 

Agreed.

[SectionN]

11 minutes ago, Pants Shaton said:

Hearts fans bleating on Twitter about ‘not my club anymore’, ‘worst I’ve ever felt’ etc.

 

****ing hell - get some perspective.

 

We’ve had a shite start to the season - it will improve - if it doesn’t Levein’s gone. Win-win for all. 

 

 

Shite start to the season?

 

We’ve been awful since we got beat from celtic 3-0 in the semi final.

 

4 wins in 2019.

 

 

[soonbe110]

2 minutes ago, 1874robbo said:

You can speculate that action would be to remove Craig Levein but you don’t know that for sure.

maybe the revised plan and action would still include Levein in some capacity.

we are all guessing here.

Just want the right action taken when it’s needed. If results don’t improve we will have a new first team manager. Don’t think there’s any doubt. 

I get that she feels she has invested heavily in Leveins signings this summer and needs to give it more time, painful as it may turn out to be. 

[Johnny D]

5 minutes ago, 1874robbo said:

You can speculate that action would be to remove Craig Levein but you don’t know that for sure.

maybe the revised plan and action would still include Levein in some capacity.

we are all guessing here.

This.

[soonbe110]

4 minutes ago, bistokid said:

 

I read it and I took away the fact that she doesn't understand that this is 2.5 years in the making. She's talking about injuries and 5 games in. It's clueless and doesn't attempt to tackle the issues at hand.  Why would anyone be satisfied with that statement? If she sacks him in a weeks time she'll have contradicted herself. People want him gone now before more damage is done. There is no way he turns this around from this point merely prolongs the toxic atmosphere and underperformance to the point that her own reputation is in tatters and the season can't be salvaged. 

Don’t think she has any plans to sack him in a weeks time. She wouldn’t have released a statement if she did. 

[Pasquale for King]

5 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Exactly, she has actually stated that if things don’t improve she will have to take action. Why have so many missed those comments in her statement? She has basically said there needs to be improvement soon or she will be forced to act. Think that’s what most have been asking for over the last few months. Seems a lot on here just can’t be satisfied these days. 

How much worse can it actually get? I’ve just read it again and there’s a few things that o would love to ask.

If injuries are the sole cause of the problem we hasn’t anything been done about it. She states last season injuries was unprecedented, it was exactly the season before. She said she has four successful businessmen as non executive board members  who talk about performances on the pitch, are they any more qualified than we are to do this? It’s almost like if she has to act it’s accepting they were wrong about Levein, they love a plan but don’t really say much about them not working. She’s accepted his excuses and is now peddling them to us as if we haven’t heard them and dissected them to death. For “genuine Hearts fans” read people who continue to accept mediocrity on the pitch whilst filling the clubs coffers. 

Sorry to have a rant at you by the way.

[Guest ToqueJambo]

A decision has been made. And very much a short-term decision giving Levein an ultimatum on reading that statement. She's basically put Levein on notice. It is a fair way to handle things given how much work Levein has put into the club.

 

How about instead of acting like toddlers who can't have exactly what they want exactly when they want it, the support as a whole acts like adults and gets behind the team? Levein will either be gone within a month if results continue or he'll still be here, which will mean we're climbing the league and may be in the cup still. Which is good, right, right...? Or is getting Levein out now more important than us winning games?

 

Personally winning the derby and getting to the cup semi are more important than what's happening with the manager. We've as much chance of doing those things with levin at the helm as with McPhee and Daly as caretakers, which is probably also Budge's thinking.

 

[Dagger Is Back]

Not really sure what she means by genuine Hearts fans. I had a wee fall out with some fellas on Saturday about stuff they were singing but they're as much of a Hearts supporter as I am. Neither of us are happy about the current situation, we just differ in terms of how to respond.

 

I'm astonished by her statement, but had heard that unless we lose the next two games, it's steady as she goes. As others have said it's not about 5 games. It's about results AND performances since October. Results are massive of course they are, but it's the level of performance that concerns just as much. We look clueless. This injury excuse is exactly what it is, an excuse.

 

We can't take RC and Hamilton at home because we have injuries? Pathetic truly pathetic.

 

As Clerry Jambo says - how to undo all your great work

 

Sorry Queen Ann your crowns fallen

[bistokid]

Just now, soonbe110 said:

Don’t think she has any plans to sack him in a weeks time. She wouldn’t have released a statement if she did. 

Yet you seem perplexed that people have taken umbrage at the statement. He's keeping the job for the forsessable. Unless youre lacking in critical faculties it's easy to see why this is a moronic position to take. 

[TheGoodLord]

AB likes to use the “in business” analogy when it suits her narrative. But one thing is absolutely certain any business which witnessed a sudden crashing fall in its stock due to incompetency of its management would very swiftly seek to regain the trust of its customers through action not a sound bite of a statement.  

[rmreido]

But we're only 5 games in🙈

I'm sorry but this goes way back....

not just this season, ffs 

Levein not going anywhere anytime soon, what a f###ing mess 

[1874robbo]

2 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Just want the right action taken when it’s needed. If results don’t improve we will have a new first team manager. Don’t think there’s any doubt. 

I get that she feels she has invested heavily in Leveins signings this summer and needs to give it more time, painful as it may turn out to be. 

She has invested heavily and backed him to the hilt re signings.

does she feel that Levein is the only man that can get the best out these players?

so many questions and too many grey areas for me.

[Innocent Eggboniki]

17 minutes ago, Pants Shaton said:

Hearts fans bleating on Twitter about ‘not my club anymore’, ‘worst I’ve ever felt’ etc.

 

****ing hell - get some perspective.

 

We’ve had a shite start to the season - it will improve - if it doesn’t Levein’s gone. Win-win for all. 

 

 

Enough is Enough FFS

[upgotheheads]

12 minutes ago, GorgieFifeLife said:

That is the most ridiculous statement released by the Chairperson of a major football club.  To say it is amateur would be an understatement. She has signed and sealed her removal from the club with her arrogant disregard for the rubbish our support has had to put up with.  We must get her and her cronies out of our club.

 

7 minutes ago, The Merse said:

Massively unprofessional and unnecessarily provocative statement. Not what you’d expect to wait four days after the game for. The sort of rant one might make half an hour after the game and think better of sharing.

 

I thought the anti-Budge gripes were unfair before but my mind has changed. Levein has her mind warped.

 

6 minutes ago, GorgieFifeLife said:

No I thought she wanted to stay on. She is killing us we must get her out.

 

5 minutes ago, bistokid said:

 

I read it and I took away the fact that she doesn't understand that this is 2.5 years in the making. She's talking about injuries and 5 games in. It's clueless and doesn't attempt to tackle the issues at hand.  Why would anyone be satisfied with that statement? If she sacks him in a weeks time she'll have contradicted herself. People want him gone now before more damage is done. There is no way he turns this around from this point merely prolongs the toxic atmosphere and underperformance to the point that her own reputation is in tatters and the season can't be salvaged. 

 

Some folk need to get a grip.

[JamboAndrew]

Some of the chat here is quite unbelievable. If it was on hibs board I'd be laughing.

 

Chairman comes out with an unvarnished, this is how it is, statement. Addresses things that have been speculated on, and ends it with, if things don't improve we will have to make changes.

 

I liked the tone of it. It was combantative and shows she cares.

 

All this disrespectful, no respect for fans etc... chat is a poor show.

 

She has a plan. She has cleared up rumors and speculation, she has held her hand up saying mistakes have been made, has blown some of the ridiculous stuff talked on this board about Levein out of the water, and she will stick to the plan for now, but has warned changes will happen of results don't improve.

 

Wow. Someone with long term vision.

 

Yes, Levein must be moved or move himself upstairs. If results improve, that allows for long term planning and a proper manager search. 

 

If they don't, we are forced into a quick, and most probably, high risk financial/performance wise decision.

 

Tough times, and a crap start to the season. But we need to pull together now and be the 12th man. The team needs the fans to help get them out of a time of low confodence. 

 

Ann has heard what we think of Craig. Time to show why we are the best fans in the country and help the team horse hibs.

[upgotheheads]

Just now, 1874robbo said:

She has invested heavily and backed him to the hilt re signings.

does she feel that Levein is the only man that can get the best out these players?

so many questions and too many grey areas for me.

 

Not for me. I don't know what tramlines your life has run down but mine has jumped the rails a few times, the trick is to keep going. In AB I trust,

[weegie jambo]

6 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Just want the right action taken when it’s needed. If results don’t improve we will have a new first team manager. Don’t think there’s any doubt. 

I get that she feels she has invested heavily in Leveins signings this summer and needs to give it more time, painful as it may turn out to be. 

its not Leveins signings that are the problem, it's Levein himself!

[upgotheheads]

3 minutes ago, Innocent Eggboniki said:

Enough is Enough FFS

 

Get a grip.