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Harsh words in the dressing room - Washington’s interview


Hearts1975

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http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/996170068?-43849:821

 

Don’t know about anyone else or if this has already been posted but I am just trying to get my head round the Crux of what was said in the dressing room and trying to understand.

 

2 clear things or takeaways from what Washington said

 

1st Point - reference the fact he said it just appeared to be wave upon wave of attack in the 2nd half and the fact that the players didn’t win any 1st/2nd balls. Now this is true and obviously got RC on the front foot but this is nothing to do with players gelling , it’s to do with the most basic rudimentary fundimentals of football, and that’s to win your own personal battles. Why is this even being discussed or debated ? This should be a fundamental priority getting this right on the training field  

 

2nd Point - Washington thought it was clear that the team and players didn’t carry out the managers instructions and which they were given including the jobs they were supposed to do 

 

i dont so much as have an issue with this if this is the case. I mean, it makes sense and seems an honest assessment but why ?.

 

If it’s because they just didn’t carry out the managers instructions on the day, then fine, I will accept that. What worries me more than anything else is that they didn’t carry out the instructions, as either A/ they were incapable or B/ they just didnt understand them or found it too difficult 

 

I don’t know, it might just be me and I could be very wrong but are we just “over complicating” things at the moment and to the point we are saturating the players heads with worry, far too much to think about and giving each player 100 things to focus on in the game rather than give them 2 or 3 clear instructions each and no more!

 

1/ Win your personal battles and win the ball

2/ Keep the ball and press forward looking for gaps in the opposition defence 

3/ if you don’t have the ball, make runs, get in behind, lose your marker etc and give your teammate an option for a good pass 

 

All this shit about being berefit of confidence and the “players” falling in and playing it safe and so they don’t make a mistake (leveins own words) 

 

please for the love of god levein, McPhee, Daly just tell the players to go out and have a real go at the opposition without strangling their minds with what they need to do to contain them. Feck, no wonder they seem shit scared at times as you are in danger of making the likes of Ross County and others, look like Real Madrid, with what everyone needs to do to contain them 

 

With the quality we have if we shackle this stupid mindset that the players have and tell them to go and do what they are good at with no restrictions, opposition instructions and no books and books worth of individual instructions to take care of, we would be far better off in my most honest humble opinion 

 

my own view and it’s a gut view is that we are inherently focussed on opposition teams and researching to death their weaknesses and how to nullify them that we have forgot to teach our players how they can become a bigger threat, and bigger than anyone that plays us 

 

I’m sorry and that may seem harsh but honestly, it’s the main thing and a real gut feeling that this is the crux of what is going wrong and unless we release the shackles from the team under the current regime it will get worse before it gets better 

 

as said, hope I am very wrong and I hate moaning for moanings sake, but this is what inevitably of our players is saying, and he has only been here a matter of weeks 

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  • BarneyBattles44

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Davie HEARTS

Agreed. I think a lot of the players should be left to play freely in attack but have a concise idea of defending. Its that simple. If they showed that these poor performances affected them more, people would be more lenient. 

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Funny this has come to light. It’s exactly what we were talking about in the boozer afterwards. 

 

Such a quiet team.  It’s not every players thing to be overly vociferous but from a kid you are encouraged to talk more on the park. Simple instructions to team mates or simply calling for the ball. 

 

If its not your thing to do this then you need to start showing your worth and courage in your performance.  Some are doing neither. 

 

 

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As I was on my way out during injury time I could hear Washington going absolutely mental at the midfield for sitting too deep and giving him no support. Sounds like he carried that on in the dressing room - good on him. 

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This is also my take on things.

 

I think they are over coached. It is one thing Austin doing extensively detailed research but, in my opinion we need to make things simple. Instead the players are being asked to think about a billion things and have become too robotic.

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The Treasurer
8 minutes ago, Victorian said:

Yes they should have a verbal pagger.    Crack on.    But keep it in-house.     Publicising it never helps.

Agreed.

Making things like that public only gives ammunition to the Mickey Stewarts of this world

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BobbyJenkins
2 minutes ago, Wham Bam Austin McCann said:

What the **** has happened to our club?

Nothing bad unless you are a complete and utter drama queen.

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10 minutes ago, Swimmer said:

This is also my take on things.

 

I think they are over coached. It is one thing Austin doing extensively detailed research but, in my opinion we need to make things simple. Instead the players are being asked to think about a billion things and have become too robotic.

Spot on.  I’d also add that it’s become apparent that we spend too much time during the week sussing out how the opposition play as opposed to focusing on our own game plan for winning.  

 

 

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1 minute ago, BobbyJenkins said:

Nothing bad unless you are a complete and utter drama queen.

I don’t question for a second that the business, Heart of Midlothian Football Club, has huge huge potential and we can realise that potential, no question

 

Specifically on the playing side, that said, this is one of our own players who has made these comments.

 

Someone said earlier that it’s best keeping that stuff in the dressing room, and I don’t necessarily disagree, but that said, he didn’t and said what he had to say 

 

 

 

 

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Haringshairband

We love to talk about improvement but never really do it. Unless there's a massive change in our style of play and how we attack teams, nothing will change.

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afanderson33

Michael Smith said similar on Hearts TV, said the players didn’t give it their best efforts and didn’t communicate or play as a team. 
 

We spend far too long in training on elaborate set pieces that don’t work if you don’t have people capable of good delivery, we need to be working on patterns of play, things like counter attacks, attacking movement but all we try to do is contain and nullify. It’s Levein to a tee. We have a point when a game starts so let’s protect it. 

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Soapy Soutar

Strip the tactics and training back to basics.

 

Set up a style and formation that suits us and play to our strengths and let the opposition worry about us.At the moment we are 11 individuals on the park and nobody seems to know their own role never mind the team objective

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18 minutes ago, Wham Bam Austin McCann said:

What the **** has happened to our club?

Pretty same as every other after a bad result, albeit it is happening too often, unfortunately.

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afanderson33

For what it’s worth I’ve seen enough of Washington in pre-season to be sure he’ll get goals for us. He’s been denied by top goalkeeping and let down by bad play around him. His game is clearly based on movement and it’s very obvious to those who can spot a player

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1 minute ago, Soapy Soutar said:

Strip the tactics and training back to basics.

 

Set up a style and formation that suits us and play to our strengths and let the opposition worry about us.At the moment we are 11 individuals on the park and nobody seems to know their own role never mind the team objective

4-3-3 press the opposition high up the park and get right in their faces from the first minute. Run until you drop, then pick yourself up and run some more.

 

We have better players than 9 of the teams in the league, so outwork the opposition and we’ll win games.

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6 minutes ago, DETTY29 said:

Pretty same as every other after a bad result, albeit it is happening too often, unfortunately.

 

Yeh the harsh words in the dressing room isn't the direct issue. I just mean we are failing all over the pitch with only one or two players getting pass marks each week. It is not a new problem yet there doesn't seem to be anyone willing to step up and take responsibility and put things right. 

 

It seems like we are stuck. 

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Weakened Offender

Feel a bit for Washington here as the service to him on Saturday was non-existent and he's very likely unaware that the majority of the support just don't take much notice of these types of comments after yet another disappointing result.

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Well, it's good that there were angry words in the changing room.  There should have been.  Hopefully they will let the coaches know if the instructions they're getting are too difficult to follow.  Somehow, I doubt that.  Can Levein be both a dinosaur and someone who over-comnplicates things at the same time?

 

Are these players frightened of the home crowd?  If so, man up and put in the effort.  Personally, I don't need every Hearts player to be Ronaldo; I just need them to try and show that they're committed and interested.

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45 minutes ago, BobbyJenkins said:

Nothing bad unless you are a complete and utter drama queen.

 

Not being a drama queen at all. Just can't get my head around the fact we're being outplayed at home to newly promoted sides and its coming to arguments in the dressing room.

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The issue is who is actually doing the training and engaging with the players

 

Is Levein taking training and engaging? Or watching some U13s game while Fox takes training?

 

I think the whole setup with Levein is fragmented and he is just delegating everything. Who are they playing for? Levein? Or Fox? Or Austin? Where does Daly come into it?

 

The secret to being unaccountable is to delegate, and blame them... 

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Over coached and told to worry too much about our opponents 

 

Try "right lads, you can all play, go out and attack them and make sure you help the defence and midfield out when needed".

 

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1 hour ago, Soapy Soutar said:

Manager has lost the dressing room its as simple as that rightly so i may add

Rubbish imo

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I said on another thread yesterday that I had listened to Potter ( the New Brighton Manager) being interviewed by Gary Lineker after Brighton's  3- 0 away win to Watford.

 

When asked why the turnaround in away form from last season he said that he had been looking at the team in pre season training and games to find out the strengths and weaknesses of his players and adjusted their game to suit.

 

Previously when they went a goal up they would have sat back and tried to defend their lead (a Levein tactic) and invariably they would concede and often go on to lose the game.

 

When they were 1 - 0 up he changed his two strikers for another two who came on for their first games for the club and they both scored.

 

Ok it is only the first game of their season but the thinking from the Manager is spot on play the game to your players strengths rather than trying to get them to do something they are not comfortable with.

 

An example of that is why does Zlamal roll the ball out to Berra when he has other options because we all know that put under any kind of pressure the first thing he will do is punt it long which according to CL he does not want them to do.

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4 minutes ago, XB52 said:

Rubbish imo

Agree. Nothing to suggest that is true whatsoever other than folk troublemaking. 

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Soapy Soutar
1 minute ago, Cruyff Turn said:

Agree. Nothing to suggest that is true whatsoever other than folk troublemaking. 

Results?

Performances?

Players appearing to not give a shit?

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15 minutes ago, Haken said:

Well, it's good that there were angry words in the changing room.  There should have been.  Hopefully they will let the coaches know if the instructions they're getting are too difficult to follow.  Somehow, I doubt that.  Can Levein be both a dinosaur and someone who over-comnplicates things at the same time?

 

Are these players frightened of the home crowd?  If so, man up and put in the effort.  Personally, I don't need every Hearts player to be Ronaldo; I just need them to try and show that they're committed and interested.

I doubt it is Levein over complicating things, more likely the boot room. I have wondered before, considering Levein isn’t at training everyday whether there is mixed messages as to our style of play. McPhee saying one thing, and Levein another. The players do look a bit confused at times. 

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38 minutes ago, afanderson33 said:

Michael Smith said similar on Hearts TV, said the players didn’t give it their best efforts and didn’t communicate or play as a team. 
 

We spend far too long in training on elaborate set pieces that don’t work if you don’t have people capable of good delivery, we need to be working on patterns of play, things like counter attacks, attacking movement but all we try to do is contain and nullify. It’s Levein to a tee. We have a point when a game starts so let’s protect it. 

 

Why aren't you the manager? 

 

You're obviously attending every training session. 

 

The major over analysing is on here.  The players didn't do their job properly.   It's like the comparing the pressing game in the 4-0 and Cup Final against time in between when we lost to the Mhanks.  First two, the players carried out the plan well and the time we lost they pushed up but didn't press and we left gaps in behind as a result.

 

Anyone who has played knows it happens. Plus the drip drip torture of a simply awful one sided refereeing display should not be lost in the warranted criticism of the team.

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Just now, Soapy Soutar said:

Results?

Performances?

Players appearing to not give a shit?

So you’ve made a statement which you believe to be true but with nothing to back it up. 

 

Lost the dressing room after 2 league games? 

 

So Naisy, Halkett, Damour, Washington who’ve all signed recently, want rid off the manager? 

 

The club captain Berra and vice captain Souttar want rid off the manager? 

 

Those who all signed new deals recently, want rid off the manager? 

 

I don’t think so. 

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4 minutes ago, TheOak88 said:

I doubt it is Levein over complicating things, more likely the boot room. I have wondered before, considering Levein isn’t at training everyday whether there is mixed messages as to our style of play. McPhee saying one thing, and Levein another. The players do look a bit confused at times. 

 That’s why, when the time comes, the baby goes out with the bath water...and the bath !

The lot need to go if there is change.

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afanderson33
1 minute ago, colinmaroon said:

 

Why aren't you the manager? 

 

You're obviously attending every training session. 

 

The major over analysing is on here.  The players didn't do their job properly.   It's like the comparing the pressing game in the 4-0 and Cup Final against time in between when we lost to the Mhanks.  First two, the players carried out the plan well and the time we lost they pushed up but didn't press and we left gaps in behind as a result.

 

Anyone who has played knows it happens. Plus the drip drip torture of a simply awful one sided refereeing display should not be lost in the warranted criticism of the team.


The referee is why we didn’t win? 😂😂😂😂😂

 

if Levein can get us prepared and up for big games against Celtic but not for run of the mill games is that not even worse? Also for reference Ian Cathro’s Hearts beat Rangers 4-1, Jon Daly got a draw at Ibrox and Craig Levein’s Hearts have lost 7 in a row to them. But the problem is with the players sure. 

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Harsh words in a dressing room is a good thing and happens at every single club in the country, in fact are encouraged by the best managers, even after a win.

As is always the case these story's only appear and make headlines when things aren't going great. 

 

Amusing reading people's interpretation of it though, so crack on chaps.

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Interesting chat, we were shocking in the first half as well though, in fact I thought County had more space behind us on the wings. 

It's a bit of a fallacy this players not doing what they are told to do idea. At most clubs players are coached through phases of play so they can recognise what their role is in attacking and defensive situations. This takes a lot of work and a lot of time to get right. If you just tell a player in the week before the game what you want then in the heat of the battle it's almost inevitable that they will revert to their own nature and forget. Unless a lot of time and effort is invested in the team there will be little progress. I am not sure if we have coaching staff with the skill sets to actually do this. 

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13 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

I said on another thread yesterday that I had listened to Potter ( the New Brighton Manager) being interviewed by Gary Lineker after Brighton's  3- 0 away win to Watford.

 

When asked why the turnaround in away form from last season he said that he had been looking at the team in pre season training and games to find out the strengths and weaknesses of his players and adjusted their game to suit.

 

Previously when they went a goal up they would have sat back and tried to defend their lead (a Levein tactic) and invariably they would concede and often go on to lose the game.

 

When they were 1 - 0 up he changed his two strikers for another two who came on for their first games for the club and they both scored.

 

Ok it is only the first game of their season but the thinking from the Manager is spot on play the game to your players strengths rather than trying to get them to do something they are not comfortable with.

 

An example of that is why does Zlamal roll the ball out to Berra when he has other options because we all know that put under any kind of pressure the first thing he will do is punt it long which according to CL he does not want them to do.

 

Any opposition who scout us, know this in advance and leave Berra open to receive the ball because they know that is exactly what he will do. 

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“Not letting the crowds frustrations affect our game” suggests to me that some of the players resent the crowd for giving them a hard time, think there’s a lot of whinging pussies in the dressing room and no men who acknowledge that they should be doing better, the players and the management need to stop finding excuses and blaming each other and start taking some ownership individually 

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alwaysthereinspirit
16 minutes ago, Soapy Soutar said:

How so?

How so? Do you know for a fact Levein has lost the dressing room? Because that's what you wrote. 

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2 minutes ago, Martin_T said:

 

Any opposition who scout us, know this in advance and leave Berra open to receive the ball because they know that is exactly what he will do. 

 

Exactly. They also know that Uche invariably doesn't win the first ball and when he does he gives away stupid fould or fall over looking for a foul.

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1 minute ago, Martin_T said:

 

Any opposition who scout us, know this in advance and leave Berra open to receive the ball because they know that is exactly what he will do. 

Has been a problem for a couple of seasons now however given our lack of creativity and pace it's even more obvious.

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At the Dundee United game I was embarrassed watching some of our play.  It was as if our players didn't know the new rules around goalkicks, waiting on the ball to leave the box to collect it and being put under pressure instead of just going in the box and collecting it earlier.  With 100 coaches it's weird that we get the basics wrong.  But at least we know what way a striker will hit a penalty if it is 3pm on a Sunday and it's raining.

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