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A fresh start


Forever Hearts

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If we go out the cup there’s no way back. If we win on Friday, then he gets some leeway but it is anything but a fresh start. A fresh start is a new manager, with new ideas and new coaches, not the same turgid football with 1 or 2 additional players. 

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20 minutes ago, Boab said:

 

 

I can see both posts here but tend to agree more with the latter.

First and foremost we have to improve our league position this season. Cup success is all down to the luck of the draw.

 

:conf11:

 

 

 

 

 

:tt2:

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5 hours ago, Forever Hearts said:

I've been Levein's biggest critic recently but I'll hold my hands up and say that the new signings look good (on paper at least). Added to what is there already I reckon if we get motoring properly we could have a very good season so I'm calling a halt to the Levein bashing and giving him and his new signings my full support for the first round of fixtures. If it continues as it has been then I'd expect him to do the honourable thing and fall on his sword, but with this squad I'm hoping that won't be necessary. 

 

Good luck to Craig and the players. 🇱🇻

OK he gets one more chance hopefully he turns things around on friday but he is really at 

the end of the road heading for a cliff. Ann Budge should really of acted before now and 

all she is doing is causing anger among the fans. All the fans want is a management that

knows how to manage which our team badly lacks.

Edited by mitch41
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I think he should have been replaced last season but irrespective of that I hope we can go through tomorrow because I have never wanted us to lose a game. 

If we do win though you can see it being a struggle and a moment of individual quality winning it rather than the team playing decent football. Unless the set up, tactics and in particular coaching improves there will not be any sustainable progress. 

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tolcross lad

Its not a fresh start .Levein and his ideas and his management are not going to take us forward.These late signings are more to do with saving Leveins bacon than any clever signing strategy.I suspect that Ann Budge has loosened the purse strings or is "finding the money".

That said the signings have been decent and I am thinking that with a bit more quality and leadership on the park even our coaching staff will be challenged to make a mess of it .

So hope springs eternal and we have decided to head through to Fir Park tomorrow to see our new guys and support the team.

 

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Bazzas right boot
1 hour ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

Tomorrow’s game is one we should be looking to win, regardless of who has signed this week. It’s not too soon at all. 

 

In fact, we should see a reaction to last Saturdays game. 

 

I think it will take more than 3 games to turn this tanker around. 

 

 

Yeah, I agree but it's not a gimme, never has been.

I do feel it is more important to win as by being pish in the lc group stage has left us with a tougher tie and getting beat will come back to that, win it and no one cares about the lc group stage.

It would help tho, and I feel the two home games are the acid test, play like v Ross County and it's done. Means there has been no improvement from last season where I feel the games , especially the home games v bottom 6 sides were poor.

 

Next month is pivotal, even if we did get beat tomorrow, we win the two home games I think we win the derby, get beat tomorrow, blow out in the two home games then the derby looks a shitter. We'd also likely be near the bottom of the league.

 

If we end up with 7/15 points, although not great we'd likely be in about third if we win the derby and ofc, if we have that many points we will be playing better and have confidence growing as well.

 

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Balernojambo

I am happy to see how things play out.  However, he needs to adopt a style of play that suits the players we have and also allows some consistency for them.  To me it is crying out for a 4-2-3-1 formation.  

 

There also needs to be some attacking and defensive principles of play that are clearly evident.  We do not use our width as well as we should be doing.  Additionally, when we lose the ball we are not quick enough to transition into a defensive shape. 

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8 minutes ago, Balernojambo said:

I am happy to see how things play out.  However, he needs to adopt a style of play that suits the players we have and also allows some consistency for them.  To me it is crying out for a 4-2-3-1 formation.  

 

There also needs to be some attacking and defensive principles of play that are clearly evident.  We do not use our width as well as we should be doing.  Additionally, when we lose the ball we are not quick enough to transition into a defensive shape. 

my one critism of the style of play, considering the quality we can bring in, (we afford Washington despite everybody wanting him to play like messi), isn't defensive, it's the ponderous, sedate pace we break and transition from defence snail like slow as ****.

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Less of the Tinkerman approach with every game having 4, 5 or 6 changes from the previous side. Let the side build up an understanding for a month with any changes down to injury/bad form thereafter. Develop a pattern of play that is easily understood. Its hardly rocket science. Look at what Steve Clarke did at Killie with lesser (allegedly) players - just copy that FFS.

 

Play positively away from home. Let the home team worry about us rather than changing our team to combat them.

 

Feel better now.

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5 hours ago, jamboozy said:

I don't think the ones that have an irrational dislike of CL will be changed in their views, the 1st defeat or scrappy draw will be pounced upon like hyenas, I agree with the OP and that we should be backing All things Hearts, especially when we're going through a tough patch, C'Mon the Hearts.👍

 

“irrational dislike”???  Irrational?? Have you watched the shit football and are you aware of the poor results???

However as Hearts fans we all hope that things can get turned round in the coming games starting on Friday.

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I understand the sentiment of the “fresh start” stuff but I also understand the folk that will give tomorrow and tomorrow only. I am in the “give him tomorrow” camp but what I mean by that is this and why I am at that point. 

 

We’ve had the players, arguable for the past few season but haven’t seen the performances. That points to coaching. The start of last season we started on the front foot, played aggressive attacking football and we looked good. That also points to the coaching. So what went wrong? We went into full protection mode when we started getting injuries and, in my opinion, focused too much on being hard to beat to protect the side during the injury crisis. Again, coaching. Since then the tempo, shape and balance have been all wrong, as they where the past few seasons, again points to coaching. We seen a glimpse of what the side could do in the cup final and that only annoyed me more as we’d just watched 6 months of awful football. Where was that level of performance? Yes it was a cup final but the players that had to be hard to beat for so long suddenly pressed and played with tempo, that annoyed me. That comes from the coaching and the setting up before games. 

 

First game of pre season we lined up in 442 and I raised my concerns over 442, I was told and many others to, that it was pre season and shouldn’t be over analysed. 2 months later and we are still trying to play 442, even tho it doesn’t work or suit us, that’s coaching. We played 442 on Saturday with everyone pretty much fit and with the new midfielder. Levein tried to play Naismith as a winger 🙈🤷🏼‍♂️ . That should worry everyone. Our whole summer plan seems to have been line up in 442 with Naismith on the wing and Clare as the box to box midfielder we’ve missed for years. Our coaches work with the players every day in training. They see them everyday. Know their weaknesses and strengthens. It baffles me how anyone seeing them every day thought that 442 was the formation for us. I’ve never coached in my life and it’s so obvious to me that 442 isn’t suited to us. It’s a worry that we’ve had a full summer to work on improving the side and the manager felt that was the key to our success. We now have the stronger midfield so I’d be shocked to see us continue in 442. 

 

Levein said in the media he didn’t want or need a new goal keeper, we’ve just signed one. Everyone and their dog was calling for us to replace bobby, Levein thought he was good enough to continue as number 1. A few dodgey performances later and he’s been replaced. What did Levein think had changed? Everyone has been calling out for a stronger midfield, for a few seasons now. Levein told the media that he didn’t want any midfielders in and he was happy with Clare playing the Cameron role. He said after we signed Washington that we where finished in the transfer market other than Naismith, or words to that effect. He actually said in the press pre Stenhousemuir he wanted to play various games in the season with Bozanic and Clare in 442. We’ve just signed two midfielders again because the performances of Clare and Bozanic haven’t been effective. Again, what did Levein think was going to happen. If 100 Hearts fans sat in a pub I’d be shocked if any of them picked 442 with Clare playing centre mid. I understand these things (transfer windows) are always likely to change but our approach does worry me. We tried like a bear to replace Lafferty with Vanecek. Vanecek was released in the summer having played 2 games. Our dealings in the transfer market, on paper should have seen us become much more successful than we have been. Something within that isn’t working. The positive with that is Budge has said she is reviewing the full football department. I’d be shocked if we didn’t see major changes within this soon. 

 

So in summary. Tomorrow I want to see us, no matter what shape we set up in, play with a tempo and a clear game plan. Something that has been missing for months, cup final aside. I’d like to see the team not make the same mistakes and I’d like to see some proper bite and determination. It like to see a big difference in the basics and standards, the stuff you’d expect to see from professional players. This isn’t a young inexperienced squad so it shouldn’t be too hard for the above to happen. I’d like to see an improvement in all the things a coach can impact on. New shapes and systems and the finer details of how the team works etc can be smashed out on the training park in the weeks to come. If we see the continuation of the same mediocre performances then I can’t see how Levein survives. 

 

Sorry long winded I know. 

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Levein and the club have have an exceptional transfer window imo, so there shouldn't be any excuses. Our midfield now looks balanced and has quality with Whelan and Damour. Forward areas has to click when you have guys like Naismith, Washington and Walker in your team. It's all about working on a shape, keeping the same players playing week in week out as well because all the chopping and changing doesn't help build relationships.

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Balernojambo
17 minutes ago, reaths17 said:

my one critism of the style of play, considering the quality we can bring in, (we afford Washington despite everybody wanting him to play like messi), isn't defensive, it's the ponderous, sedate pace we break and transition from defence snail like slow as ****.

Yeah i agree.  To me it's more a route one issue.  Uche looked horrendous on Saturday.  Perhaps he is poor but the service he and Washington receive is abysmal.

 

My point was i feel we are weak in both attacking and defensive areas.  Obviously this can take time but when County won the ball they transitioned quickly from attack to defence and we were so slow to react. 

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3 minutes ago, busby1985 said:

 

 

Levein said in the media he didn’t want or need a new goal keeper, we’ve just signed one. Everyone and their dog was calling for us to replace bobby, Levein thought he was good enough to continue as number 1. A few dodgey performances later and he’s been replaced. 

 

Same mistakes getting made - Jack Hamilton anyone?

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Just now, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

Same mistakes getting made - Jack Hamilton anyone?

One mistake can be a lapse. Two, three is a trend. 

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The Future's Maroon
4 hours ago, Mr Kipling said:

Are you being serious? We had the Betfred Cup games, which were all lower league teams and we struggled horrendously in all of them. We had Aberdeen away (that was as tough game) and Ross County at home. Out of all those games bar Aberdeen, we should have convincingly won and while we did win some, it was far from convincing. Newly promoted Ross County just came to Tynecastle and made us look like a bunch of amateurs. Pre season/start of the season or not we have a professional squad who should be hitting the ground running. How much time do they need to gel? Why is it that when the start of the season comes round, people always make excuses- this is their job!!!!

 

 

 

I was meaning the league games not the shitty cup.

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29 minutes ago, busby1985 said:

One mistake can be a lapse. Two, three is a trend. 

 

Indeed

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24 minutes ago, The Future's Maroon said:

 

I was meaning the league games not the shitty cup.

 

“Shitty cup”. 🙈

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BarneyBattles44

Hearts are my first and true love I support the players and management . I do not hate Craig Levein nor am I looking for him to fail. A fresh start and clear the air is good for everyone I'm up for it. Craig and the boys have my support 100 %

$_1.jpeg

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I’m personally very pleasantly surprised by our activity this transfer window. On paper we have a cracking squad, perhaps just lacking a creative central midfielder and an out and out goal scorer.

 

Hope Levein can get the best out of this group of players. If so we should have a very good league season and a trip or two to Hampden.

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1 hour ago, DG_HMFC said:

Levein and the club have have an exceptional transfer window imo, so there shouldn't be any excuses. Our midfield now looks balanced and has quality with Whelan and Damour. Forward areas has to click when you have guys like Naismith, Washington and Walker in your team. It's all about working on a shape, keeping the same players playing week in week out as well because all the chopping and changing doesn't help build relationships.

Even us so called happy clappers now expect to see considerable improvement  by end of October- top four form at least. Some patience is required for the next few games as the team get to know each other.  If there is no improvement by then calls for CL have more legitimacy.

Edited by tcjambo
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7 hours ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Dont need an irrational dislike of Levein to have a view that it hasnt been good enough for months mate.

 

Post cup final performance I had hoped he'd step aside but was willing to back him when it became clear he was staying.

 

Having watched us away at east fife and against county, it appeared to me very little had changed so I'm back to wanting him gone.

 

Agreed the signings looked good but something isnt right with CL/backroom staff.

Fair enough bud, I appreciate everyone wants what's best for us and everyone gets frustrated by the, seemingly, inability to learn from our mistakes and strive on, I was angry on Saturday also.

I think you've raised an interesting point about something not being right, my opinion, for what its worth, is that it's the coaching staff that's not conveying what CL wants , so its down to him to sort it out. It won't be done overnight so I'm prepared to be a patient for a spell .

as an aside, I am of the firm belief that ' too many cooks etc' coaches could be undermining each other and that just leads to disharmony, just a theory.

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1 hour ago, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

“irrational dislike”???  Irrational?? Have you watched the shit football and are you aware of the poor results???

However as Hearts fans we all hope that things can get turned round in the coming games starting on Friday.

I am aware of the results Tom and I'm aware that things aren't clicking with the team, but some of the name calling and disrespect shown by shown by members of our support is not going to help one little bit.

However, speaking for myself I'm prepared to be patient a little longer to let Craig sort things out.  Agree with your 2nd sentence wholeheartedly 👍

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1 minute ago, jamboozy said:

I am aware of the results Tom and I'm aware that things aren't clicking with the team, but some of the name calling and disrespect shown by shown by members of our support is not going to help one little bit.

However, speaking for myself I'm prepared to be patient a little longer to let Craig sort things out.  Agree with your 2nd sentence wholeheartedly 👍

 

Most of the name calling and disrespect shown on here is directed at those Hearts fans who are sick of Levein and his negative football.

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Massively mixed emotions right now.  Delighted and impressed with the quality we've brought in and in particular I now believe we have a strong midfield for the 1st time in years.    A terrific transfer window!    If we'd put in any sort of performance against RC I'd be super excited.  However,   form has been woeful for so long I find it hard now to keep believing.     For me, not a fresh start but a 'temporary reset'.... Let's see what the signs are in next few games and hope the team and fans get their mojo back soon.   This could still be a great season.  I hope Craig can can do the business for us. 🙏

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29 minutes ago, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

Most of the name calling and disrespect shown on here is directed at those Hearts fans who are sick of Levein and his negative football.

Two wrongs never added up to a right as my auld Faither used to say, let's hope we have more to cheer about going forward.

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Alex Kintner
31 minutes ago, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

Most of the name calling and disrespect shown on here is directed at those Hearts fans who are sick of Levein and his negative football.

 

Not sure you’re in any position to criticise others when it comes to name calling and abuse...

 

49 minutes ago, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

Yup same old CL fanboys.

 

On 11/08/2019 at 22:58, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

Not as embarrassing as the clueless Levein fanboys....

 

 

 

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pettigrewsstylist
8 hours ago, Forever Hearts said:

I've been Levein's biggest critic recently but I'll hold my hands up and say that the new signings look good (on paper at least). Added to what is there already I reckon if we get motoring properly we could have a very good season so I'm calling a halt to the Levein bashing and giving him and his new signings my full support for the first round of fixtures. If it continues as it has been then I'd expect him to do the honourable thing and fall on his sword, but with this squad I'm hoping that won't be necessary. 

 

Good luck to Craig and the players. 🇱🇻

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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25 minutes ago, jamboozy said:

Two wrongs never added up to a right as my auld Faither used to say, let's hope we have more to cheer about going forward.

 

Amen to that

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30 minutes ago, To Be Frank said:

 

Not sure you’re in any position to criticise others when it comes to name calling and abuse...

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ Levein fanboys” abuse????  Suggest you check out some real personal abuse from some on here.

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Ron Burgundy

Even with all the recent panic buy additions I still feel we will never see their true potential with him in charge. We hopefully will improve massively from Saturday's performance but I still reckon a proper manager would get more out of them.

 

I just want him gone completely, no wee move upstairs just gone.

 

If however we turn into 70's Ajax and free the players from their chains I will completely change my mind and kid on that I backed him all the way.

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The way I see it, there’s stuff CL can be blamed for and stuff he can’t.

 

I don’t blame him for late recruitment. He almost certainly wouldn’t have wanted to go into the season with the squad we did, but he got the business he could do early done early (Halkett, Walker). For the other signings I think he was obliged to wait for the window to close as he was trying to recruit quality, and they were always going to wait to see their options. Likewise, Naismith was always going to wait until August to get his pay day. He has also signed players I think we would all agree were appropriate to our needs, save possibly for a penalty-box striker. I also don’t blame him for Haring’s injury, or for Zlamal’s loss of form.

 

What I do blame him for is baffling tactics, anaemic performances from good players, a lack of anticipation of likely departures (Djoum always looked likely to leave, and he must have been aware Lee wasn’t happy), re-signing Doyle (who has always looked dreadful), and mystifying moves like releasing Edwards when we were struggling for cover in central midfield.

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A new manager with fresh ideas can make all the difference. I look at the Killie team while they were under Lee Clark then Lee McCulloch...sitting bottom of the table, relegation fodder then Steve Clarke arrives and turns them around with pretty much the same squad bar the odd few signings joining up. They finish above us two seasons in a row (actually so did fekin Hibs!) so it shows that a different approach can make such a difference. We'll see how they get on now than he's gone and this Italian fella is there.

If Craig decided right now that he's no longer wanting to continue then i'm sure there would be loads of applications on the table, even more so with the players we've recruited this season. As others have said, it looks a very decent squad ON PAPER but games aren't won on that. If I was a manager looking at the talent available, i'd be knocking on the door wanting to work with these players. What a great chance for someone to make a name for themselves, exactly as Clarke himself did.

You can change the squad overall but if coaching and training in the same style continues then it won't make a lot of difference how good or average players are.

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How can you call it a fresh start just because some new signings have been added.We need fresh tactics and change of shape if we are to make any progress this season.

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Alex Kintner
1 hour ago, Away up in Gorgie said:

If he loses on Friday he should be gone this weekend. 

 

Should be judged at end of next six games imo:

 

vs Motherwell away

vs Celtic away

vs Hamilton home

vs Motherwell home

vs Hibs away

vs St Mirren away

 

Anything less than three victories or more than two defeats out of those and he needs to go.

 

Edited by To Be Frank
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Away up in Gorgie
7 minutes ago, To Be Frank said:

 

Should be judged at end of next six games imo:

 

vs Motherwell away

vs Celtic away

vs Hamilton home

vs Motherwell home

vs Hibs away

vs St Mirren away

 

Anything less than three victories or more than two defeats out of those and he needs to go.

 

 

I think if we had played well and beaten Ross County last week that would have been a fair timescale. We didn't and it just appears that people are happy for him to scrape a couple of results, which he'll more than likely do with those 2 home games, games we should be winning, which just perpetuates the entire situation. Its like one long incessant, unchanging cycle. Having said that I did predict 7pts from the first 18 available, to much criticism when others were claiming 11-12 at a minimum so under your suggestion that should see him gone next month. I just hope further new players aren't ruined, never to be effective Hearts players, in the interim period. 

Edited by Away up in Gorgie
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Fire_At_The_Disco

Oooft Fresh Start! 

We are humming, Ross County just played us off the park ffs....

A couple of new signings and it’s a love-in.

This needs a fresh start right enough.... him and his cronies chased out of Tynie! 

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The Real Maroonblood
26 minutes ago, Tambo_The_Jambo said:

Oooft Fresh Start! 

We are humming, Ross County just played us off the park ffs....

A couple of new signings and it’s a love-in.

This needs a fresh start right enough.... him and his cronies chased out of Tynie! 

This.

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1 hour ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Even with all the recent panic buy additions I still feel we will never see their true potential with him in charge. We hopefully will improve massively from Saturday's performance but I still reckon a proper manager would get more out of them.

 

I just want him gone completely, no wee move upstairs just gone.

 

If however we turn into 70's Ajax and free the players from their chains I will completely change my mind and kid on that I backed him all the way.

 

Have to agree with this, especially the bit in bold.

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Getintaethem

Yep.  The past 3 years have all been a bad dream and we'll start playing dynamic, fast paced, attacking football from tomorrow.  Our new goalkeeper and defensive midfielder will probably bag 30 goals between them this season.  I'd be surprised if we don't win by nine or ten tomorrow.   The futures bright, the futures Levien!

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sandylejambo

no new start from me, busby85 said it about right, if we're playing the same slow shit on Friday, its the coaching and all of them have to go.

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Bazzas right boot
1 hour ago, To Be Frank said:

 

Should be judged at end of next six games imo:

 

vs Motherwell away

vs Celtic away

vs Hamilton home

vs Motherwell home

vs Hibs away

vs St Mirren away

 

Anything less than three victories or more than two defeats out of those and he needs to go.

 

 

 

I'm kinda here as well. 

 

Think it's fair as well. 

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Technically he should have gone months ago but happy to see how the team goes with fresh faces in it.

 

Also happy we appear united albeit for potentially a short period.

 

 

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Adam_the_legend

No. A year ago I was happy with CL as Manager and didn’t have any “agenda” against him. Now though, he needs to go. I don’t care how many players he signs, he will NEVER change. As long as he’s in charge we won’t finish any higher than 6th again this season. 

Edited by Adam_the_legend
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We appear to have a very strong squad now  particularly when Souttar and Haring are back and if the Japanese guy comes in.  Let's see though.

 

Hearts 0 at half time on Friday will see me back in depression mode.

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