Quality of squad?

[Cynic]

There seems to be a view that we have a better squad than teams like Kilmarnock and should be doing better either because of the management or the players underperforming. Personally I'd take Power, Findlay, Brophy, Burke, Dicker in a heartbeat. Plus their keeper. ( I'd take any keeper from anywhere).

 

[The Gorgie]

We have the 12th best squad in the league. Which is pretty incredible considering our previous management said it was the strongest hearts team in years.

[E6 Inc]

Its impossible to tell to be honest. 

 

Smith is a NI international, Souttar got a Scotland cap before his injury, Halkett was captain of livi last year...I could go on and on.

 

On paper we have an alright squad, there is just something massively wrong at the club and changing management hasn't seemed to have fixed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our keepers are absolutely awful though....

[Beast Boy]

We have good players. So do Kilmarnock. I’m sure they’d take some of ours that better suited their manager’s system, and we would do likewise.

 

 

[Beast Boy]

Merge

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

We've got some good players but the problem is our squad is unbalanced ! Our defensive players are pretty decent , we've not got a central midfield , we've got no pacey wingers and we've got decent forward players 

[i8hibsh]

I thought we had good players but the evidence against this is over whelming.  Our results, goals for, goals against and league position clearly show that we have a shite squad of players. About 100 of the worst players I have ever seen have been at our club in the past 4 years.

Edited February 17, 2020 by i8hibsh

[Beast Boy]

Just now, i8hibsh said:

I thought we had good players but the evidence against this is over whelming.  Our results, goals for, goals against and league position clearly show that we have a shite squad of players. About 100 of the worst players I have ever seen have been at our club in the past 4 years.

When you put it like that, it maybe suggests that it isn’t the players? Seems unlikely that we would miss the target that many times.

[i8hibsh]

1 minute ago, Special Officer Doofy said:

When you put it like that, it maybe suggests that it isn’t the players? Seems unlikely that we would miss the target that many times.

 

 

If we were to put together a strongest team of all Levein signings in the past 4 years it would still be 12th.

[Bull's-eye]

1 minute ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

If we were to put together a strongest team of all Levein signings in the past 4 years it would still be 12th.

 

We werent 12 last season with Leveins players so as usual your typing balderdash. 

 

You're about as consistent as the team 🤣🤣🤣

[Beast Boy]

4 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

If we were to put together a strongest team of all Levein signings in the past 4 years it would still be 12th.

Foolishly expected you to give a reasonable reply. Oh well.

[RS86]

There is often threads or comments on here suggesting various players from other teams are worth signing or could improve the squad. I wonder what players we have that other teams fans think would be a good signing for them?

[i8hibsh]

2 minutes ago, Bull's-eye said:

 

We werent 12 last season with Leveins players so as usual your typing balderdash. 

 

You're about as consistent as the team 🤣🤣🤣

 

 

What has last season got to do with this season? all teams look stronger, we are weaker.

[Greedy Jambo]

43 minutes ago, Cynic said:

There seems to be a view that we have a better squad than teams like Kilmarnock and should be doing better either because of the management or the players underperforming. Personally I'd take Power, Findlay, Brophy, Burke, Dicker in a heartbeat. Plus their keeper. ( I'd take any keeper from anywhere).

 

 

Swap deal for Naismith?

[Restonbabe]

It's perplexing I'll say that. 

There is a confidence issue at the club at the moment only the players are to blame. 

[letsalldothebeattie]

On paper we have a good squad that should be battling for Europe. Unfortunately for us the season isn’t played on paper. On the pitch we have team of individuals and not an actual team

[Bull's-eye]

14 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

If we were to put together a strongest team of all Levein signings in the past 4 years it would still be 12th.

 

7 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

What has last season got to do with this season? all teams look stronger, we are weaker.

 

You said the past 4 years, you talk so much Shit you can't keep up with yourself. 

[Pans Jambo]

Blatantly, only good enough over a small handful of games a season. Clear-out required in the summer.

 

12 out and 12 in.

[Greedy Jambo]

So far we've had a negative nancy in levein and a full on attacking blitz mode manager with Stendel. 

Maybe just go back to the bog standard 4-4-2 and put players in their natural positions? 

[Greedy Jambo]

Wing backs... 

Just call it a day with that. We don't have the players. 

[Arry]

2 minutes ago, Space Pirate said:

So far we've had a negative nancy in levein and a full on attacking blitz mode manager with Stendel. 

Maybe just go back to the bog standard 4-4-2 and put players in their natural positions? 

Spot on but ....CM is still a concern.

[Section Q]

But sadly the people to blame are still drawing a wage from us. Unbelievable.....

[Bull's-eye]

1 minute ago, Section Q said:

But sadly the people to blame are still drawing a wage from us. Unbelievable.....

 

Agree, get Stendel sacked.

[Bazzas right boot]

21 minutes ago, Bull's-eye said:

 

We werent 12 last season with Leveins players so as usual your typing balderdash. 

 

You're about as consistent as the team 🤣🤣🤣

 

Nah, Tbf, I8 is as consistent as the team, unfortunately. 

 

11 minutes ago, Bull's-eye said:

 

 

You said the past 4 years, you talk so much Shit you can't keep up with yourself. 

 

😂😂😂

[Seymour M Hersh]

Is nowhere near as good as many on here think. 

[RudiSkacelsLeftPeg]

6 minutes ago, Space Pirate said:

So far we've had a negative nancy in levein and a full on attacking blitz mode manager with Stendel. 

Maybe just go back to the bog standard 4-4-2 and put players in their natural positions? 

Can you see Stendel playing anything else other than the gegenpress regardless of how we are performing?

 

I don’t and can see him using the same formation no matter how we are performing. He is looking for us to improve bit by bit each week. 

[steven_mck]

I think it was Berra who said that we have a good squad but not a good team. 

[Beast Boy]

24 minutes ago, RS86 said:

There is often threads or comments on here suggesting various players from other teams are worth signing or could improve the squad. I wonder what players we have that other teams fans think would be a good signing for them?

Depending on the team, but if we say teams in the bottom six and up to L1 EFL, then imo:

 

Naismith

Damour

Souttar

Halkett

Boyce

Washingron

Hickey

Walker

Meshino

Clare

Smith

 

Straight off the bat. Others too, and a few of the ones on my list above would attract interest from higher places teams too.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by Special Officer Doofy

[ford donald]

1 hour ago, Cynic said:

There seems to be a view that we have a better squad than teams like Kilmarnock and should be doing better either because of the management or the players underperforming. Personally I'd take Power, Findlay, Brophy, Burke, Dicker in a heartbeat. Plus their keeper. ( I'd take any keeper from anywhere).

 

 

One thing, most teams in the spl have better scouts than us,that should be a priority change.

[Greedy Jambo]

5 minutes ago, RudiSkacelsLeftPeg said:

Can you see Stendel playing anything else other than the gegenpress regardless of how we are performing?

 

I don’t and can see him using the same formation no matter how we are performing. He is looking for us to improve bit by bit each week. 

 

Probably not, managers are stubborn. 

He's got to change something though, and pronto.

[combo74]

I was having a similar conversation with a couple of mates over the last couple of days, as I genuinely believe most clubs outside of Rangers and Celtic would take a good % of our squad, when you look at them on an individual basis. I appreciate we think many of them are no longer good enough due to their collective and individual performances over the last 6-12 months. However if you take a step back and look at it a bit more subjectively...

 

Smith, Souttar, Halkett, Hickey, Naismith and Boyce would all walk in to most other teams, on their day.

 

I also think most teams in the bottom 6 would take Walker, Washington, Irving, Uche and Clare (you could argue that Walker, Washington and Clare could also step into the first batch).

 

That’s all of the players that started/played on Saturday.

 

Collectively they have been terrible and that is a total head scratcher, but let’s not kid ourselves that they are not good enough, as individuals, to get into other teams in the league.

 

Thats not to say I wouldn’t replace some of them with top performers from other teams...

 

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by combo74

[Jamhammer]

A scattergun approach to recruitment combined with daft contracts, probably to attract players.

One manager/group of coaches who set up, and failed to not lose matches followed by a new attack minded manager with, pretty much the same players trying and failing to win matches.

 

A failure by both to address our appalling goalkeeper situation and chronic midfield.

This has led us to an unbalanced squad, low on confidence and, sadly fight. I appreciate the winter window is a hard one to get players in but of the 4 signed it looks like 2 good 2 bad so far and I don’t really know if we needed another defensive mid rather than attacking mid or centre back.

 

How we change things this season I don’t know 

 

[Diego10]

The squad has plenty quality in it but the balance is absolute shite.  We're weak in key areas and we have certain areas where we have loads of competition for about 2 places

[Greedy Jambo]

One of the problems is, the players with legs have a lack of game intelligence and the players with game intelligence have a lack of legs. 

[Debut 4]

This debate can branch off into different areas. 
 

I do totally go along with the theory the poor management,  standard of leadership and coaching over the past couple of years swamped players, they became a bit neutralised and weren’t given any fresh impetus or motivation to see they could do more. 
 

We are still struggling but it’s clear to see over various games under Stendel that some players are playing better, have changed their game for the better, playing at a quicker pace and enjoying it. 
 

It’s just a horrible situation he’s been plonked in to have a transitional period and totally change almost every aspect of the team in a positive manner. 
 

 

[Flimsy]

I think we have a decent squad of outfield players who are jittery because our goalies are shite. If we had St Mirren's goalie for example I think we would well clear of the bottom. There's obviously more to it than that but it's the main issue IMO.

[gashauskis9]

55 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

If we were to put together a strongest team of all Levein signings in the past 4 years it would still be 12th.

Apart from the teams that have finished 5th and 6th?  🤣🤣🤣

[Gmcjambo]

1 minute ago, Flimsy said:

I think we have a decent squad of outfield players who are jittery because our goalies are shite. If we had St Mirren's goalie for example I think we would well clear of the bottom. There's obviously more to it than that but it's the main issue IMO.

Def the main issue for me too.   Think it affects the whole team.    We'd have several more points for sure and not be facing the threat of relegation.   So frustrating,   think CLs keeper decisions have just been woeful and surprised Stendel put so much faith in Pereira.  😔

[AlimOzturk]

If we are relegated then each and every player with the exception of Boyce, Smith, Clare (jury still out IMO) Hickey should be told to find new clubs. 

[GorgieFifeLife]

6 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

If we are relegated then each and every player with the exception of Boyce, Smith, Clare (jury still out IMO) Hickey should be told to find new clubs. 

Wouldn't be worried if any of that 4 left either. I hope Boyce is playing with an injury as he looks like a carthorse.

Edited February 17, 2020 by GorgieFifeLife

[portobellojambo1]

9 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

This debate can branch off into different areas. 
 

I do totally go along with the theory the poor management,  standard of leadership and coaching over the past couple of years swamped players, they became a bit neutralised and weren’t given any fresh impetus or motivation to see they could do more. 
 

We are still struggling but it’s clear to see over various games under Stendel that some players are playing better, have changed their game for the better, playing at a quicker pace and enjoying it. 
 

It’s just a horrible situation he’s been plonked in to have a transitional period and totally change almost every aspect of the team in a positive manner. 
 

 

 

I agree with this. Stendel has basically taken a squad of players and had to start from scratch. He likes to play football in a different way and I genuinely believe it will be very good when he gets it working on a regular basis. The one thing I cannot determine is whether he understands it yet but in Scotland playing over the top of the opposition rather than around it is a big thing and to combat that the defence has to be retained as well. Up here you cannot play all out attack with 8 players or so. Under the previous management over the top was the way we tried to play often and it didn't work, players are having to change what has been battered into them for too long. Our midfield has to learn from the beginning again because the past way of getting the ball and either playing it sideways or backwards doesn't fit into Stendel's attacking ideas. I think someone further up the page mentioned just going back to something like a 4-4-2 formation and that is probably the way to do it for the remainder of the season. I think Stendel could have a busy close season, with the only problem being that if by then we have dropped down a division will players want to come to us. We have no divine right to remain in the top division we have to play to keep that position and then look to build on that.

[OTT]

I would say we've got one of the best squads in the league but arguably the least professional.

 

A club our size shouldn't be looking at relegation. Levein's approach fostered an unprofessional losers mentality. How many of the senior players actually stay behind after training to do a bit more work? 

 

Stendel has instilled a steeliness in terms of fighting back after going behind but our defence is a laughing stock. 

 

If we go down there is not an unreasonable argument to binning every senior player. 

[jr ewing]

Weaker than the sum of all its parts. 

[Getintaethem]

I feel some of the players aren’t up to speed yet and we’re still suffering from the aftermath of the injury crisis. Souttar and Naismith for example have been well below their usual standard, which is understandable after the lengthy time they were both out for.  Washington, Walker, Garuccio and Hickey have all recently come back from injury and aren’t quite match fit yet.  Getting these players back on form would make a massive difference in our relegation battle.

[ford donald]

11 minutes ago, GorgieFifeLife said:

Wouldn't be worried if any of that 4 left either. I hope Boyce is playing with an injury as he looks like a carthorse.

 

Would definately keep Boyce and Smith,Hickey will be moving on.

[Class of 75]

1 hour ago, Special Officer Doofy said:

When you put it like that, it maybe suggests that it isn’t the players? Seems unlikely that we would miss the target that many times.

I don't believe the previous management missed the target by chance or mistake. No one is that unlucky. 

[RudiSkacelsLeftPeg]

45 minutes ago, Space Pirate said:

 

Probably not, managers are stubborn. 

He's got to change something though, and pronto.

Totally. Not the Levein approach but something in the middle would probably see us stay up.

[Cruyff]

I'd probably keep Naisy, Walker, Boyce, Smith, Souttar, Clare, Haring, Hickey, Irving and maybe Garuccio from the entire squad. Not saying they would be first XI, the majority wouldn't be. In fact maybe only 1 or 2 would or could be good enough to start. I'd absolutely punt the rest. 

 

The way I look at it, to play for Hearts they should be one of the top 10 players in their position in the entire league.

 

Our keeper should be one of the top 4 or 5 goalkeepers in the league, bare minimum. When we had Smith, Rousset, Niemi, Gordon, Kello and McLaughlin, we could say they were one of the top 4 or 5 in the league. 

 

Hearts have generally always had top notch Centerhalfs. Levein, McLaren, McPherson, Weir, Webster, Pressley even Berra was one of the best in the league up until his injury. That was the standard at Hearts, we are now woefully below that. 

 

We should be finishing top 4 every season therefore we should have a starting XI and squad which reflects that standard. We clearly do not have that if we think that players from the likes of Killie etc.. who aren't even a top 3/4 side, have a lot more better players. 

[Mr Elwood P]

43 minutes ago, Jamhammer said:

A scattergun approach to recruitment combined with daft contracts, probably to attract players.

One manager/group of coaches who set up, and failed to not lose matches followed by a new attack minded manager with, pretty much the same players trying and failing to win matches.

 

A failure by both to address our appalling goalkeeper situation and chronic midfield.

This has led us to an unbalanced squad, low on confidence and, sadly fight. I appreciate the winter window is a hard one to get players in but of the 4 signed it looks like 2 good 2 bad so far and I don’t really know if we needed another defensive mid rather than attacking mid or centre back.

 

How we change things this season I don’t know 

 

We started the season with Haring, Whelan and Damour as centre mids. On paper that should have been brilliant. Haring has never recovered from his injury. Whelan was good for a few weeks. Damour has never got going. Don’t think anyone said they were bad signings at the time. 

[Beast Boy]

7 minutes ago, Class of 75 said:

I don't believe the previous management missed the target by chance or mistake. No one is that unlucky. 

Aye aye? So... what was it then?
 

1) The previous management signed shite players?

 

2) They intentionally signed up shite players?