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Robbie Neilson as a player.


Greedy Jambo

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Greedy Jambo

I know he had his moments, a couple of famous tackles,  but i couldn't stand him,  an absolute heedless chicken going forward. 

I can't fault his effort but bloody hell, he would run the length of the pitch, get to a position to either cross it or cut inside and would just be like mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I don't know what to do now, think i'll pass it backwards. 

 

Always a worry for me when you have a manager that knows hee haw about attacking. 

 

 

 

 

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Cup winner. Steady if uninspiring fullback, who provided what needed to be done, when it was needed most, like the goal v Basel, and the tackle in the cup. Looked to be on his way out as a kid, but fought his way back in through grit and determination after a loan to QotS. Played in some of our greatest modern matches, and won a A Scotland cap with us. Never really let us down that I can remember. He’s alright in my book.

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Just now, Space Pirate said:

I know he had his moments, a couple of famous tackles,  but i couldn't stand him,  an absolute heedless chicken going forward. 

I can't fault his effort but bloody hell, he would run the length of the pitch, get to a position to either cross it or cut inside and would just be like mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I don't know what to do now, think i'll pass it backwards. 

 

Always a worry for me when you have a manager that knows hee haw about attacking. 

 

 

 

 

He was solid and reliable as a player but never a huge threat going forward. Pretty sure the story goes that when Levein heard Robbie scored in Basel, he queried if he'd thrown the ****ing ball in the net. 

 

Still, his side put 10 past Cowdenbeath and Wenger and Klopp were both defenders in their career so that's no guarantee his teams will play the same. 

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ToadKiller Dog

My view  he was wonderfully average most of the time .occasional moment of magic .

Always expected him to slice a long pass into the stand at least once a match .

.

He wasn't Rubbish but either was he a top grade player .a work horse type rather than a race horse .

Edited by ToadKiller Dog
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Greedy Jambo
8 minutes ago, Normthebarman said:

He was solid and reliable as a player but never a huge threat going forward. Pretty sure the story goes that when Levein heard Robbie scored in Basel, he queried if he'd thrown the ****ing ball in the net. 

 

Still, his side put 10 past Cowdenbeath and Wenger and Klopp were both defenders in their career so that's no guarantee his teams will play the same. 

 

That's another thing that bugs me, did he not tell the team to lay off them and not score anymore goals? 

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Lone Striker

Pretty good defender, good throw-in taker .... decent going forward.....absolutely hopeless at crossing & shooting though.   Him coming back from injury was a major factor in us finishing 3rd under Csaba.    7 out of 10 rating on Tripadvisor.  Delighted he's back with us again, this time as manager.    

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Cairneyhill Jambo
21 minutes ago, Space Pirate said:

 

That's another thing that bugs me, did he not tell the team to lay off them and not score anymore goals? 

I was more pissed off that Paolo Sergio told the players to lay off Hibs in the cup final. 

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Ricardo Shillyshally
3 minutes ago, Cairneyhill Jambo said:

I was more pissed off that Paolo Sergio told the players to lay off Hibs in the cup final. 

I suspect the OP was on the M8 at that time

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Robbie was solid, a great team player and a by the book full back. No ****ing about. 

 

He was very fit, could run up and down the park all day. Sometimes he'd even run 60 yards just to take a defender away and create space. Very unselfish. 

 

He always stuck the ball up the line if there was nothing on for a striker to chase. 

 

Always defended his back post well and made sure he got goal side. 

 

Good tackler and brave. Never shat it out of a 50/50 in his puff.

 

Long throw specialist.

 

Decent crosser. Always touch and cross, made sure it got into the box. 

 

Wasn't technically great, wasn't very quick but he was very solid and very dependable. 

 

I liked him. 

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A very dependable right back and a proper 100% commitment every time he stepped on the park. He did what a right back should do, defend. I dont remember any time where he gifted a goal to the opposition and when he was at right back, you knew that you had a reliable defender who would do his job, bit like Smith now. Considering he played about 250 games and plenty competition was brought in throughout his time, nobody was a better player.

 

Don't get the fascination that folk dont rate him because he wasnt great at going forward, in that era, full backs defended and that was their main job. 

 

Can't think of many other 'fans' that couldnt stand him and as for it being a worry that apparently he knows hee haw about attacking, I presume Jefferies knew nothing about it either and guys like Guardiola too. His evidence last time round showed he knows plenty. 

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13 minutes ago, Ricardo Shillyshally said:

I suspect the OP was on the M8 at that time

Either that or a specialist in hiring a plane.

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Diadora Van Basten

He was awful but had a fantasy attitude and work ethic by the end of the match you couldn’t grudge him a 6 out of 10.

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Pasquale for King
57 minutes ago, Space Pirate said:

I know he had his moments, a couple of famous tackles,  but i couldn't stand him,  an absolute heedless chicken going forward. 

I can't fault his effort but bloody hell, he would run the length of the pitch, get to a position to either cross it or cut inside and would just be like mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I don't know what to do now, think i'll pass it backwards. 

 

Always a worry for me when you have a manager that knows hee haw about attacking. 

 

 

 

 

Absolutely, made Riordan look like a world beater too. Leveins pet project. Stuck out like a sore thumb in the 2006 team. Miko and Chesney laughing at each other if they had to play on the left with Takis behind them or right with Neilson. 

Edited by Pasquale for King
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Greedy Jambo
4 minutes ago, Diadora Van Basten said:

He was awful but had a fantasy attitude and work ethic by the end of the match you couldn’t grudge him a 6 out of 10.

 

:rofl:

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Pasquale for King
10 minutes ago, Martin said:

A very dependable right back and a proper 100% commitment every time he stepped on the park. He did what a right back should do, defend. I dont remember any time where he gifted a goal to the opposition and when he was at right back, you knew that you had a reliable defender who would do his job, bit like Smith now. Considering he played about 250 games and plenty competition was brought in throughout his time, nobody was a better player.

 

Don't get the fascination that folk dont rate him because he wasnt great at going forward, in that era, full backs defended and that was their main job. 

 

Can't think of many other 'fans' that couldnt stand him and as for it being a worry that apparently he knows hee haw about attacking, I presume Jefferies knew nothing about it either and guys like Guardiola too. His evidence last time round showed he knows plenty. 

I think Maybury was a far better player but Levein put him on the left to play Neilson, can’t think of any other RBs we signed to compete with him? JJ gave him his debut but didn’t sign another RB in his first spell at the club.

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Pasquale for King
3 minutes ago, OTT said:

He kind of reminds me of Mickey Smith. 

 

He's incredibly unspectacular yet totally reliable. Its weird. 

 

 

They are similar, Smith is way more adaptable though and a better football player. 

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11 minutes ago, Diadora Van Basten said:

He was awful but had a fantasy attitude and work ethic by the end of the match you couldn’t grudge him a 6 out of 10.


He wasn’t awful.  Same people are making out Mikey Smith is the right sided Maldini for **** sake.    He as a player is 85% better of the shit that has us bottom of the table. 

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15 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

Robbie was solid, a great team player and a by the book full back. No ****ing about. 

 

He was very fit, could run up and down the park all day. Sometimes he'd even run 60 yards just to take a defender away and create space. Very unselfish. 

 

He always stuck the ball up the line if there was nothing on for a striker to chase. 

 

Always defended his back post well and made sure he got goal side. 

 

Good tackler and brave. Never shat it out of a 50/50 in his puff.

 

Long throw specialist.

 

Decent crosser. Always touch and cross, made sure it got into the box. 

 

Wasn't technically great, wasn't very quick but he was very solid and very dependable. 

 

I liked him. 

 

Didn't mind him as a player , essential part of back four .

But I can't remember him ever sticking the ball up the line and keeping it in play .

Though he certainly attempted to do so .

Often

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Greedy Jambo
4 minutes ago, Last Laff said:


He wasn’t awful.  Same people are making out Mikey Smith is the right sided Maldini for **** sake.    He as a player is 85% better of the shit that has us bottom of the table. 

 

Smith is twice the payer Robbie was, to be fair. 

Robbie looked so uncomfortable with a football. 

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I recall being at a Shareholders meeting and someone asked Levein why he played Neilson every week and couldn’t he get a better player in.

 

Levein’s answer was that for the money Hearts were paying, there was no way we could get a better right back as Robbie was a solid 6/7 every game and this allowed Levein to use the budget to get De Vries, Stamp, Valois etc who could make a difference going forward 

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12 minutes ago, Space Pirate said:

 

Smith is twice the payer Robbie was, to be fair. 

Robbie looked so uncomfortable with a football. 


If you actually seen him in training or been trained by him it’s the opposite tho.  Gave his all as a right back but wasn’t the donkey some are making out.’

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1 hour ago, Space Pirate said:

I know he had his moments, a couple of famous tackles,  but i couldn't stand him,  an absolute heedless chicken going forward. 

I can't fault his effort but bloody hell, he would run the length of the pitch, get to a position to either cross it or cut inside and would just be like mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I don't know what to do now, think i'll pass it backwards. 

 

Always a worry for me when you have a manager that knows hee haw about attacking. 

 

 

 

 

He was brutal 

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colinmaroon
1 hour ago, Space Pirate said:

I know he had his moments, a couple of famous tackles,  but i couldn't stand him,  an absolute heedless chicken going forward. 

I can't fault his effort but bloody hell, he would run the length of the pitch, get to a position to either cross it or cut inside and would just be like mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I don't know what to do now, think i'll pass it backwards. 

 

Always a worry for me when you have a manager that knows hee haw about attacking. 

 

 

 

 

 

Surprise!

 

 

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colinmaroon
10 minutes ago, Last Laff said:


If you actually seen him in training or been trained by him it’s the opposite tho.  Gave his all as a right back but wasn’t the donkey the usual some are making out.’

 

Excuse the edit.

 

Same crap 14 or so years ago from some on here who suffer from severe identity disorder and posted under their previous depressing incarnations.

 

 

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5 minutes ago, colinmaroon said:

 

Excuse the edit.

 

Same crap 14 or so years ago from some on here who suffer from severe identity disorder and posted under their previous depressing incarnations.

 

 


Ive no idea what the edit is Colin but I’m hoping your not meaning me there when all I was doing is sticking up for Robbie :) 

 

Ive never been on here as anyone else and I know by seeing Robbie play he wasn’t a donkey or awful. 

 

He was or was a right back that made a career there with the third biggest club in Scotland when he could have dropped a wee level and controlled games in the middle of the pitch.  Neilson isn’t a donkey,  or wasn’t as a footballer he was never a right back though and never quite got the coordinates right. 
 

Scottish cup winning hero too.  

Edited by Last Laff
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15 minutes ago, NB GIN said:

He was brutal 


For ten years?  He wasn’t really.  Osh is brutal, the first team squad of this season and last and the shite we watch is brutal Damour is ****ing brutal.

 

Neilson wasn’t. 

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He changed my life. Moved out of the main stand to avoid injury from the falling debris. With his constant sliced clearances.

 

Found out that you can actual get leg room and somewhere to smoke in the uncovered corners at games.

 

Thanks Robbie

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StevenNaismith

He’s the perfect example to all the youngsters about hard work. Wasn’t the best player but his work ethic was above everyone else in his particular youth team. As we all know, work ethic goes a long way under CL and Robbie grabbed any chance he got with both hands. Reliable, tough as nails and a really nice guy to boot.

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I'm sure that between 2005/06 and 2006/07 Tall, Barasa, Petras, Costa and Karipidis were all signed as being able to play right back and he managed to hold down the position regardless.

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jambostuart

Worked his arse off every game. If we had more players like him in the squad now we wouldn't be bottom, regardless of the man's ability.

 

He was an average right back, but no worse than some of the dross that play in the lower parts of the SPL.

 

And he performed very well in his only game for Scotland. If someone had been on the end of that cross it's a totally different story.

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Bunny Munro

It's very fashionable to not like Robbie. He was fine. Didn't his job well. Anyone who knows anything about building a team with a flat four knows you can't attack both sides at the same time (except Stendel who was just optimistic).

 

In 05/06 Robbie at RB allowed the left full back (Takis, Wallace) to attack more freely, that allowed the left mid (Skacel) to cut inside more or play more centrally. Another great example of this working is Adam Ekersley and Callum Paterson in the championship. With Adam doing the 'Robbie' role.

 

Although saying that, I remember a game vs Hamilton under Csaba, think it may have been midweek, Nade scored the winner after about 5 minutes and we just stopped attacking. Except Robbie who was doing all of our playmaking for RB. Not good playmaking, but more than anyone else that night. 😂

 

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jamtartan74

Sometimes I wonder what some of our fans expect from our players, I loved Robbie Neilson as a player for us, he gave everything over a long period of time and was very consistent in doing so playing under a number of managers. One of my favourite players in his time playing for us due to his overall desire and effort and consistency. Was delighted to hear of him coming back as manager, unfinished business. Got bottle got style Neilson in, get it right round yae ya phoodle phuds 😁

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Bull's-eye

Another one JKB has pigeonholed over the years. Same boring cliches get trotted out when his name gets mentioned by people who never saw him play.

 

Played 200 times for Hearts. I think that says enough. 

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I would compare him to Michael Smith now, Never really had a bad game or a great game just a solid 7 most weeks.

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Selkirkhmfc1874

Robbie was steady player, wasn't the most gifted technically but one thing for sure he always gave 100%

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plastic_bas

All the key arguments have been made but I can't help think of him fondly.

 

I used to love the timing of his first long throw in a European game when they had no clue who he was. We'd always lull them in with a few short throws before the bedlam as he hits their box from the halfway line. Delish. 

 

He was a master at the last minute duck to earn a thrown. Whenever one of our full backs, from Takis to Oshaniwa, flicks the ball out for a throw you'll hear my dad say 'FFS should have Robbied it'. 

 

As an aside, whenever I see Kenny Miller's stupid face, I don't immediately think of the goals against us or the career ruiner on McHattie. I think about how oor Robbie should have 1 cap and 1 effing assist for this inch perfect cross in 2006. Start at 34 mins in the video. 

 

 

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gashauskis9
7 hours ago, Cruyff said:

Robbie was solid, a great team player and a by the book full back. No ****ing about. 

 

He was very fit, could run up and down the park all day. Sometimes he'd even run 60 yards just to take a defender away and create space. Very unselfish. 

 

He always stuck the ball up the line if there was nothing on for a striker to chase. 

 

Always defended his back post well and made sure he got goal side. 

 

Good tackler and brave. Never shat it out of a 50/50 in his puff.

 

Long throw specialist.

 

Decent crosser. Always touch and cross, made sure it got into the box. 

 

Wasn't technically great, wasn't very quick but he was very solid and very dependable. 

 

I liked him. 

Perfect summary.

 

An integral part of the best back 4 we’ve had in decades.  

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colinmaroon
7 hours ago, Last Laff said:


Ive no idea what the edit is Colin but I’m hoping your not meaning me there when all I was doing is sticking up for Robbie :) 

 

Ive never been on here as anyone else and I know by seeing Robbie play he wasn’t a donkey or awful. 

 

He was or was a right back that made a career there with the third biggest club in Scotland when he could have dropped a wee level and controlled games in the middle of the pitch.  Neilson isn’t a donkey,  or wasn’t as a footballer he was never a right back though and never quite got the coordinates right. 
 

Scottish cup winning hero too.  

 

Certainly not you!  In complete agreement.

 

Re-read your post I quoted near the end.

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8 hours ago, ToadKiller Dog said:

My view  he was wonderfully average most of the time .occasional moment of magic .

Always expected him to slice a long pass into the stand at least once a match .

.

He wasn't Rubbish but either was he a top grade player .a work horse type rather than a race horse .


The irony of the slice thing being, a few years later Danny Wilson did that every time and folk thought he was wonderful. 😄

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9 hours ago, Perth to Paisley said:

He was brilliant at throw in’s .... if I am allowed to be positive

 

First thing that came to mind after reading the OP.

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queensferryjambo

Robbie Neilson was a good player.

 

That said these days all I care about is if he is going to be a good manager second time round at Hearts.

 

This thread just seems like a cheap swipe at our current manager. 

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Nookie Bear
9 hours ago, Space Pirate said:

I know he had his moments, a couple of famous tackles,  but i couldn't stand him,  an absolute heedless chicken going forward. 

I can't fault his effort but bloody hell, he would run the length of the pitch, get to a position to either cross it or cut inside and would just be like mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I don't know what to do now, think i'll pass it backwards. 

 

Always a worry for me when you have a manager that knows hee haw about attacking. 

 

 

 

 


He had excellent positional ability, knew his weaknesses so didnt try to be Cafu, gave the ball to more talented players to get in with it and I don’t recall him letting us down too often. 
 

Also trusted by a number of managers to fill the right back spot and found to be very difficult to replace. 
 

Always a worry for me when fans know hee haw about football and forget his first job was as defender 

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