If not Neilson who?

[Libertarian]

3 hours ago, gregzy2k7 said:

I used to be a robbie fan until only a few weeks ago but i am noticing major cracks now in what he is trying to do with this team, Yes we are clear at the top right now but make no mistake, we are playing rubbish at the moment imo, no better than we were under levein at the start of last season i would argue, yes we are 9 points clear however dunfy have 1 game in hand and i for the life of me can't see us winning at inverness, Given how bad we have been recently, do you honestly expect us to win there? so if we lose/draw and dunfy win again next week the gap could potentially be only 6 points by the end of next weekend. For me that's extremely concerning that we could only be a couple of wins clear in the scottish championship, with the budget and players that we have.

Are you not concerned by the fact we can't break teams down and have played well only a handful of times this season and got knocked out diddy cup by part timers?

I take your point, however the last time I looked we were 11 points clear at the top although Dunfermline have a game in hand. I accept that with our budget we should be out of sight, however it would be mad to sack Robbie when we are clear at the top and on course to get back to the premiership. 

[gordiegords]

He will be here until budge decides, that ain’t happening any time soon. I wonder if deep down he knows this is nowhere near good enough? Our standards are very low nowadays. Be some carry on if crowds were allowed in he would know all about it.

[GinRummy]

18 minutes ago, Libertarian said:

I take your point, however the last time I looked we were 11 points clear at the top although Dunfermline have a game in hand. I accept that with our budget we should be out of sight, however it would be mad to sack Robbie when we are clear at the top and on course to get back to the premiership. 

Of course it would be mad. He’s just such a frustrating manager at times. What gets me is he knows he can get better out of the players himself yet sticks with the way he’s been playing for more or less the entire season. 
 

Round about the time of the Dunfermline home game he stated in the press he thought our best formation was 4-3-3. Since then he’s stuck with 4-2-3-1 which has saw two absolutely terrible performances before yesterday’s. Just this week in the media he said Boyce was being given too much to do. Fantastic, I thought, Boyce at last gets the strike partner he so clearly needs but no, 4-2-3-1. Yesterday, at last we were carrying a bit of threat through the middle, with McEneff, then he completely takes that away by bringing on random attacking players and just chucking them up front, meaning Aaron was played for much of the 2nd half as a holding mid. Also meaning we were relying on anything coming from wide areas. Predictable as ****. 
 

That’s two points in two games. What will it take for him to change? His stubbornness is starting to piss me off. I just hope he doesn’t wait till we lose a couple of games before he wises up.

[Cruyff]

8 hours ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

 

We aren't being scudded by anyone.

In fact, right now all facts point to us doing the scudding.

If we don't go up it would be embarrassing, but fortunately due to Robbie, unlike Rangers and Hibs in the recent past we WILL go up- first time.

 

We are also only in the second tier as we were voted down and were not relegated after a full season.

 

If you admit embarrassment you admit that the decision to relegate us was correct.

 

[HMFC 86]

1 hour ago, Nookie Bear said:

I left it alone last night because I’ve said everything I want to say about Robbie over the last few months. 
 

Exhausted by Robbie and the players. Exhausted by his bullshit. Exhausted by the club drifting into irrelevance. 

Needs changed. Can wait til the summer but Ann needs to step aside and Robbie needs to go. That’s all. 

Absolutely this.

[greggy123]

We had a manager in April last year who was something different and should have been given a proper chance, but yet again Ann budge makes another bad decision. Her time at hearts is starting to become a disaster, football clubs aren’t judged on how well their run as a business. 

[airthjambo]

2 hours ago, Nookie Bear said:

What has possession stats got to do with anything? Liverpool had 71% yesterday. 

 

 

Exactly & we had 66%

[NANOJAMBO]

3 minutes ago, greggy123 said:

We had a manager in April last year who was something different and should have been given a proper chance, but yet again Ann budge makes another bad decision. Her time at hearts is starting to become a disaster, football clubs aren’t judged on how well their run as a business. 

I don't think it's a "bad" decision : it's a safe, unambitious decision , he'll get the job done (promotion) and in the current climate that's all AB is asking. He's not the man to take the  club forward though. 

[airthjambo]

Just now, airthjambo said:

Exactly & we had 66%

Results that count, I was just pointing out that Neil's are not very good either & his team are in freefall

[David Black]

7 hours ago, JimmyCant said:

Not true 

Not looking for an argument, but what have I got wrong, Getting older and memory playing tricks maybe.

[gordon simpson]

plenty good managers on kick back pick one from our own ranks save some money (thoughts )

 

[Hectormasson]

2 hours ago, Fluorescent Adolescent said:

Folk getting themselves worked up would be better served channeling their energy elsewhere.

 

He isn’t leaving, he isn’t getting sacked. He’ll be Hearts manager for the foreseeable.

Maybe needs a proper football brain beside him then?  Something needs to change, player upheaval.in summer.....

[JimmyCant]

1 hour ago, David Black said:

Not looking for an argument, but what have I got wrong, Getting older and memory playing tricks maybe.

We weren’t top when he left. A series of poor results, mostly draws, had allowed Dumbarton to catch us up and they were top when Ormond left. We were on the slide under Ormond that season. Moncur came in and we won the Championship. We probably wouldn’t have gone up if we had kept Ormond

[David Black]

7 minutes ago, JimmyCant said:

We weren’t top when he left. A series of poor results, mostly draws, had allowed Dumbarton to catch us up and they were top when Ormond left. We were on the slide under Ormond that season. Moncur came in and we won the Championship. We probably wouldn’t have gone up if we had kept Ormond

I always thought we were top. Oh well, wrong again.

[JimmyCant]

3 hours ago, gordiegords said:

He will be here until budge decides, that ain’t happening any time soon. I wonder if deep down he knows this is nowhere near good enough? Our standards are very low nowadays. Be some carry on if crowds were allowed in he would know all about it.

It was a comfort blanket appointment which hardly anyone was thrilled with. Ann Budge, bless her heart, for the good of the club, must step aside in the summer, get the transfer of power done and let’s see this (up till now) anonymous CEO she appointed start earning his money. There is no excuse why the FOH can’t step in this summer and take the reigns.

 

Until that happens, Robbie Neilson has the safest job in Scottish football, which sounds a bit too familiar for my liking.

 

October 2021 would be my prediction for Neilson to get his jotters, 5 months too late.

[wavydavy]

3 hours ago, Libertarian said:

I take your point, however the last time I looked we were 11 points clear at the top although Dunfermline have a game in hand. I accept that with our budget we should be out of sight, however it would be mad to sack Robbie when we are clear at the top and on course to get back to the premiership. 

 

That can change very quickly. We have a tricky game on Friday night up at ICT and we all know how well we have done on the Friday night games of late.

 

If we lose and Dunfermline win their game in hand then the doubt can easily start spreading in the players minds and we have some difficult games coming up.

 

Of course if we get three points and Dunfermline drop points then we have a bit of respite to allow us to drop more points.

 

 

[gorgieheart]

See if a neutral came onto this utter car crash of a forum, they would think that the vast majority of folk on here actually want Neilson to fail ! 

Bizarre

We have a squad that will be radically different in time for us kicking off next season in the Premier League , yes we are stuttering but our support is so fickle that we insist on picking at the bones of any player,  coach, tea lady who makes a few mistakes , yet we follow blindly the likes of Stendel, who made some shite-tastic decisions...but he's a diamond and it fits a wee song,  so all good ! 

 

The club has pretty much everyone right off the pitch... we , the fans gave them time to do that...now the club needs the same fans to show a little patience as they build again on the pitch...

 

Yes we have had some proper stinking displays,  but there are a lot of short memories here...we have been here before and got back to where we are meant to be,  we will get back there again..

 

Back em, don't sack em  !  

 

Mon the Famous ! 

[mellors1874]

Billy Reid 

Did wonders at Hamilton and produced some great young talent.

Has worked abroad and in England and I think would be a good appointment 

[The Grim Reaper]

50 minutes ago, gorgieheart said:

See if a neutral came onto this utter car crash of a forum, they would think that the vast majority of folk on here actually want Neilson to fail ! 

Bizarre

We have a squad that will be radically different in time for us kicking off next season in the Premier League , yes we are stuttering but our support is so fickle that we insist on picking at the bones of any player,  coach, tea lady who makes a few mistakes , yet we follow blindly the likes of Stendel, who made some shite-tastic decisions...but he's a diamond and it fits a wee song,  so all good ! 

 

The club has pretty much everyone right off the pitch... we , the fans gave them time to do that...now the club needs the same fans to show a little patience as they build again on the pitch...

 

Yes we have had some proper stinking displays,  but there are a lot of short memories here...we have been here before and got back to where we are meant to be,  we will get back there again..

 

Back em, don't sack em  !  

 

Mon the Famous ! 

Sick of the constant rebuilding of squads. Would much prefer he started getting the best out of the players he has at his disposal now. 

[OTT]

2 minutes ago, mellors1874 said:

Billy Reid 

Did wonders at Hamilton and produced some great young talent.

Has worked abroad and in England and I think would be a good appointment 

 

Wouldn't say no tbh, Östersund are an interesting one too, Potter seems to do things differently, so maybe has a similar outlook as has worked with him for so long? Either way, I think having someone who has went and experienced football beyond the UK could offer a fresher insight into how we could do things. 

 

I think until we think differently in how we approach our football department we will be bound to repeat the same mistakes that we've made during Leveins tenure. I really want us as a club to assess how our football team fits into the culture/identity of the club we are looking to develop. Budge has tried from the looks of things to promote this idea of being a community club, and I think a strong academy with a commitment to developing youth and bringing them into the first team goes hand in hand with that. At present I don't think the signings reflect any sort of coherent identity. 

[Boris]

52 minutes ago, gorgieheart said:

See if a neutral came onto this utter car crash of a forum, they would think that the vast majority of folk on here actually want Neilson to fail ! 

Bizarre

We have a squad that will be radically different in time for us kicking off next season in the Premier League , yes we are stuttering but our support is so fickle that we insist on picking at the bones of any player,  coach, tea lady who makes a few mistakes , yet we follow blindly the likes of Stendel, who made some shite-tastic decisions...but he's a diamond and it fits a wee song,  so all good ! 

 

The club has pretty much everyone right off the pitch... we , the fans gave them time to do that...now the club needs the same fans to show a little patience as they build again on the pitch...

 

Yes we have had some proper stinking displays,  but there are a lot of short memories here...we have been here before and got back to where we are meant to be,  we will get back there again..

 

Back em, don't sack em  !  

 

Mon the Famous ! 

 

Is it possible that we actually do have a capable squad, yet it is the manager who is incapable of getting the right tune out of them?

Since RN left the club has been on a repeat cycle of bringing in players who make little difference. Why? May have something to do with how they are set up to play.

RN returning is simply a continuation of that failed Leveinball experiment.

I didn't want RN appointed. Of course I want him to be a success, but so far I see little evidence to suggest that he will take us to where we presume we should be.

That may come across as rather self entitled, it isn't. It's an expectation. I think most of us would be happy if that expectation wasn't met, as long as we looked like we were moving in the right direction.

So far there has been very little on show to suggest that we are.

All imo, of course.

[cubanjambo]

1 hour ago, gorgieheart said:

See if a neutral came onto this utter car crash of a forum, they would think that the vast majority of folk on here actually want Neilson to fail ! 

Bizarre

We have a squad that will be radically different in time for us kicking off next season in the Premier League , yes we are stuttering but our support is so fickle that we insist on picking at the bones of any player,  coach, tea lady who makes a few mistakes , yet we follow blindly the likes of Stendel, who made some shite-tastic decisions...but he's a diamond and it fits a wee song,  so all good ! 

 

The club has pretty much everyone right off the pitch... we , the fans gave them time to do that...now the club needs the same fans to show a little patience as they build again on the pitch...

 

Yes we have had some proper stinking displays,  but there are a lot of short memories here...we have been here before and got back to where we are meant to be,  we will get back there again..

 

Back em, don't sack em  !  

 

Mon the Famous ! 

👍 Well said, not one person having a go at the manager here mentioning he had us second in the league on his first stint.

[jbee647]

2 hours ago, JimmyCant said:

We weren’t top when he left. A series of poor results, mostly draws, had allowed Dumbarton to catch us up and they were top when Ormond left. We were on the slide under Ormond that season. Moncur came in and we won the Championship. We probably wouldn’t have gone up if we had kept Ormond

We had been 3-0 up at Tynecastle against Clydebank and were pegged back to 3-3, Ormond was sacked on the Monday, the press slaughtered Hearts for sacking a Manager when his team were top of the league.

My recollections of the time was 1-0 home victories over Dumbarton and Stirling and away defeats to Ayr United and Clydebank.

Awful football, but Ormonds biggest failing in the eyes of Hearts fans was him being an ex Hibby, at the time while Hearts manager he was pictured in a Hibs top alongside other members of the famous five

[Cruyff]

3 hours ago, gordon simpson said:

plenty good managers on kick back pick one from our own ranks save some money (thoughts )

 

They'd probably get a tune out of this squad tbf. 

[Spellczech]

3 hours ago, gordon simpson said:

plenty good managers on kick back pick one from our own ranks save some money (thoughts )

 

What would you prefer to do on a football forum?

[Last Laff]

Jim Goodwin. 

 

He hates Hibs and doing a great job at St Mirren. 

 

Here's a question, if Goodwin goes to say Aberdeen and Neison is punted, does anyone think St Mirren would want to appoint him?

 

 

[jambonian]

To me it seems that Neilson's style is still too much like Levein's as that's what he was taught by said mentor. 

When i heard he'd came back my reaction was shaking my head and shouting "fks sake!" over and over. 

To me, no matter who was in charge we were going to go straight back up again and Neilson will do that but not with a lot to spare. However i am already dreading the relegation battle we're likely to be involved in next season. Anyone who isn't concerned about that really needs to think long and hard why not.

[Alan_R]

1 hour ago, The Grim Reaper said:

Sick of the constant rebuilding of squads. Would much prefer he started getting the best out of the players he has at his disposal now. 

I'm not one to bang on about former players, but like Paulo Sergio? And we treated him like crap when he applied for a second stint

[weegie jambo]

Heck, so many points to ponder. I for one was unhappy at Stendell's sacking. He was a breath of fresh air and if he had the benefit of a transfer window things would have been different. So now we have Robbie the safe option and it seemed that his recruitment was heralding a new style and a move away from ultra safe Levein, but Oh No, its just the same old same old. Most people are saying he will get the first few months in the Premiership before the axe falls, really?? The way we are playing right now I'm not overly confident of getting to the Premiership! Despite having the vast amount of possession in recent games, we just haven't got the skills to finish the job. This is all down to Neilson's lack of tactical awareness. Persisting with 4-2-3-1 with two wingers that are not doing the business, one man up front when Boyce is crying out for support up front and playing two defensive midfielders who are ultra negative, who sit in front of the back four without moving forward and lets face it, this is a poor league, playing two DM's against the likes of QOS & Morton is totally defeatist. As I said on the match treat, Plan B is stick every striker on the park and go with a cavalry charge. The upshot of this is we have McEnuff, who is a good box to box offensive midfielder forced back into a DM position therefore completely stunting his effectiveness (witness the players ratings, great first half, crap second). Play players in their best and most effective positions and have confidence in their abilities to win games, rather than shoe horning players into the team and hoping for the best! I think we know where the blame lies as the debacle gets worse by the week.

Bottom line is it doesn't matter who we sign, if Robbie can't or won't play a decent formation then we are forever doomed to be a bottom 6 yo-yo team. Right now I'm not confident of promotion, we have lost our Mojo and swagger and Neilson isn't the man to restore it. We need a hard taskmaster with a bit of balls to play an expansive game and not fear the opposition whether that be the old firm or a crap Morton team.

[The Grim Reaper]

44 minutes ago, Alan_R said:

I'm not one to bang on about former players, but like Paulo Sergio? And we treated him like crap when he applied for a second stint

Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying. 

[jambonian]

11 minutes ago, weegie jambo said:

Heck, so many points to ponder. I for one was unhappy at Stendell's sacking. He was a breath of fresh air and if he had the benefit of a transfer window things would have been different. So now we have Robbie the safe option and it seemed that his recruitment was heralding a new style and a move away from ultra safe Levein, but Oh No, its just the same old same old. Most people are saying he will get the first few months in the Premiership before the axe falls, really?? The way we are playing right now I'm not overly confident of getting to the Premiership! Despite having the vast amount of possession in recent games, we just haven't got the skills to finish the job. This is all down to Neilson's lack of tactical awareness. Persisting with 4-2-3-1 with two wingers that are not doing the business, one man up front when Boyce is crying out for support up front and playing two defensive midfielders who are ultra negative, who sit in front of the back four without moving forward and lets face it, this is a poor league, playing two DM's against the likes of QOS & Morton is totally defeatist. As I said on the match treat, Plan B is stick every striker on the park and go with a cavalry charge. The upshot of this is we have McEnuff, who is a good box to box offensive midfielder forced back into a DM position therefore completely stunting his effectiveness (witness the players ratings, great first half, crap second). Play players in their best and most effective positions and have confidence in their abilities to win games, rather than shoe horning players into the team and hoping for the best! I think we know where the blame lies as the debacle gets worse by the week.

Bottom line is it doesn't matter who we sign, if Robbie can't or won't play a decent formation then we are forever doomed to be a bottom 6 yo-yo team. Right now I'm not confident of promotion, we have lost our Mojo and swagger and Neilson isn't the man to restore it. We need a hard taskmaster with a bit of balls to play an expansive game and not fear the opposition whether that be the old firm or a crap Morton team.

 

Pretty much the sentiments i've posted about in various threads.

[Alan_R]

57 minutes ago, The Grim Reaper said:

Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying. 

Paulo Sergio done pretty well with what he had.

 

He done an interview in recent times admitting he had applied to be hearts manager again (can't remember if it was after cathro or levein) but he never even got the courtesy of a reply from the club

[OldGorgie]

3 hours ago, Alan_R said:

Paulo Sergio done pretty well with what he had.

 

He done an interview in recent times admitting he had applied to be hearts manager again (can't remember if it was after cathro or levein) but he never even got the courtesy of a reply from the club

Unfortunately Hearts as an institution have a very bad record of treating former players and managers with respect. Cruickshank, Bauld and many many others. Would have thought Budge would have corrected this lack of decency and respect, but apparently not.

[jr ewing]

Sergio it is then. 👍

[WheatfieldWarrior]

6 hours ago, OldGorgie said:

Unfortunately Hearts as an institution have a very bad record of treating former players and managers with respect. Cruickshank, Bauld and many many others. Would have thought Budge would have corrected this lack of decency and respect, but apparently not.

 

She found something for Locke to do when he wasn't going to be continuing as manager. It's difficult when people leave because they were sacked especially managers.  

[WheatfieldWarrior]

On 20/02/2021 at 18:23, mitch41 said:

Please ......no.

Hearts deserve the best manager we can get. When you advertise you will see many quality managers wanting the job.

 

Best one last time was Stendel and he was honking.

[JamboX2]

On 20/02/2021 at 18:00, Leveins Battalion said:

Pretty clear from Kickback,****,Facebook and Twitter that’s Hearts fans are unanimous in wanting Robbie Neilson gone,but who is next in?

 

 

Stephen Robinson?

Callum Davidson?

Derick McInnes?

Jim Goodwin?

 

It's interesting to see two managers  there one of which was sacked and another who his team's fans want sacked. As for Goodwin and Davidson, definitely managers doing well in having their sides punch above their weight. Albeit I don't see an immediate need to bring them in.

 

This year was always going to be odd because of Covid. One of the advantages Hearts would normally have in the Championship is a full enough home ground putting opposition off. If you're a part timer who has played in front of, at most, 2000 folk a ground of 17000 will be intimidating whilst a packed ground would also give Hearts a lift. That's lacking so players need to be motivating themselves and from what I've seen that is a bit of an issue.

 

Robbie has made some good signings. The side are top by 11 points and there's odd results in the Championship outwith us. Would not say the season has been an abject failure. 

 

The signings made in the January window need bedding in time. No idea about GMS before he arrived but he looks like he needs time to build up his fitness. Kasterneer is too new to judge yet, for me - we've all seen what GMS can already do at Celtic, Dundee United and Aberdeen and expecting that from day 1 isn't realistic.

 

One failure to me is that he seems to be trying to pick a system to fit who he views as his best players onto one pitch rather than the best system for the squad he has. Neislon needs to move away from that and maybe sacrifice a sacred cow or two, i.e. drop Naismith and go with a system suiting the younger players. We as fans need to be more patient with the new guys and be mindful this season was going to be a slog of getting through Covid and getting up - which we will.

[KyleLafferty]

Can’t get my head round people think Stendel was a good manager.

[Leveins Battalion]

3 minutes ago, KyleLafferty said:

Can’t get my head round people think Stendel was a good manager.

Stendel was an absolute shambles of an appointment.🤣🤣

 

Midweek games against Killie and St Mirren were embarrassing as feck.🙈

[kingantti1874]

5 minutes ago, KyleLafferty said:

Can’t get my head round people think Stendel was a good manager.

yep. We all liked the idea, and you couldn’t not like Stendel himself. 
 

but looking back.. it was like going all in with 7/ 2 off suit in poker time after time after time.  We were SO easy to play against. As I say the idea was good but you need to have the players.. the failure to adapt and constant selection of JP was a farce

[GinRummy]

28 minutes ago, JamboX2 said:

 

It's interesting to see two managers  there one of which was sacked and another who his team's fans want sacked. As for Goodwin and Davidson, definitely managers doing well in having their sides punch above their weight. Albeit I don't see an immediate need to bring them in.

 

This year was always going to be odd because of Covid. One of the advantages Hearts would normally have in the Championship is a full enough home ground putting opposition off. If you're a part timer who has played in front of, at most, 2000 folk a ground of 17000 will be intimidating whilst a packed ground would also give Hearts a lift. That's lacking so players need to be motivating themselves and from what I've seen that is a bit of an issue.

 

Robbie has made some good signings. The side are top by 11 points and there's odd results in the Championship outwith us. Would not say the season has been an abject failure. 

 

The signings made in the January window need bedding in time. No idea about GMS before he arrived but he looks like he needs time to build up his fitness. Kasterneer is too new to judge yet, for me - we've all seen what GMS can already do at Celtic, Dundee United and Aberdeen and expecting that from day 1 isn't realistic.

 

One failure to me is that he seems to be trying to pick a system to fit who he views as his best players onto one pitch rather than the best system for the squad he has. Neislon needs to move away from that and maybe sacrifice a sacred cow or two, i.e. drop Naismith and go with a system suiting the younger players. We as fans need to be more patient with the new guys and be mindful this season was going to be a slog of getting through Covid and getting up - which we will.

All our signings almost always need bedding in time. Do other teams get one signing in ten who hit the ground running or just us.

[TexasAndy]

On 20/02/2021 at 18:00, Leveins Battalion said:

Pretty clear from Kickback,****,Facebook and Twitter that’s Hearts fans are unanimous in wanting Robbie Neilson gone,but who is next in?

 

 

Stephen Robinson?

Callum Davidson?

Derick McInnes?

Jim Goodwin?

I think the poll suggests otherwise.

[JamboAl]

52 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

yep. We all liked the idea, and you couldn’t not like Stendel himself. 
 

but looking back.. it was like going all in with 7/ 2 off suit in poker time after time after time.  We were SO easy to play against. As I say the idea was good but you need to have the players.. the failure to adapt and constant selection of JP was a farce

Levein. MacPhee and DS all picked Shakin Stevens.  I cannot help but think there was something in the loan agreement that he had to play when fit.

[JamboAl]

1 hour ago, KyleLafferty said:

Can’t get my head round people think Stendel was a good manager.

Stendel had a good philosophy.  Whether he couldn't carry it out or did not have the players to carry it out is up for debate but either way I doubt if he will be our next manager.

[portobellojambo1]

20 hours ago, gorgieheart said:

See if a neutral came onto this utter car crash of a forum, they would think that the vast majority of folk on here actually want Neilson to fail ! 

Bizarre

We have a squad that will be radically different in time for us kicking off next season in the Premier League , yes we are stuttering but our support is so fickle that we insist on picking at the bones of any player,  coach, tea lady who makes a few mistakes , yet we follow blindly the likes of Stendel, who made some shite-tastic decisions...but he's a diamond and it fits a wee song,  so all good ! 

 

The club has pretty much everyone right off the pitch... we , the fans gave them time to do that...now the club needs the same fans to show a little patience as they build again on the pitch...

 

Yes we have had some proper stinking displays,  but there are a lot of short memories here...we have been here before and got back to where we are meant to be,  we will get back there again..

 

Back em, don't sack em  !  

 

Mon the Famous ! 

 

While I understand what you are saying I don't think there are genuinely HMFC fans who want to see HMFC fail on the park, a better way of phrasing it might be to say there are HMFC fans who aren't convinced that what we are seeing on the park at this time gives the sort of confidence needed to convince people that we are going in the right direction. And while you are right to say that much that is happening off the park is more than worth commenting on, the quality of food being served to guests at Tynecastle, for example, has no bearing whatsoever on the main function of a football club, which must always be to produce on the park, the main reason for a football club even existing. The best way to generate additional turnover around the club is to create something worth watching on the park. What I would say is that in terms of potentially changing the manager I don't have a clue who would be the best person to come in as a replacement, there are very few managers plying their trade at the moment who stick out as people who could get us moving in the right direction, and functioning as a team who should be doing their business at the top end of the premier league, rather than struggling against the sort of teams you would be delighted to get in years gone by in the Scottish Cup, for example, as it would guarantee progressing to the next round. These are the sort of teams we are now happy, in instances, to get a draw against, or if we lose just say, oh well, that happens. We need to create a situation where success is deemed to be progression, just competing isn't deemed good enough. And I really do think it is wrong to say the fans haven't been patient, they have, but everyone has a breaking point. Are we going to get promoted this season, I would be prone to say yes, but I'd do so without being 100% comfortable that will actually be the case. You then have to start wondering if it is because the players aren't good enough or if it is more a case the players are doing what they have been asked to do, and it is that which is causing the problems. I still don't understand why we need to line up style wise differently when we play a side at Tynecastle then play them away from home. If what we do is successful at Tynecastle then why not simply replicate it away from home, away it is still being played on a footbal pitch, same number of officials and players involved, why change everything just based on the location of the game. Stick to what works.

[TheBigO]

Doing that not read the thread thing so this no doubt been covered, but my tuppence-worth...

 

We should have kept Daniel.  Why bring the guy in to a complete shitshow, give him the authority to (rightly) tear the squad and culture apart and then make no real effort to keep him.  2 things here: I know his results weren't great, but I think it's probably underappreciated how dire things were when he took over; we're not privvy to the chat - maybe he didn't want to stay.

 

His style of play, his no-nonsense approach is what we needed imo.  Some excitement.  Another facet to that is that he freely admitted he prefers working under a DOF or SD.  He didn't get that chance.  So, knowing we were bringing one in, could he not have been given that chance?  Savage finding players for Dan to put in his system... yeah, I'd take that.

 

BUUUUUUT we have Robbie.  I'm a get behind the boys kinda guy, really.  So where I'm at is left watching us trudging along but just hoping that it is what it is for now - lockdown, restrictions, life's hard, we're doing what we need to and not much more.

 

Then next season, we actually see what Robbie is about and he puts together a more cohesive machine.

 

The worrying signs, and I've said it on other threads, are very much his instinct of caution.  What does Halliday bring to us other than being kinda steady?  Why are our fullbacks not helping our wingers out at all?  Why aren't we either playing 2 up top or getting people in beside Boycie?  Where is the drive?

 

The last 10 mins on Saturday all around the halfway line:

 

CM to CB to RB to CM to CB to RB.... pass to feet of forward or winger with 12 men on him, lose the ball - cleard to our CB.... who passes to CM to CB to RB to CB to CM to RB.  

 

All the while Nandos is in the box with Boyce around him. Either get that bloody ball, drive it in to their feet and follow it up, or hang it up to Nando, feed of his scraps.  Naismith was hugging the bloody touchline!!  Actually try to make things happen. 

 

It was so slow, so predictable.  So us.

 

Walker is the only one we have who looks to play with pace and purpose.  And he seems to continually get dropped for it!!

 

As I say, the hope is we're literally getting by in very weird times.  All we can do is support and hope.

[JamboX2]

2 hours ago, GinRummy said:

All our signings almost always need bedding in time. Do other teams get one signing in ten who hit the ground running or just us.

 

Boyce, Popescu, Gordon, Kingsley, Halliday all hit the ground running. So not unique to us that signings don't.

[GinRummy]

14 minutes ago, JamboX2 said:

 

Boyce, Popescu, Gordon, Kingsley, Halliday all hit the ground running. So not unique to us that signings don't.

You won that one quite easily I concede. Maybe I’m just a bit negged out today. 

[David Black]

18 hours ago, Alan_R said:

Paulo Sergio done pretty well with what he had.

 

He done an interview in recent times admitting he had applied to be hearts manager again (can't remember if it was after cathro or levein) but he never even got the courtesy of a reply from the club

That's true. The club never had the courtesy to even reply. I would not be opposed to seeing what Paulo could do now that the club is not in the shambles it was under Romanov. 

[Stu_HMFC]

On 20/02/2021 at 18:00, Leveins Battalion said:

Pretty clear from Kickback,****,Facebook and Twitter that’s Hearts fans are unanimous in wanting Robbie Neilson gone,but who is next in?

 

 

Stephen Robinson?

Callum Davidson?

Derick McInnes?

Jim Goodwin?

Goodwin and Davidson names getting throwing about because they had a no bad season the 2021 version of Alan Archibald & Tommy Wright from a few seasons ago.  - I wouldn't mind Robinson cannot be worse than Robbie or Craig and actually done no bad with Motherwell considering they never spend money and working with a tight wage budget. Other than Robinson haven't got a clue there is no one else in Scotland I think would 1, be good enough and 2, if I was wrong and there was anyone out there WHY would they come to Hearts and work for Budge. 

 

I would let Joe Savage decide and deal with interviews I think he is more professional in his role when looking for a new manager I cant see him jet setting it off in the sun for two weeks before coming back to deal with interviews and applications for the role.