Sobering Stats

[This is My Story Podcast]

We’ve now dropped points to 6 of the 7 Full Time teams in the league. Only Ayr, Part Time Alloa and Arbroath haven’t managed to take points off us, although Alloa have beaten us in the cup. 
 

Neil McCann had one training session on Thursday to suss us out and managed it. Morton don’t have a manager and got a result against us. Raith hadn’t played for weeks, only trained once, got a result against us. 
 

Dunfermline lost 

Alloa lost

Dundee lost

Raith lost

Queens draw

Morton draw

Caley draw

 

How far have we fallen? Genuinely, are we deluded by this squad? Is Mikey Smith actual any good? We’ve been brutal as a team since he came in. Is Naismith any good, we’ve dropped a position every season he’s been at the club. Is Halkett any good? Is Kingsley any good? Every season we delude ourselves with this comfort blanket that we have a good squad, things just aren’t going for us, it’ll get better with a pre season, a January transfer window blah blah. Every season our performances get worse and the embarrassing results stack up. Last season we failed to beat Motherwell, St Johnston, Killie, Hamilton, Ross County, Aberdeen, Livingston and Celtic. Failed to beat any of them home or away. We haven’t won at Caley in a decade, we haven’t won in Perth in a decade, we haven’t won at Celtic park in a decade, we haven’t won at St Mirren in years. Dingwall, Fir Park, Hamilton all seasons since our last wins in the league. 
 

Something is fundamentally wrong at the club, no doubt. However, Is the bigger problem our expectations? Reality vs expectations if you will. I expect Hearts to be 3rd, or there abouts. 2016 the last time that happened, 2010 the time before that. 2002/2003 the last time we finished back to back 3rd? 6 times this century we’ve finished 3rd or higher, same as Aberdeen. Motherwell have finished 3rd or higher 5 times. We’ve had 2 relegations, demotions, and 4 bottom 6 finishes. Are we the problem. Are Hearts just no as big or as good as we think they are? 
 

Am gutted with Hearts the now. Lockdown is brutal and watching Hearts is making it worse 😂

[SomethingAboutObua]

Fan expectations are reasonable.Our club management isn't good, simple as that.

 

We did well the season they were able to let everyone go an build an entirely new squad with no contractual obligations to the released players, dumping players that gave up wages or had done well with the club like Jamie McDonald, Ryan Stevenson. The young guys we had ready made in the championship had spent 1 years in the top flight playing regularly under Locke due to circumstance. They weren't brought through by the new regime, they were already at the club and playing.

 

The seasons that the management haven't been able to dump the squad and have first team experience youth ready have been woeful. 

 

Who in our team has sell on value? Stephen Kingsley and 29/30 year old Boyce? Yeah we sold Claire in the summer but was it the million pound deal they were hoping when they signed him? **** no. 

 

After Neilson first left We for some reason hired a good coach with no management experience that everyone in Scottish football said was weird. He turned out to not be a good manager and players thought he was weird. 

 

Replaced him with a guy people said was too defensive and played an outdated style of football. We then ended up playing an outdated style of football and only sacked him after getting ourselves in a relegation battle with fans protesting.

 

Then we spent 6 weeks waiting to replace him, and comfortably stuck ourselves into said relegation battle.

 

We then replaced him with a manager who needed a whole preseason and new squad for his style to worked, during a relegation battle.

 

The fans liked him and liked his football, he gave up wages to help the club, said he was very eager to stay and build something with the team, turned out we didn't even tell him we let him go, he found out via his friend. 

 

That manager promoted a Andy Kirk, a youth coach from within, someone that previous managers said was a promising coach, wow conveyor belt about to work? Nope, we sent him with no experience of womens football to manage our 6 figure investment womens team, that we just spent 3 years trying to make a top flight team with people with in depth knowledge of womens football in the UK.

 

We dont have anything resembling a conveyor belt of coaches or youth. Our head of youth's CV is mainly focused on being Fife's Active schools coordinator, thats like organising a lot of after school clubs for Christ's sake. He joined after guys like Paterson etc were in the team, since then we've had Hickey (mostly Celtic's work), Cochrane (Montrose fan favourite), and Irving who falls below Halliday somehow, plus maybe Harry Stone. Absolutely ****ing awful output from our not 7 years on academy. 

 

We can blame  Neilson for the poor performances but the club as a whole has been run horrendously for years.

Edited February 27, 2021 by SomethingAboutObua

[RussAsia]

7 minutes ago, SomethingAboutObua said:

Fan expectations are reasonable.Our club management isn't good, simple as that.

 

We did well the season they were able to let everyone go an build an entirely new squad with no contractual obligations to the released players, dumping players that gave up wages or had done well with the club like Jamie McDonald, Ryan Stevenson. The young guys we had ready made in the championship had spent 1 years in the top flight playing regularly under Locke due to circumstance. They weren't brought through by the new regime, they were already at the club and playing.

 

The seasons that the management haven't been able to dump the squad and have first team experience youth ready have been woeful. 

 

Who in our team has sell on value? Stephen Kingsley and 29/30 year old Boyce? Yeah we sold Claire in the summer but was it the million pound deal they were hoping when they signed him? **** no. 

 

After Neilson first left We for some reason hired a good coach with no management experience that everyone in Scottish football said was weird. He turned out to not be a good manager and players thought he was weird. 

 

Replaced him with a guy people said was too defensive and played an outdated style of football. We then ended up playing an outdated style of football and only sacked him after getting ourselves in a relegation battle with fans protesting.

 

Then we spent 6 weeks waiting to replace him, and comfortably stuck ourselves into said relegation battle.

 

We then replaced him with a manager who needed a whole preseason and new squad for his style to worked, during a relegation battle.

 

The fans liked him and liked his football, he gave up wages to help the club, said he was very eager to stay and build something with the team, turned out we didn't even tell him we let him go, he found out via his friend. 

 

That manager promoted a Andy Kirk, a youth coach from within, someone that previous managers said was a promising coach, wow conveyor belt about to work? Nope, we sent him with no experience of womens football to manage our 6 figure investment womens team, that we just spent 3 years trying to make a top flight team with people with in depth knowledge of womens football in the UK.

 

We dont have anything resembling a conveyor belt of coaches or youth. Our head of youth's CV is mainly focused on being Fife's Active schools coordinator, thats like organising a lot of after school clubs for Christ's sake. He joined after guys like Paterson etc were in the team, since then we've had Hickey (mostly Celtic's work), Cochrane (Montrose fan favourite), and Irving who falls below Halliday somehow, plus maybe Harry Stone. Absolutely ****ing awful output from our not 7 years on academy. 

 

We can blame  Neilson for the poor performances but the club as a whole has been run horrendously for years.

 

Great post.

 

The one constant about it all - Ann Budge. It's time for her to go. Yes she put her money in and has managed to bring in investors. However she's had her money back now and there's not much point in pumping in money to throw it away at some of the rubbish she has been.

 

Our one manager in her time that actually played a decent brand of football and needed a bit more time, she got rid of while he was out the country and didn't even tell him. 

 

People will look back on Budge's time at the club as a failure. 

[Robbo-Jambo]

31 minutes ago, SomethingAboutObua said:

Fan expectations are reasonable.Our club management isn't good, simple as that.

 

We did well the season they were able to let everyone go an build an entirely new squad with no contractual obligations to the released players, dumping players that gave up wages or had done well with the club like Jamie McDonald, Ryan Stevenson. The young guys we had ready made in the championship had spent 1 years in the top flight playing regularly under Locke due to circumstance. They weren't brought through by the new regime, they were already at the club and playing.

 

The seasons that the management haven't been able to dump the squad and have first team experience youth ready have been woeful. 

 

Who in our team has sell on value? Stephen Kingsley and 29/30 year old Boyce? Yeah we sold Claire in the summer but was it the million pound deal they were hoping when they signed him? **** no. 

 

After Neilson first left We for some reason hired a good coach with no management experience that everyone in Scottish football said was weird. He turned out to not be a good manager and players thought he was weird. 

 

Replaced him with a guy people said was too defensive and played an outdated style of football. We then ended up playing an outdated style of football and only sacked him after getting ourselves in a relegation battle with fans protesting.

 

Then we spent 6 weeks waiting to replace him, and comfortably stuck ourselves into said relegation battle.

 

We then replaced him with a manager who needed a whole preseason and new squad for his style to worked, during a relegation battle.

 

The fans liked him and liked his football, he gave up wages to help the club, said he was very eager to stay and build something with the team, turned out we didn't even tell him we let him go, he found out via his friend. 

 

That manager promoted a Andy Kirk, a youth coach from within, someone that previous managers said was a promising coach, wow conveyor belt about to work? Nope, we sent him with no experience of womens football to manage our 6 figure investment womens team, that we just spent 3 years trying to make a top flight team with people with in depth knowledge of womens football in the UK.

 

We dont have anything resembling a conveyor belt of coaches or youth. Our head of youth's CV is mainly focused on being Fife's Active schools coordinator, thats like organising a lot of after school clubs for Christ's sake. He joined after guys like Paterson etc were in the team, since then we've had Hickey (mostly Celtic's work), Cochrane (Montrose fan favourite), and Irving who falls below Halliday somehow, plus maybe Harry Stone. Absolutely ****ing awful output from our not 7 years on academy. 

 

We can blame  Neilson for the poor performances but the club as a whole has been run horrendously for years.

Good post mate. 

[Kiwidoug]

These posts are far too long for me.

 

We are total bollocks is my contribution.

 

Absolute light years below my expectations 

[merseyjambo]

2 hours ago, SomethingAboutObua said:

Fan expectations are reasonable.Our club management isn't good, simple as that.

 

We did well the season they were able to let everyone go an build an entirely new squad with no contractual obligations to the released players, dumping players that gave up wages or had done well with the club like Jamie McDonald, Ryan Stevenson. The young guys we had ready made in the championship had spent 1 years in the top flight playing regularly under Locke due to circumstance. They weren't brought through by the new regime, they were already at the club and playing.

 

The seasons that the management haven't been able to dump the squad and have first team experience youth ready have been woeful. 

 

Who in our team has sell on value? Stephen Kingsley and 29/30 year old Boyce? Yeah we sold Claire in the summer but was it the million pound deal they were hoping when they signed him? **** no. 

 

After Neilson first left We for some reason hired a good coach with no management experience that everyone in Scottish football said was weird. He turned out to not be a good manager and players thought he was weird. 

 

Replaced him with a guy people said was too defensive and played an outdated style of football. We then ended up playing an outdated style of football and only sacked him after getting ourselves in a relegation battle with fans protesting.

 

Then we spent 6 weeks waiting to replace him, and comfortably stuck ourselves into said relegation battle.

 

We then replaced him with a manager who needed a whole preseason and new squad for his style to worked, during a relegation battle.

 

The fans liked him and liked his football, he gave up wages to help the club, said he was very eager to stay and build something with the team, turned out we didn't even tell him we let him go, he found out via his friend. 

 

That manager promoted a Andy Kirk, a youth coach from within, someone that previous managers said was a promising coach, wow conveyor belt about to work? Nope, we sent him with no experience of womens football to manage our 6 figure investment womens team, that we just spent 3 years trying to make a top flight team with people with in depth knowledge of womens football in the UK.

 

We dont have anything resembling a conveyor belt of coaches or youth. Our head of youth's CV is mainly focused on being Fife's Active schools coordinator, thats like organising a lot of after school clubs for Christ's sake. He joined after guys like Paterson etc were in the team, since then we've had Hickey (mostly Celtic's work), Cochrane (Montrose fan favourite), and Irving who falls below Halliday somehow, plus maybe Harry Stone. Absolutely ****ing awful output from our not 7 years on academy. 

 

We can blame  Neilson for the poor performances but the club as a whole has been run horrendously for years.

Great post.

 

Looking at Stendal in particular, he wanted to play the high tempo brand of football favoured by so many managers in Germany. When he got here, he took over a squad which wasn’t fit enough to be able to do this. He made mistakes, yes. Notably around Pereria which may or may not be down to the loan agreement as has been suggested by some on here. His treatment at the end was typical of how the club is being run.

 

I’m not even sure if we had managed to avoid demotion that she would have kept him. To rip up the squad and get the players in he wanted was going to be expensive. He knew or suspected that most of the players didn’t have the ability to play gegenpressen football. The demotion gave her the opportunity to invoke the relegation clause in his contract. 
 

Watching Hearts for most of this season has been a pretty unenjoyable experience. For the budget advantage we have over most of the division, and player for player the squad we have, we should be out of sight. Instead we are limping towards promotion with fans having concerns about the ability or lack of it of the manager. 
 

Ann Budge made a safe appointment that wasn’t going to rock any boats financially like Stendal would have. Robbie Neilson took the job for the same safety reasons. His reputation after MK Dons was battered and even with United, he didn’t get them up at first time of asking. He won the league last season with them. Somewhere on here I saw a stat that Shankland and his goals gained them 18 points. I can’t be bothered to look but that was about the difference between United and the pack last year. This season he’s got the divisions leading goal scorer in Boyce who in last month alone has been worth 4 points to us. He doesn’t seem to know his best team and persists with players who are struggling. 
 

I don’t believe that he came back to us because he loves the club. I think he saw an easy touch with an owner who would back him and is willing to give managers more time than they should get as was shown with CL and IC. I doubt he’d have got the same financial backing at United and in their owner, they have already shown that underperforming managers are shown the door. Another sacking would not have looked good on his CV, so he chose us as a way out.

[i8hibsh]

We are a very soft cuddly fluffy club more concerned about being liked than being winners. The entire club has a feel of a club run by your granny and sadly we are. Not our granny, but someone's granny.

 

We bring in players and managers just to bring them in. We waste money left right and centre in doing so. No one dreads going to Tynecastle and this includes our staff. It is all just a bit of fun for all, whether you are the opposing team or an office worker.

 

Ann would have winning and being an onfield success way down in our list of priorities and she would put a million 'do good' causes before our fans. She cares so much about her image even tho the clubs image becomes more laughable in doing so.

 

In essence, she is not cut out for this, football is not her bag. How can someone who only started going to matches at the turn of century connect with the average fan. I suggest a club like Forrest Green would be a suit for Ann, at least then she can save the world.

 

Next seasin will be worse, of that I am sure.

[mac]

i8hibs, well said Sir - we are the kids entertainers of Edinburgh, at our expense

[Jambo 4 Ever]

Agreed

 

we are dogs poo 

 

the likes of rangers Celtic Hibs Aberdeen will wipe the floor with us next season and we will struggle in the bottom 6

 

unless we sign some decent players 

[i8hibsh]

I keep expecting Noel Edmonds or Jeremy Beadle to jump out of a hedge with these signings and performances.

[i8hibsh]

4 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Agreed

 

we are dogs poo 

 

the likes of rangers Celtic Hibs Aberdeen will wipe the floor with us next season and we will struggle in the bottom 6

 

unless we sign some decent players 

 

 

We will get destroyed. Not by Hibs tho, we will always beat that lot regardless.

[Leveins Battalion]

It would not surprise me in the slightest if we did not win this league.

 

We are absolutely dog poo.

[Jambo 4 Ever]

1 minute ago, Leveins Battalion said:

It would not surprise me in the slightest if we did not win this league.

 

We are absolutely dog poo.

This 

[Paris 84]

 

At what point does John Murray get the spotlight turned on him? I’m not absolving any of the managers in any way but the biggest issue at this club has been the recruitment of really, really bad players and has been for the last decade. He must have brought nearly a hundred players in with barely a success among them. The misuse of club money on absolute dross is astounding and he’s still there, still picking up money and still involved in recruitment. It’s beyond incompetent!

 

If you continually recruit shite players, then it’s surely no surprise that we continue to be shite, year in, year out. 

[Nookie Bear]

To be where we are, considering where we were around 4 years ago, must be our worst decline since the late 60s 

[80bob]

11 minutes ago, Paris 84 said:

 

At what point does John Murray get the spotlight turned on him? I’m not absolving any of the managers in any way but the biggest issue at this club has been the recruitment of really, really bad players and has been for the last decade. He must have brought nearly a hundred players in with barely a success among them. The misuse of club money on absolute dross is astounding and he’s still there, still picking up money and still involved in recruitment. It’s beyond incompetent!

 

If you continually recruit shite players, then it’s surely no surprise that we continue to be shite, year in, year out. 

John Murray must have shady pictures of Anne budge that makes him beyond reproach

 

 

[80bob]

My issue now is that although Anne budge has steadied the ship somewhat on the operational side it appears she is too easily lead by “ advisors” on the footballing matters. We need someone in at that level with same high business acumen but also with experience  at that level within football clubs. (and be able to ask challenging questions of underperforming people and departments ).

 

we are now a soft club run by soft people. 
 

blood might not show on a Maroon jersey but you have to fight in the battle to get the wounds in the first place

[Zen Jambo]

28 minutes ago, 80bob said:

My issue now is that although Anne budge has steadied the ship somewhat on the operational side it appears she is too easily lead by “ advisors” on the footballing matters. We need someone in at that level with same high business acumen but also with experience  at that level within football clubs. (and be able to ask challenging questions of underperforming people and departments ).

 

we are now a soft club run by soft people. 
 

blood might not show on a Maroon jersey but you have to fight in the battle to get the wounds in the first place

Yeah, agreed. 
 

I’ll remain in support of Budge’s business acumen - if we were winning on the pitch but in dire straits behind the scene, we’d have the reverse argument. 
 

However, football should be the priority and she has just not allowed that to be the case. 
 

We’re a football club first and that balance needs to readdressed right now. 
 

Desperately need to get the buy in back from the fans with performances on the pitch. 
 

For the greater good, we need significant change urgently. 

Edited February 27, 2021 by Zen Jambo

[TheBigO]

1 hour ago, i8hibsh said:

I keep expecting Noel Edmonds or Jeremy Beadle to jump out of a hedge with these signings and performances.

He could lend us a wee hand

[Shaggy2]

4 hours ago, SomethingAboutObua said:

Fan expectations are reasonable.Our club management isn't good, simple as that.

 

We did well the season they were able to let everyone go an build an entirely new squad with no contractual obligations to the released players, dumping players that gave up wages or had done well with the club like Jamie McDonald, Ryan Stevenson. The young guys we had ready made in the championship had spent 1 years in the top flight playing regularly under Locke due to circumstance. They weren't brought through by the new regime, they were already at the club and playing.

 

The seasons that the management haven't been able to dump the squad and have first team experience youth ready have been woeful. 

 

Who in our team has sell on value? Stephen Kingsley and 29/30 year old Boyce? Yeah we sold Claire in the summer but was it the million pound deal they were hoping when they signed him? **** no. 

 

After Neilson first left We for some reason hired a good coach with no management experience that everyone in Scottish football said was weird. He turned out to not be a good manager and players thought he was weird. 

 

Replaced him with a guy people said was too defensive and played an outdated style of football. We then ended up playing an outdated style of football and only sacked him after getting ourselves in a relegation battle with fans protesting.

 

Then we spent 6 weeks waiting to replace him, and comfortably stuck ourselves into said relegation battle.

 

We then replaced him with a manager who needed a whole preseason and new squad for his style to worked, during a relegation battle.

 

The fans liked him and liked his football, he gave up wages to help the club, said he was very eager to stay and build something with the team, turned out we didn't even tell him we let him go, he found out via his friend. 

 

That manager promoted a Andy Kirk, a youth coach from within, someone that previous managers said was a promising coach, wow conveyor belt about to work? Nope, we sent him with no experience of womens football to manage our 6 figure investment womens team, that we just spent 3 years trying to make a top flight team with people with in depth knowledge of womens football in the UK.

 

We dont have anything resembling a conveyor belt of coaches or youth. Our head of youth's CV is mainly focused on being Fife's Active schools coordinator, thats like organising a lot of after school clubs for Christ's sake. He joined after guys like Paterson etc were in the team, since then we've had Hickey (mostly Celtic's work), Cochrane (Montrose fan favourite), and Irving who falls below Halliday somehow, plus maybe Harry Stone. Absolutely ****ing awful output from our not 7 years on academy. 

 

We can blame  Neilson for the poor performances but the club as a whole has been run horrendously for years.

Trying to find any point in that post to debate and coming up with nada. That is one scary summary of Heart of Midlothian Football Club over the past few years. 

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

1 hour ago, Paris 84 said:

 

At what point does John Murray get the spotlight turned on him? I’m not absolving any of the managers in any way but the biggest issue at this club has been the recruitment of really, really bad players and has been for the last decade. He must have brought nearly a hundred players in with barely a success among them. The misuse of club money on absolute dross is astounding and he’s still there, still picking up money and still involved in recruitment. It’s beyond incompetent!

 

If you continually recruit shite players, then it’s surely no surprise that we continue to be shite, year in, year out. 

He’s just another example of how Budge runs a club with no standards. And Budge’s continuing involvement is evidence in itself of a club with no standards. She is 100% unaccountable, in part thanks to our FOH reps being too scared to challenge her.

[Boris5115]

Unless Budge and Neilson and the rest of the nodding dogs are removed we will continue to be stuck in reverse gear. I feel that the only way this will happen is a fan winning the euro millions as the FOH Representatives seem to have their eyes shut. They need to intervene ASAP to salvage this mess before it's too late. The United feeling we all had in spring last year has gone. 

[Boris5115]

4 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

He could lend us a wee hand

🤣🤣🤣

[Bazzas right boot]

6 hours ago, This is My Story Podcast said:

We’ve now dropped points to 6 of the 7 Full Time teams in the league. Only Ayr, Part Time Alloa and Arbroath haven’t managed to take points off us, although Alloa have beaten us in the cup. 
 

Neil McCann had one training session on Thursday to suss us out and managed it. Morton don’t have a manager and got a result against us. Raith hadn’t played for weeks, only trained once, got a result against us. 
 

Dunfermline lost 

Alloa lost

Dundee lost

Raith lost

Queens draw

Morton draw

Caley draw

 

How far have we fallen? Genuinely, are we deluded by this squad? Is Mikey Smith actual any good? We’ve been brutal as a team since he came in. Is Naismith any good, we’ve dropped a position every season he’s been at the club. Is Halkett any good? Is Kingsley any good? Every season we delude ourselves with this comfort blanket that we have a good squad, things just aren’t going for us, it’ll get better with a pre season, a January transfer window blah blah. Every season our performances get worse and the embarrassing results stack up. Last season we failed to beat Motherwell, St Johnston, Killie, Hamilton, Ross County, Aberdeen, Livingston and Celtic. Failed to beat any of them home or away. We haven’t won at Caley in a decade, we haven’t won in Perth in a decade, we haven’t won at Celtic park in a decade, we haven’t won at St Mirren in years. Dingwall, Fir Park, Hamilton all seasons since our last wins in the league. 
 

Something is fundamentally wrong at the club, no doubt. However, Is the bigger problem our expectations? Reality vs expectations if you will. I expect Hearts to be 3rd, or there abouts. 2016 the last time that happened, 2010 the time before that. 2002/2003 the last time we finished back to back 3rd? 6 times this century we’ve finished 3rd or higher, same as Aberdeen. Motherwell have finished 3rd or higher 5 times. We’ve had 2 relegations, demotions, and 4 bottom 6 finishes. Are we the problem. Are Hearts just no as big or as good as we think they are? 
 

Am gutted with Hearts the now. Lockdown is brutal and watching Hearts is making it worse 😂

 

 

The best statistics is the league table, paints a far more accurate and unbiased picture of the season. 

 

[jambopilms]

We spend too much time focusing on the likes of Henderson, Frear, Wighton as a reason to why we are shit. All bit part players

Whilst Naismith, Smith, Halkett, Berra, Walker etc have played massive and constant parts in our downfall. We are where we are because of these players.

The addition of Kingsley, Halliday has only helped to build the slow, over the hill holiday camp we have become

[Gambo]

6 hours ago, This is My Story Podcast said:

We’ve now dropped points to 6 of the 7 Full Time teams in the league. Only Ayr, Part Time Alloa and Arbroath haven’t managed to take points off us, although Alloa have beaten us in the cup. 
 

Neil McCann had one training session on Thursday to suss us out and managed it. Morton don’t have a manager and got a result against us. Raith hadn’t played for weeks, only trained once, got a result against us. 
 

Dunfermline lost 

Alloa lost

Dundee lost

Raith lost

Queens draw

Morton draw

Caley draw

 

How far have we fallen? Genuinely, are we deluded by this squad? Is Mikey Smith actual any good? We’ve been brutal as a team since he came in. Is Naismith any good, we’ve dropped a position every season he’s been at the club. Is Halkett any good? Is Kingsley any good? Every season we delude ourselves with this comfort blanket that we have a good squad, things just aren’t going for us, it’ll get better with a pre season, a January transfer window blah blah. Every season our performances get worse and the embarrassing results stack up. Last season we failed to beat Motherwell, St Johnston, Killie, Hamilton, Ross County, Aberdeen, Livingston and Celtic. Failed to beat any of them home or away. We haven’t won at Caley in a decade, we haven’t won in Perth in a decade, we haven’t won at Celtic park in a decade, we haven’t won at St Mirren in years. Dingwall, Fir Park, Hamilton all seasons since our last wins in the league. 
 

Something is fundamentally wrong at the club, no doubt. However, Is the bigger problem our expectations? Reality vs expectations if you will. I expect Hearts to be 3rd, or there abouts. 2016 the last time that happened, 2010 the time before that. 2002/2003 the last time we finished back to back 3rd? 6 times this century we’ve finished 3rd or higher, same as Aberdeen. Motherwell have finished 3rd or higher 5 times. We’ve had 2 relegations, demotions, and 4 bottom 6 finishes. Are we the problem. Are Hearts just no as big or as good as we think they are? 
 

Am gutted with Hearts the now. Lockdown is brutal and watching Hearts is making it worse 😂

Great Post.

 

When you get fans accepting and celebrating the bare minimum with results like you listed near the top then the results you talk about will continue.

 

No more excuses.

 

We need to start acting like we are the 3rd biggest club and as fans we need to start demanding that.

 

There is zero accountability at the club just now. Players,  Robbie, Coaches, Board, Ann .... none of them are under any real pressure.

[Tatlock]

Would anyone truthfully and confidently bet on us winning this league at this point in time? We have watched every team at least twice and apart from when we had a few weeks advantage in training time, almost every team has had good chances to score well before we have had our first shot at goal. No team fears us and at least 4 teams can’t believe they haven’t beaten us in both our meetings. Our defenders can’t defend, our midfield can’t tackle or challenge for a second ball. Our wingers can’t beat a man with either pace or trickery. Our main striker can’t move the ball quick enough to get it under control, and the whole team can’t play together. I’ve seem more teamwork with a sheepdog and a flock of sheep. We are undoubtedly a championship side and a mid table one at that. Teams know that if they score first they can get at least a draw, I have never seen a worse team hiding behind reputation and promise. We will struggle on kidding ourselves that we will “hammer” the next team because we are desperately trying to deny the evidence stating us in the face. We. Are. Crap. So please can we stop saying we won’t challenge in the Premier league next season because we have only a slim chance of getting there unless our form takes a massive improvement. I’m so angry that once again we go into a weekend hoping that teams challenging somehow drop points. That is loser mentality and it’s what we have been reduced to over the past few season. Serial losers who no other team fears or respects.

 

 

 

 

[Marvin]

2 hours ago, i8hibsh said:

We are a very soft cuddly fluffy club more concerned about being liked than being winners. The entire club has a feel of a club run by your granny and sadly we are. Not our granny, but someone's granny.

 

We bring in players and managers just to bring them in. We waste money left right and centre in doing so. No one dreads going to Tynecastle and this includes our staff. It is all just a bit of fun for all, whether you are the opposing team or an office worker.

 

Ann would have winning and being an onfield success way down in our list of priorities and she would put a million 'do good' causes before our fans. She cares so much about her image even tho the clubs image becomes more laughable in doing so.

 

In essence, she is not cut out for this, football is not her bag. How can someone who only started going to matches at the turn of century connect with the average fan. I suggest a club like Forrest Green would be a suit for Ann, at least then she can save the world.

 

Next seasin will be worse, of that I am sure.

 

Ann doesn't want us to be feared. She wants us to be liked. I much preferred it when everyone hated us and Tynecastle with the high stands rocked. But its a morgue even before lockdown. That's thanks to Ann. She's done so much good for us behind the scenes but the football has suffered and this mediocrity will continue as long as she is still there and Robbie is still head coach. 

[Rick Sanchez]

I would love a look at Ann's and Robbie's inboxes. Especially the one named Craig Levein.

[Jambo61]

1 hour ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Agreed

 

we are dogs poo 

 

the likes of rangers Celtic Hibs Aberdeen will wipe the floor with us next season and we will struggle in the bottom 6

 

unless we sign some decent players 

Sign 20 new players and Robbie will have them playing the same dross in a week!

[i8hibsh]

3 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez said:

I would love a look at Ann's inbox

 

[kila]

Ann Budge is the problem. She sets the tone, she’s the most powerful person at the club and ultimately she hires and fires.

 

She kept Levein on until the place was about to burn. She hired Stendel because fans on this forum fancied him. She fired Stendel in piss poor fashion and then re-hired Neilson. She’s responsible for a lot of this.

 

While there is tons Ann Budge did behind the scenes to help non-footballing activities, the bottom line is the football is all that really matters.

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by kila

[TyphoonJambo]

1 hour ago, 80bob said:

My issue now is that although Anne budge has steadied the ship somewhat on the operational side it appears she is too easily lead by “ advisors” on the footballing matters. We need someone in at that level with same high business acumen but also with experience  at that level within football clubs. (and be able to ask challenging questions of underperforming people and departments ).

 

we are now a soft club run by soft people. 
 

blood might not show on a Maroon jersey but you have to fight in the battle to get the wounds in the first place

Great quote. Lots of good posts on this thread,even It's one. There's not a single point of failure though,its far far too soft throughout.  The business model looks great,the main product is dug poo. 

Were like an Apple mac Pro with Amstrad inners.

[Harry Potter]

75% of our shots off target last night, we need to start putting the chances away.

[Zen Jambo]

What really irks me is the lack of fight. 
 

Quelle surprise, the same as most other most others on here. 
 

However, the s**t from last season, the corruption, the abuses of power, the sheer injustice, the legal ramblings, the lack of support from league members. 
 

We should be seething. We should be looking to show the world that we are pished off and have a big ugly pint to prove with a take no prisoners attitude. 
 

A desire, a belief, an injection of pride. 
 

But no. We turn up once in a while stumble across the finish line whilst half hearted journey men are paid handsomely. 
 

I want a team and regime that believes in Hearts. They might not win every flipping time but they should be showing some commitment and passion and playing every game like it means the world to them. 
 

I’m not being unrealistic to think HMFC should be jostling for 3rd/4th place in premier league every season. But I would be unrealistic to think our current setup could muster anything other than a bottom half finish in SPL. 

[Jamhammer]

I want to enjoy watching Heart of Midlothian Football Club again.

Win lose or draw to come away from a game saying “We’ll they knocked their pans in, even if we didn’t get a result”

To have a player or two who, when they get the ball you go, “Here we go”.

Im quite easily pleased. 
Watching this team is like watching grey paint dry 

[Central Belt 1874]

5 hours ago, SomethingAboutObua said:

Fan expectations are reasonable.Our club management isn't good, simple as that.

 

We did well the season they were able to let everyone go an build an entirely new squad with no contractual obligations to the released players, dumping players that gave up wages or had done well with the club like Jamie McDonald, Ryan Stevenson. The young guys we had ready made in the championship had spent 1 years in the top flight playing regularly under Locke due to circumstance. They weren't brought through by the new regime, they were already at the club and playing.

 

The seasons that the management haven't been able to dump the squad and have first team experience youth ready have been woeful. 

 

Who in our team has sell on value? Stephen Kingsley and 29/30 year old Boyce? Yeah we sold Claire in the summer but was it the million pound deal they were hoping when they signed him? **** no. 

 

After Neilson first left We for some reason hired a good coach with no management experience that everyone in Scottish football said was weird. He turned out to not be a good manager and players thought he was weird. 

 

Replaced him with a guy people said was too defensive and played an outdated style of football. We then ended up playing an outdated style of football and only sacked him after getting ourselves in a relegation battle with fans protesting.

 

Then we spent 6 weeks waiting to replace him, and comfortably stuck ourselves into said relegation battle.

 

We then replaced him with a manager who needed a whole preseason and new squad for his style to worked, during a relegation battle.

 

The fans liked him and liked his football, he gave up wages to help the club, said he was very eager to stay and build something with the team, turned out we didn't even tell him we let him go, he found out via his friend. 

 

That manager promoted a Andy Kirk, a youth coach from within, someone that previous managers said was a promising coach, wow conveyor belt about to work? Nope, we sent him with no experience of womens football to manage our 6 figure investment womens team, that we just spent 3 years trying to make a top flight team with people with in depth knowledge of womens football in the UK.

 

We dont have anything resembling a conveyor belt of coaches or youth. Our head of youth's CV is mainly focused on being Fife's Active schools coordinator, thats like organising a lot of after school clubs for Christ's sake. He joined after guys like Paterson etc were in the team, since then we've had Hickey (mostly Celtic's work), Cochrane (Montrose fan favourite), and Irving who falls below Halliday somehow, plus maybe Harry Stone. Absolutely ****ing awful output from our not 7 years on academy. 

 

We can blame  Neilson for the poor performances but the club as a whole has been run horrendously for years.

 

Great post. 

 

I 100% believe all problems come from the top at the club. Ann Budge has failed with every managerial appointment since Robbie Neilson walked out on us and it has been a predictable downward spiral ever since. 

 

The single most important position at the club should be the manager. It now appears that Ann Budge does  not trust anyone to make decisions for the club outside of her 'inner circle'. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ramrod]

Unfortunately our only route out is to stop buying season tickets on mass,its the only way to catch Anns attention, but it  will hurt the club as much as the owner so its catch twenty two im afraid. 

[gordiegords]

The management team are crap, they can’t get anything from the players, so much so that I don’t know which player is actually crap and which player is actually good but just so badly coached, budge is the common denominator, please step down this summer, need a whole new setup at the club. 

 

[Kennedy Bakircioglu]

7 hours ago, This is My Story Podcast said:

We’ve now dropped points to 6 of the 7 Full Time teams in the league. Only Ayr, Part Time Alloa and Arbroath haven’t managed to take points off us, although Alloa have beaten us in the cup. 
 

Neil McCann had one training session on Thursday to suss us out and managed it. Morton don’t have a manager and got a result against us. Raith hadn’t played for weeks, only trained once, got a result against us. 
 

Dunfermline lost 

Alloa lost

Dundee lost

Raith lost

Queens draw

Morton draw

Caley draw

 

How far have we fallen? Genuinely, are we deluded by this squad? Is Mikey Smith actual any good? We’ve been brutal as a team since he came in. Is Naismith any good, we’ve dropped a position every season he’s been at the club. Is Halkett any good? Is Kingsley any good? Every season we delude ourselves with this comfort blanket that we have a good squad, things just aren’t going for us, it’ll get better with a pre season, a January transfer window blah blah. Every season our performances get worse and the embarrassing results stack up. Last season we failed to beat Motherwell, St Johnston, Killie, Hamilton, Ross County, Aberdeen, Livingston and Celtic. Failed to beat any of them home or away. We haven’t won at Caley in a decade, we haven’t won in Perth in a decade, we haven’t won at Celtic park in a decade, we haven’t won at St Mirren in years. Dingwall, Fir Park, Hamilton all seasons since our last wins in the league. 
 

Something is fundamentally wrong at the club, no doubt. However, Is the bigger problem our expectations? Reality vs expectations if you will. I expect Hearts to be 3rd, or there abouts. 2016 the last time that happened, 2010 the time before that. 2002/2003 the last time we finished back to back 3rd? 6 times this century we’ve finished 3rd or higher, same as Aberdeen. Motherwell have finished 3rd or higher 5 times. We’ve had 2 relegations, demotions, and 4 bottom 6 finishes. Are we the problem. Are Hearts just no as big or as good as we think they are? 
 

Am gutted with Hearts the now. Lockdown is brutal and watching Hearts is making it worse 😂

Never listened to your podcast but if that is your outlook and positivity on Hearts it is certainly one to avoid.

[savage]

Was discussing this all yesterday afternoon.  Tynecastle used to be a scary place to come to.  It's not anymore.  I think stendel could have got that back.  He was animated he showed he cared. That's what feeds into the fans. Levein never did that and robbie is far from animated. I know we have no fans just now and i won't be back until there are changes. 

[OmiyaHearts]

6 hours ago, SomethingAboutObua said:

Fan expectations are reasonable.Our club management isn't good, simple as that.

 

We did well the season they were able to let everyone go an build an entirely new squad with no contractual obligations to the released players, dumping players that gave up wages or had done well with the club like Jamie McDonald, Ryan Stevenson. The young guys we had ready made in the championship had spent 1 years in the top flight playing regularly under Locke due to circumstance. They weren't brought through by the new regime, they were already at the club and playing.

 

The seasons that the management haven't been able to dump the squad and have first team experience youth ready have been woeful. 

 

Who in our team has sell on value? Stephen Kingsley and 29/30 year old Boyce? Yeah we sold Claire in the summer but was it the million pound deal they were hoping when they signed him? **** no. 

 

After Neilson first left We for some reason hired a good coach with no management experience that everyone in Scottish football said was weird. He turned out to not be a good manager and players thought he was weird. 

 

Replaced him with a guy people said was too defensive and played an outdated style of football. We then ended up playing an outdated style of football and only sacked him after getting ourselves in a relegation battle with fans protesting.

 

Then we spent 6 weeks waiting to replace him, and comfortably stuck ourselves into said relegation battle.

 

We then replaced him with a manager who needed a whole preseason and new squad for his style to worked, during a relegation battle.

 

The fans liked him and liked his football, he gave up wages to help the club, said he was very eager to stay and build something with the team, turned out we didn't even tell him we let him go, he found out via his friend. 

 

That manager promoted a Andy Kirk, a youth coach from within, someone that previous managers said was a promising coach, wow conveyor belt about to work? Nope, we sent him with no experience of womens football to manage our 6 figure investment womens team, that we just spent 3 years trying to make a top flight team with people with in depth knowledge of womens football in the UK.

 

We dont have anything resembling a conveyor belt of coaches or youth. Our head of youth's CV is mainly focused on being Fife's Active schools coordinator, thats like organising a lot of after school clubs for Christ's sake. He joined after guys like Paterson etc were in the team, since then we've had Hickey (mostly Celtic's work), Cochrane (Montrose fan favourite), and Irving who falls below Halliday somehow, plus maybe Harry Stone. Absolutely ****ing awful output from our not 7 years on academy. 

 

We can blame  Neilson for the poor performances but the club as a whole has been run horrendously for years.

Great post and a damning indictment of Budge's disastrous reign.

[This is My Story Podcast]

16 minutes ago, Kennedy Bakircioglu said:

Never listened to your podcast but if that is your outlook and positivity on Hearts it is certainly one to avoid.

Thanks, probably best you give it a miss then 😂

[Cruickshankforscotland]

I agree with many of the comments that Anne Budge sets the tone for how the Club is run and performs. On the business front this has been overall successful. But on the football front we have wasted the opportunities to be successful with dire management and decision making. The obvious fact is that with the financial advantages we have had we have massively underachieved.

We need changes. We ARE a soft club. The first thing that needs to happen is that the shareholding overdue to be transferred to FOH must be transferred immediately. Is there any reason for this not being done now? This would hopefully concentrate minds that all the Club officials and employees are there to work for, and be answerable to, the major owner of the Club. 
This might be seen as a formality, but I would hope that it would start to change the culture of the Club.

[David Black]

With the status we have in Scottish football, our "establishment" supporters, our "monied " supporters you would think it would be reasonable to think we could form a new board of directors. That would depend on the removal of the present board which in turn would depend on the shares being transferred to the supporters. That is the only way we could force their removal, but removal must happen as they have failed on a consistent basis for at least 4 years. Where we are is an absolute scandal yet sadly some of our support and both the club and FOH boards seem to be sleep walking from one shambles to the next. Over £20 million has been pumped into the club from us and our benefactor(s) yet we are back where we started. Does that not say something to those people.

[skinnybob72]

We couldn't be any duller to watch if we played in grey and our matches were shown in B&W. 

 

The only highlight of being in the Championship is that most games are on a Friday evening so none of Sat / Sun are wasted watching the absolute borefest we have become.

[Kidd’s Boots]

1 hour ago, Harry Potter said:

75% of our shots off target last night, we need to start putting the chances away.

That's an improvement over last weeks 81% 

[Allowayjambo1874]

1 hour ago, Kennedy Bakircioglu said:

Never listened to your podcast but if that is your outlook and positivity on Hearts it is certainly one to avoid.

It’s your loss as it’s one of the best Hearts podcasts out there 👍

[Allowayjambo1874]

Another stat that is absolutely horrendous is that our wage bill alone is more than the turnover of most of the clubs in this division and in fact I think it may be every one of them.
 

So if happy clappers are saying that this has no effect on results surely when promoted we should be challenging for the league title and not accepting that we cannot compete because of the finances of the old firm. 
 

Accepting this dross absolutely does my nut in and it stems from the top. 

[This is My Story Podcast]

16 minutes ago, Allowayjambo1874 said:

It’s your loss as it’s one of the best Hearts podcasts out there 👍

Thanks mate. Fair play to him tho, if it’s not for him then that’s sound. Podcasts, blogs, vlogs etc are always going to split opinion. Even more so when things aren’t going great on the park.