Won the Championship by 12 Points (title updated)

[May one-six]

13 minutes ago, Dusk_Till_Dawn said:

If you press well then even in those circumstances you can strangle the opposition because the chances of them getting quality possession is slim. I don’t know if Stendel would have been a success with his own team but I’d have liked to have seen him try.

 

The pressing under Neilson is so feeble that I’m not convinced we even practice it, or not properly. The world of tactics seems to have left Robbie behind completely 

Sadly, we don't press under Robbie. I think we've only employed this tactic once - against Raith away from home, and we ended up skooshing that game. To some extent, we don't have the players to do it. GMS is not equipped to play that way, Steven Naismith doesn't have the energy anymore and Jamie Walker doesn't have the stamina.

[wavydavy]

1 hour ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

Football isn't meant to be fun. 

It's a competitive sport. 

 

For fun go to a swimming pool  or the zoo. 

 

Football is meant to be fun, how does that even work?

There are two teams, are they both meant to give the fans fun! 

 

 

 

Football is about winning as is the case with all competative sports however it certainly could and should be fun to watch as well.

 

As a long suffering Hearts fan I can honestly say that I have hardly enjoyed any game I have watched us play this season since we had a decent run at the start of thr campaign.

 

Most of the time it is eye bleeding stuff to watch and even when we win it has hardly been enjoyable to watch.

 

Results matter of course and the figures actually show that purely on a numbers game we have done well but it is hard to watch and enjoy.

 

When your team win it should make you feel good and make you feel you can't wait until the next game.

 

I am at the stage where I just want the season to end with us promoted and move on to hopefully improving the squad and watching some decent football next season.

[DH1986]

When you resort to Bobby Williamson type talk it’s time to take a break.

 

 

[Niemi’s gloves]

1 hour ago, GinRummy said:

No it’s not. It’s poor signings and poor coaches who have caused the problem. 3rd or 4th is just getting what we’ve paid for. I’m not going to expect it next season but the season after I do and I expect us to stay at that level or be looking for a new manager. 

 
Where I am is not that far from you last sentence. But I’d say that is quite a long way from the “anything less than third should be deemed unacceptable every season” position of the poster I was replying to.

 

On “getting what we’ve paid for”, I’d see my FoH contributions as helping to repair the financial damage and lack of investment in the ground during the Romanov era (which to be fair, I enjoyed at the time). 

[GinRummy]

1 minute ago, Niemi’s gloves said:

 
Where I am is not that far from you last sentence. But I’d say that is quite a long way from the “anything less than third should be deemed unacceptable every season” position of the poster I was replying to.

 

On “getting what we’ve paid for”, I’d see my FoH contributions as helping to repair the financial damage and lack of investment in the ground during the Romanov era (which to be fair, I enjoyed at the time). 

Fair enough. Third should be a realistic target but a position less is not too bad, certainly acceptable.

 

It’s not just FoH cash. Season tickets and gate receipts should have us near the top.

[jr ewing]

Is motivationless a good way to describe us.

[Bazzas right boot]

1 hour ago, wavydavy said:

 

Football is about winning as is the case with all competative sports however it certainly could and should be fun to watch as well.

 

As a long suffering Hearts fan I can honestly say that I have hardly enjoyed any game I have watched us play this season since we had a decent run at the start of thr campaign.

 

Most of the time it is eye bleeding stuff to watch and even when we win it has hardly been enjoyable to watch.

 

Results matter of course and the figures actually show that purely on a numbers game we have done well but it is hard to watch and enjoy.

 

When your team win it should make you feel good and make you feel you can't wait until the next game.

 

I am at the stage where I just want the season to end with us promoted and move on to hopefully improving the squad and watching some decent football next season.

 

 

The football is fun part makes no sense at all Tbh. 

If we're having fun, then the other team and fans isn't. 

 

So football isn't about fun at all, ridiculous comment by the poster. 

 

Winning is fun tho. 

Losing not so much. 

 

Tbh, folk can think want they eNt, eye bleeding etc but having watched most of our games this season, we've been the most fun team and the few games I've watched in the top flight are hardly what I'd describe as fun or entertaining. 

 

I've enjoyed this season as much as any apart from 2 or 3 in my lifetime. 

 

When Hearts win it makes me feel good, but I agree I want this season done and dusted ASAP 

 

[wavydavy]

8 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

 

The football is fun part makes no sense at all Tbh. 

If we're having fun, then the other team and fans isn't. 

 

So football isn't about fun at all, ridiculous comment by the poster. 

 

Winning is fun tho. 

Losing not so much. 

 

Tbh, folk can think want they eNt, eye bleeding etc but having watched most of our games this season, we've been the most fun team and the few games I've watched in the top flight are hardly what I'd describe as fun or entertaining. 

 

I've enjoyed this season as much as any apart from 2 or 3 in my lifetime. 

 

When Hearts win it makes me feel good, but I agree I want this season done and dusted ASAP 

 

 

Since when did we worry about the other teams fans?

 

It's also about opinions and you don't agree with mine nor I with yours.

[sac]

2 hours ago, Niemi’s gloves said:

A candidate for stupidest post of the week, particularly the first sentence. In fact it’s that mentality that has created mediocrity as we get into an endless cycle of an overblown sense of entitlement and a complete absence of any concept of building a team over time.

 

 

 

Oh really.

so if we’re not the third biggest in your eyes, what number are we & what would be an acceptable position for us to finish each season in your opinion?

Third or better for me every time or what’s the point.

If you don’t want us to be better than the rest then what is your benchmark?

[ctc]

If you put up with shite you'll get shite.A large percent of our support didn't want Neilson back part of that reason is staring us in the face right now.Just look at the body language of the players.If you've ever played football (at any level)you'll know that in a dressing room you look around you and you often get a lift when you see the line up and and listen to what the coach wants you to do.It also works in reserve.For walker to be 3rd sub. on Saturday defies belief.For Halliday to be playing every week defies belief.I've watched hearts since early 60's and don't remember ever seeing anything as bad as Saturday.

.

 

[Niemi’s gloves]

7 minutes ago, sac said:

Oh really.

so if we’re not the third biggest in your eyes, what number are we & what would be an acceptable position for us to finish each season in your opinion?

Third or better for me every time or what’s the point.

If you don’t want us to be better than the rest then what is your benchmark?

Of course I want be better than the rest as often as possible and to challenge the OF when we can. But we won’t get there simply by asserting that we are the third biggest team in Scotland and by saying anything worse than third is “unacceptable”. If everyone took the attitude of “third or better every time or what’s the point” there would be very few people watching Scottish football outside the OF. 

 

I

[Riccarton3]

17 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

 

Since when did we worry about the other teams fans?

 

It's also about opinions and you don't agree with mine nor I with yours.

Maybe you used the wrong word.   I do believe football benefits from being entertaining. People might still watch shite because of their connection to a Club (through thick and thin etc) but I still think fans hope to be entertained rather than spend hard earned cash viewing a poor spectacle. 

[Hackney Hearts]

I understood when I started supporting Hearts that it wouldn't be **FUN **. It was much more likely, in fact, to be a lifelong nightmarish series of crushing disappointments. And that's an optimist speaking.

 

I would say watching Hearts generally is around 85% frustration, 10% anger, 4% relief/satisfaction, 0.9% exhilaration, 0.1% ecstasy. 

 

I would still never miss a game.

Edited March 22, 2021 by Hackney Hearts

[Bazzas right boot]

21 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

 

Since when did we worry about the other teams fans?

 

It's also about opinions and you don't agree with mine nor I with yours.

 

Well the other team is playing football as well, takes two teams. 

 

Hence why the football should be fun comment doesn't make sense. 

 

It's a competitive sport, not long bangers at the end of the street or winners stays on.

 

 

 

[Hackney Hearts]

.

Edited March 22, 2021 by Hackney Hearts

[jr ewing]

Always been included in the entertainment industry. Hasn't felt like it for a while now. 

[Bazzas right boot]

17 minutes ago, Riccarton3 said:

Maybe you used the wrong word.   I do believe football benefits from being entertaining. People might still watch shite because of their connection to a Club (through thick and thin etc) but I still think fans hope to be entertained rather than spend hard earned cash viewing a poor spectacle. 

 

 

Thing is, entertaining means lots of things. 

 

A 5-1 cup final win. 

A 4-3 cup final defeat 

A 3-3 draw 

 

A brilliant defensive display for a 0-0.

Players fighting. 

Last ditch tackles 

Big scrambles in box

Keepers making  a great  save 

Last minute winners. 

Referee controversy. 

 

The League title and promotion going to the last game of the season for example would be entertaining but it would be about as much fun as getting your bawbag crushed in a vice. 

 

Being in the play offs would be far more exciting and entertaining, but from a competitive side it would mean we are currently worse of than we are now. 

 

Winning the play offs and relegating Ross County for example would be great fun. 

 

Folk are that rabid now they are just saying anything to make Robbie and Hearts look worse and because none of the football stats back up thier arguments, they are going on about style, fun and entertainment. 

Bonkers. 

 

The fact that we are pissing the league and that makes it quite boring is actually a good thing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Smith's right boot

[Niemi’s gloves]

4 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

Well the other team is playing football as well, takes two teams. 

 

Hence why the football should be fun comment doesn't make sense. 

 

It's a competitive sport, not long bangers at the end of the street or winners stays on.

 

 

 

It’s hard to argue with your logic. Perhaps part of the problem is that something has been taken away from all of us over the last year. The phrase “match day experience” is to some extent marketing but there is truth behind it. For most real football fans, a day out watching their team is not a day wasted, even if the result is disappointing and the game is poor.

[Bazzas right boot]

1 minute ago, Niemi’s gloves said:

It’s hard to argue with your logic. Perhaps part of the problem is that something has been taken away from all of us over the last year. The phrase “match day experience” is to some extent marketing but there is truth behind it. For most real football fans, a day out watching their team is not a day wasted, even if the result is disappointing and the game is poor.

 

Nail on head Tbh, that was my next soap box moment, but thankfully someone else sees the bigger issue. 

 

It's clearly having an impact and Tbh, I think many  seeing more away games than they normally would have and who might have not seen us play away for a while reinforces that as away games in most of my Hearts life have been hard work, even in good seasons. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jambo61]

2 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

so you aren’t meant to enjoy watching football? That’s a new one. 

To be fare he is accurate.......it has been years apart from a sporadic performance, which only emphasises, since we enjoyed 'football' at Tynie! Why expect anything else when only names change!

[Voice of reason]

28 minutes ago, ctc said:

I've watched hearts since early 60's and don't remember ever seeing anything as bad as Saturday.

 

A boring 0-0 away to Arbroath is the worst you’ve seen Hearts since the 60’s! You’ve clearly cherrypicked your games then. I’ve seen us hammered dozens of times by smaller clubs whilst barely getting out our final third. Worst one was losing to Montrose 2-0 at Tynecastle with a forward line of Colquhoun, Clark and Robbo. We were sitting third in the Premier league at the time and Montrose were relegated from the old first division that season. Losing 6-0 to Falkirk in 92/93 was pretty low - they should have scored 10 that day. The entire 70’s were awful.

Saturday was boring and highly frustrating but I’ve seen numerous poorer performance virtually every season since I can remember. We didn’t even deserve to lose on Saturday - the games you are totally outplayed are the ones that really depress me. Actually losing 5 or 6 to Celtic and Rangers is more depressing, especially when they have 80% possession. These games are brutal to watch and make you wonder why you bother!

 

Anyway, 16 points clear with 6 games to go (for us). Job well and truly done. 

 

[Niemi’s gloves]

3 hours ago, GinRummy said:

No it’s not. It’s poor signings and poor coaches who have caused the problem. 3rd or 4th is just getting what we’ve paid for. I’m not going to expect it next season but the season after I do and I expect us to stay at that level or be looking for a new manager. 

I’m not that far away from your last sentence. But that’s a bit different to the “anything worse than third is unacceptable every season” of the poster I was replying to. 

[Bazzas right boot]

2 hours ago, WageThief said:

 

We hadn't won the league by the Falkirk game at home.  And following that defeat we won 4-1, 3-2, 1-0, 2-1, 10-0, 4-0, and so on.  So basically the complete opposite of what you wrote.

 

 

😂😂😂

[Bazzas right boot]

7 minutes ago, Voice of reason said:

A boring 0-0 away to Arbroath is the worst you’ve seen Hearts since the 60’s! You’ve clearly cherrypicked your games then. I’ve seen us hammered dozens of times by smaller clubs whilst barely getting out our final third. Worst one was losing to Montrose 2-0 at Tynecastle with a forward line of Colquhoun, Clark and Robbo. We were sitting third in the Premier league at the time and Montrose were relegated from the old first division that season. Losing 6-0 to Falkirk in 92/93 was pretty low - they should have scored 10 that day. The entire 70’s were awful.

Saturday was boring and highly frustrating but I’ve seen numerous poorer performance virtually every season since I can remember. We didn’t even deserve to lose on Saturday - the games you are totally outplayed are the ones that really depress me. Actually losing 5 or 6 to Celtic and Rangers is more depressing, especially when they have 80% possession. These games are brutal to watch and make you wonder why you bother!

 

Anyway, 16 points clear with 6 games to go (for us). Job well and truly done. 

 

 

 

Fecking hell, that's more depressing. It's a sorrow list. 

 

I agree with your sentiments, watching celtic gub us 7-0 at Tynecastle was depressing and I think folk forget that Peterhead beat us a couple of seasons ago as we crashed out the cup at the group stage, still my worst result in living memory. They were third teir. 

 

I also remember us being ripped apart at Tynecastle from St Johnstone in the lc. 

 

We were 2-0 up at ht. 

Frail got sent off and smith had saved a pk. 

 

They scored 4 in the second half. 

 

Tbh, it seems to tick a few boxes of what folk want from the football going by the comments on here. 

 

It was fun

It was entertaining 

It was exciting 

 

Knocked out the cup and got beat tho. 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Smith's right boot

[jambonian]

Think folk are mixing up the words fun and entertaining/exciting. 

Fun comes after enjoying a win but excitement is needed to go for the win in the first place. Nothing better than watching your team get forward and attack teams, take chances, get in about them. It's what makes the atmosphere. In the last few years the only atmosphere i've heard at Tynie was when Stendel came and wanted to change our approach to games. The fans were onside and encouraged as often as they could. Football works both ways....the team goes out and plays entertaining, attacking football, the fans get behind them. They go out and show lack of commitment, piss about playing tippy-tappy nonsense, lack goal-scoring attempts, pass the buck to their team-mates who pass the buck to someone else  etc. then fans will get frustrated and get on the players backs. Apart from a few games here and there, i can't remember being entertained watching us for quite a few years. Under Levein we would try to get to Tynecastle within 2 minutes of kick-off and get out again when injury time's just about done to get home again. It was even becoming a chore to make the effort to go but we did. All fans want is to see an exciting team getting forward and they're happy. We need to try and get back to that sometime in the future.

[iwasthere1954]

3 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

so you aren’t meant to enjoy watching football? That’s a new one. 

Who was the Kilmarnock manager who quoted after being criticised for his style of play "don't go to football and expect to be entertained, if you want entertained go to the cinema/theatre. Can't remember his name.

[jambonian]

Just now, iwasthere1954 said:

Who was the Kilmarnock manager who quoted after being criticised for his style of play "don't go to football and expect to be entertained, if you want entertained go to the cinema/theatre. Can't remember his name.

 

Bobby Williamson said that but i can't remember if it was when he was at Killie or Hibs. I tend to think Hibs as one of my mates absolutely detests Williamson for saying that and he still brings it up in conversation now and again. Had it been at Killie he wouldn't get so wound up about it so that suggests Hibs to me.

[iwasthere1954]

1 minute ago, jambonian said:

 

Bobby Williamson said that but i can't remember if it was when he was at Killie or Hibs. I tend to think Hibs as one of my mates absolutely detests Williamson for saying that and he still brings it up in conversation now and again. Had it been at Killie he wouldn't get so wound up about it so that suggests Hibs to me.

Yes Bobby Williamson now rings a bell. If you think about it, him being manager at Hibs kills the silky football myth.

[Bazzas right boot]

13 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

 

Fecking hell, that's more depressing. It's a sorrow list. 

 

I agree with your sentiments, watching celtic gub us 7-0 at Tynecastle was depressing and I think folk forget that Peterhead beat us a couple of seasons ago as we crashed out the cup at the group stage, still my worst result in living memory. They were third teir. 

 

I also remember us being ripped apart at Tynecastle from St Johnstone in the lc. 

 

We were 2-0 up at ht. 

Frail got sent off and smith had saved a pk. 

 

They scored 4 in the second half. 

 

Tbh, it seems to tick a few boxes of what folk want from the football going by the comments on here. 

 

It was fun

It was entertaining 

It was exciting 

 

Knocked out the cup and got beat tho. 

 

 

 

 

Might have been walker in goals actually. 

[Bazzas right boot]

1 minute ago, iwasthere1954 said:

Yes Bobby Williamson now rings a bell. If you think about it, him being manager at Hibs kills the silky football myth.

 

Terry butcher managed them. 

Ffs, I can't think of a manager that has a less silly philosophy. 

[iwasthere1954]

Just now, Smith's right boot said:

 

Terry butcher managed them. 

Ffs, I can't think of a manager that has a less silly philosophy. 

I would be surprised if he had any philosophy. Now that was one of the great relegations.

[Niemi’s gloves]

3 hours ago, Jambo61 said:

Need a wee bit clarification, how many years/ transfer windows/ players does your concept include?

Fair question. Time scales are much shorter than in days gone by, when the likes of Jim McLean could tie down good young players to servitude for life (almost). However I’m struck by the way that teams that punch above their weight have a solid  core of players that have been there for 4 or 5 years. 
 

Two examples that I’ve looked at recently. Arbroath are currently the best part part time club in Scotland but there are plenty of similar small town clubs who could match them but don’t. They have a core of Colin Hamilton (5th season), Bobby  Linn (8th season) Ricky Little (8th season) David Gold (6th season), O’Brien (4th season), Jason Thomson (3rd season) to which they add shorter term or loan signings. 
 

Then much further up the scale there is Leicester City. There are perhaps 15-20 clubs in England that historically have been bigger than Leicester but now lag behind them. Leicester have Schmeichel (10th season),  Vardy (9th), Albrighton (7th) Mendy (5th) Barnes (5th as a first team player) Ndidi (4th), Iheanachu (4th). 

 

Even Rangers success this season, although in part based on throwing cash at the team, is to a fair degree based on putting together a core of players that have now been at the club for several years. 
 

So to answer your question, I think it is unlikely to be less than 2-3 years and several transfer windows to get close to where we want to be. As I’ve said before, I believe we should put at least as much effort and resources into the recruitment process as we do currently but with the aim of signing fewer not more players.

[Bazzas right boot]

6 minutes ago, iwasthere1954 said:

I would be surprised if he had any philosophy. Now that was one of the great relegations.

 

 

I bet hibs fans found it exciting and entertaining, especially when Cummings missed the pk. 

 

They even had fun at Tynecastle with thier relegation party! 

 

😂😂😂

[Pasquale for King]

4 hours ago, Hagar the Horrible said:

For me our treatment deserved a response, we should have pounded all those team that did us wrong for 90 mins, Hearts have had a MEH attitude, we are over it, the Championship is just one large pre-season kick about.  The last time perhaps because of having Rangers and Hibs in the league and fans that really got behind the club, we won it the correct way…then came the but.  After we won the league the Falkirk game at home was a seismic shift in tactical design, we went full defensive mode,  get a goal and desperately hold onto it with gritted teeth, but when we went behind we had no way back into the game, that is how we have played since then, Stendel had a different approach but CL and RN coached any positivity out of them.  We could get the best 10 out field players from Man City and still it would be eye bleeding as the mantra is keep the ball, don’t get it wide with your wingers and cross the ball to your 2 huge strikers as we could lose the ball, instead when the ball is wide we must bring it back and switch sides and work the ball to the other side to get the ball where we can deliver a cross, but guess what?  We have to work it backwords. Keeping the ball is the directive NOT putting the ball into the net.  We have lost goals as we endlessly play and pass around the box, it drags our backline into the attack, and when we lose the ball we are hit on the break.  Get the ball wide and cross it in early, late, who cares, just cross the bleeding ball and if we lose it we win it back.

 

We have strikers with no service and wingers not allowed to take players on and cross the ball. Robbie has to change, change fast, as we won’t celebrate winning this league, that would be embarrassing.  We are hopeless on the road and it’s no longer Fortress Tynie.  He has lost the fans belief that all we can expect is avoid relegation, that’s our aim.  We have won this joke league, we need to use the remaining games to promote a style and improve performance

 

Great post 

[Riccarton3]

31 minutes ago, jambonian said:

Think folk are mixing up the words fun and entertaining/exciting. 

Fun comes after enjoying a win but excitement is needed to go for the win in the first place. Nothing better than watching your team get forward and attack teams, take chances, get in about them. It's what makes the atmosphere. In the last few years the only atmosphere i've heard at Tynie was when Stendel came and wanted to change our approach to games. The fans were onside and encouraged as often as they could. Football works both ways....the team goes out and plays entertaining, attacking football, the fans get behind them. They go out and show lack of commitment, piss about playing tippy-tappy nonsense, lack goal-scoring attempts, pass the buck to their team-mates who pass the buck to someone else  etc. then fans will get frustrated and get on the players backs. Apart from a few games here and there, i can't remember being entertained watching us for quite a few years. Under Levein we would try to get to Tynecastle within 2 minutes of kick-off and get out again when injury time's just about done to get home again. It was even becoming a chore to make the effort to go but we did. All fans want is to see an exciting team getting forward and they're happy. We need to try and get back to that sometime in the future.

That sounds about right to me 👍

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, ctc said:

If you put up with shite you'll get shite.A large percent of our support didn't want Neilson back part of that reason is staring us in the face right now.Just look at the body language of the players.If you've ever played football (at any level)you'll know that in a dressing room you look around you and you often get a lift when you see the line up and and listen to what the coach wants you to do.It also works in reserve.For walker to be 3rd sub. on Saturday defies belief.For Halliday to be playing every week defies belief.I've watched hearts since early 60's and don't remember ever seeing anything as bad as Saturday.

.

 

Agreed, any team sport or workplace too, having been the one left out and brought back in more for team spirit and attitude than talent, I know that situation well 😭😆.  

[Riccarton3]

2 shots at ****ing goal against Arbroath. Certainly ticks the box for nae fun as it should be

[Pasquale for King]

40 minutes ago, jambonian said:

Think folk are mixing up the words fun and entertaining/exciting. 

Fun comes after enjoying a win but excitement is needed to go for the win in the first place. Nothing better than watching your team get forward and attack teams, take chances, get in about them. It's what makes the atmosphere. In the last few years the only atmosphere i've heard at Tynie was when Stendel came and wanted to change our approach to games. The fans were onside and encouraged as often as they could. Football works both ways....the team goes out and plays entertaining, attacking football, the fans get behind them. They go out and show lack of commitment, piss about playing tippy-tappy nonsense, lack goal-scoring attempts, pass the buck to their team-mates who pass the buck to someone else  etc. then fans will get frustrated and get on the players backs. Apart from a few games here and there, i can't remember being entertained watching us for quite a few years. Under Levein we would try to get to Tynecastle within 2 minutes of kick-off and get out again when injury time's just about done to get home again. It was even becoming a chore to make the effort to go but we did. All fans want is to see an exciting team getting forward and they're happy. We need to try and get back to that sometime in the future.

Exactly. The way we played against Rangers in those two games last year  is how I want us to play and I think most fans feel the same, no matter who the manager is. Get after teams and attack, create chances with quick attacks, get the fans engaged, singing loudly, intimidating teams into making mistakes. 
Even if we had lost those two games at least we gave it a go and again most fans would accept that. 

Football has a lot of competition at this time, even more so in the next few years and folk are now used to sitting in the house watching games instead of freezing their arse off. We have been relying on people’s loyalty and habits these last few years, who knows how long that will last if we don’t get a better product on the pitch. 

[Jambo61]

49 minutes ago, Niemi’s gloves said:

Fair question. Time scales are much shorter than in days gone by, when the likes of Jim McLean could tie down good young players to servitude for life (almost). However I’m struck by the way that teams that punch above their weight have a solid  core of players that have been there for 4 or 5 years. 
 

Two examples that I’ve looked at recently. Arbroath are currently the best part part time club in Scotland but there are plenty of similar small town clubs who could match them but don’t. They have a core of Colin Hamilton (5th season), Bobby  Linn (8th season) Ricky Little (8th season) David Gold (6th season), O’Brien (4th season), Jason Thomson (3rd season) to which they add shorter term or loan signings. 
 

Then much further up the scale there is Leicester City. There are perhaps 15-20 clubs in England that historically have been bigger than Leicester but now lag behind them. Leicester have Schmeichel (10th season),  Vardy (9th), Albrighton (7th) Mendy (5th) Barnes (5th as a first team player) Ndidi (4th), Iheanachu (4th). 

 

Even Rangers success this season, although in part based on throwing cash at the team, is to a fair degree based on putting together a core of players that have now been at the club for several years. 
 

So to answer your question, I think it is unlikely to be less than 2-3 years and several transfer windows to get close to where we want to be. As I’ve said before, I believe we should put at least as much effort and resources into the recruitment process as we do currently but with the aim of signing fewer not more players.

Agreed, the constant clearouts and bargain basement fillers simply doesn't work, 5 years now!

The elephant in the room.......training and coaching should shine through within a year at most. fitness looks very short for far too many and as soon as the whistle blows many of them forget how to kick a ball, why's that? Tactically we can't break a team down and we mostly can't keep a clean sheet, why's that then? Not a Robbie fan obviously, but feck better than Levein, just!

I can't see it getting better with Budgie and Robbie at the helm.

[Jambo61]

1 hour ago, Voice of reason said:

A boring 0-0 away to Arbroath is the worst you’ve seen Hearts since the 60’s! You’ve clearly cherrypicked your games then. I’ve seen us hammered dozens of times by smaller clubs whilst barely getting out our final third. Worst one was losing to Montrose 2-0 at Tynecastle with a forward line of Colquhoun, Clark and Robbo. We were sitting third in the Premier league at the time and Montrose were relegated from the old first division that season. Losing 6-0 to Falkirk in 92/93 was pretty low - they should have scored 10 that day. The entire 70’s were awful.

Saturday was boring and highly frustrating but I’ve seen numerous poorer performance virtually every season since I can remember. We didn’t even deserve to lose on Saturday - the games you are totally outplayed are the ones that really depress me. Actually losing 5 or 6 to Celtic and Rangers is more depressing, especially when they have 80% possession. These games are brutal to watch and make you wonder why you bother!

 

Anyway, 16 points clear with 6 games to go (for us). Job well and truly done. 

 

To be fare were Montrose not the Hobo bogey team at that time?

[WageThief]

2 hours ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

 

😂😂😂

 

It's little wonder some have such an issue with Neilson.  It's not just the borefest on Saturday but it's all the other terrible experiences they have completely imagined in their heads!  The 1-0 win I quoted was the only 1-0 we had for the rest of the season.  We never lost or drew again until we were champions.

 

Any change in tactics came after we got hammered in the first 45 mins against Aberdeen at home.  

 

The best thing is some of these same anger addicts get themselves angry about stuff that is going to happen NEXT season.  Those who cannot look up the history on London Hearts can somehow foresee the future.  And guess what?  Yeah that's right, they are livid about it.  

[Bazzas right boot]

18 minutes ago, WageThief said:

 

It's little wonder some have such an issue with Neilson.  It's not just the borefest on Saturday but it's all the other terrible experiences they have completely imagined in their heads!  The 1-0 win I quoted was the only 1-0 we had for the rest of the season.  We never lost or drew again until we were champions.

 

Any change in tactics came after we got hammered in the first 45 mins against Aberdeen at home.  

 

The best thing is some of these same anger addicts get themselves angry about stuff that is going to happen NEXT season.  Those who cannot look up the history on London Hearts can somehow foresee the future.  And guess what?  Yeah that's right, they are livid about it.  

 

 

It's beyond parody. 

 

We need to get a new flag or replace  the "blood doesn't show on a maroon  Jersey " message on the tunnel with

 

 

 

 

[credit card]

On 21/03/2021 at 15:28, westbow said:

These are years including relegation due to playing the kids with a points deduction, league stopping with a bunch of games to go, and two seasons in the championship?

And you're still happy to accept that? We are in the Championship this season because our performance in the Premier was what exactly? Maybe worse than St Johnstone. Hearts should be top 6 every year.

[jr ewing]

1 hour ago, credit card said:

And you're still happy to accept that? We are in the Championship this season because our performance in the Premier was what exactly? Maybe worse than St Johnstone. Hearts should be top 6 every year.

Certainly should be progressing year on year and we haven't. 

[kingantti1874]

1 hour ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

 

It's beyond parody. 

 

We need to get a new flag or replace  the "blood doesn't show on a maroon  Jersey " message on the tunnel with

 

 

 

 

you keep going on about this point, being entertained is pretty important, otherwise fans will drift away, income will reduce and quality on the park will suffer.

 

do you have kids? Mine basically asked to stop going during the Levein era. Can’t blame them in all honesty. I see more of the same coming 

[Greedy Jambo]

5 minutes ago, jr ewing said:

Certainly should be progressing year on year and we haven't. 

 

Fact.

 

We should have kicked on when we were debt free and miles a head of Hibs and Rangers, that was our chance to kick on and be a force in Scottish Football.

 

But we messed about with daft ideas of promoting from within etc and ersed it all up. 

 

 

[NANOJAMBO]

1 minute ago, kingantti1874 said:

you keep going on about this point, being entertained is pretty important, otherwise fans will drift away, income will reduce and quality on the park will suffer.

 

do you have kids? Mine basically asked to stop going during the Levein era. Can’t blame them in all honesty. I see more of the same coming 

He's doing what he does best : deliberately skewing a statement into something that wasn't said so he can trivialise &  attack.  Numerous posters on here commenting on the turgid football on show in the last few weeks (and accompanying crap results against  what is little more than cannon fodder in a pub league) have now been morphed into a childish attack on posters arguing for "entertainment".  He knows full well it isn't about entertainment per se but his obsession with this  thread just goes on & on. 

[westbow]

2 hours ago, credit card said:

And you're still happy to accept that? We are in the Championship this season because our performance in the Premier was what exactly? Maybe worse than St Johnstone. Hearts should be top 6 every year.

Did you actually read what I wrote?

[Bazzas right boot]

1 hour ago, NANOJAMBO said:

He's doing what he does best : deliberately skewing a statement into something that wasn't said so he can trivialise &  attack.  Numerous posters on here commenting on the turgid football on show in the last few weeks (and accompanying crap results against  what is little more than cannon fodder in a pub league) have now been morphed into a childish attack on posters arguing for "entertainment".  He knows full well it isn't about entertainment per se but his obsession with this  thread just goes on & on. 

 

it's a 16 point clear thread, only certain folk are going on and on and on and on about Robbie. style, entertainment and having fun.

It's not me.

 

[Riccarton3]

1 hour ago, NANOJAMBO said:

He's doing what he does best : deliberately skewing a statement into something that wasn't said so he can trivialise &  attack.  Numerous posters on here commenting on the turgid football on show in the last few weeks (and accompanying crap results against  what is little more than cannon fodder in a pub league) have now been morphed into a childish attack on posters arguing for "entertainment".  He knows full well it isn't about entertainment per se but his obsession with this  thread just goes on & on. 

You can talk about the shape of the team and nothing comes back. In fact, anything on a micro level that highlights issues. Boyce retreating to the halfway line, Gnando looking for just one cross a game, GMS wildly underwhelming play, the absolute non event of midfield, the set plays, the list goes on. Filed under 'angry', 'obsessed'. Or some reference to 'I've seen a lot worse' or 'we'll just get different players' sourced by RN, some recent ones already on loan, out of favour, out of position, undroppable

Edited March 22, 2021 by Riccarton3