***Summer 2021 Transfer Window - Barrie McKay signs 2 year deal ***

[GinRummy]

Just now, 8skacel8 said:

 

The poster said that these 3 payers would be in the reserves, as in not on the bench. 

 

I agree with you that the above mentioned players would be picked before Halliday for the first XI. 

 

However, he will never not be on the bench as he can play multiple positions and is a very handy player to have. The only way he wouldn't be on the bench is if he is suspended and his booking tally is already starting to mount up.

Ah right. Picked you up wrong. That makes much more sense. 

[GinRummy]

5 minutes ago, DS98 said:

Are we happy enough with the central midfield? 
 

Beni

Haring

Halliday

McEneff

Devlin.

 

From what I’ve heard Devlin is an energetic spoiler type. McEneff isn’t getting a sniff. It’ll be Beni and one of these. Is there enough creativity? Still think we’re missing an out and out ball player. 

You can only assume Robbie prefers ball winners in there as opposed to creative players. Maybe getting the ball to Woodburn, who I think will play centrally a bit further forward, will be the plan. 

[copa-mundial]

10 minutes ago, DS98 said:

Are we happy enough with the central midfield? 
 

Beni

Haring

Halliday

McEneff

Devlin.

 

From what I’ve heard Devlin is an energetic spoiler type. McEneff isn’t getting a sniff. It’ll be Beni and one of these. Is there enough creativity? Still think we’re missing an out and out ball player. 

 

I agree. We need a direct ball carrying midfielder. 

It's what's missing. Unless Woodburn could be this player?

[Rick Sanchez]

1 hour ago, davemclaren said:

Why do you think Souttar is leaving?

 

No other reason than I think these lads are being sent to play games and they'll be commanding a pretty penny.

 

Happy to keep them all

 

[Rick Sanchez]

21 minutes ago, DS98 said:

Are we happy enough with the central midfield? 
 

Beni

Haring

Halliday

McEneff

Devlin.

 

From what I’ve heard Devlin is an energetic spoiler type. McEneff isn’t getting a sniff. It’ll be Beni and one of these. Is there enough creativity? Still think we’re missing an out and out ball player. 

 

I keep seeing Devlin described as a ball carrier, which I'd be delighted with.

 

Hope he's got an arse like McGinn's anaw.

[davemclaren]

11 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez said:

 

No other reason than I think these lads are being sent to play games and they'll be commanding a pretty penny.

 

Happy to keep them all

 

👍

[sadj]

2 hours ago, BackOfTheNet said:

Kingsley isn’t going to play in every game, we know that, so having Cochrane to fill in when he’s not able is good. If Braithwaite comes in and will be a starter then you have to wonder what will happen with Halliday. As in my opinion he’d be 3rd choice left back and at least 5th choice central midfielder.

Cochrane will be very unlucky to drop out was my MoTM yesterday. Guessing quite a few others felt that way too. Common sense may suggest that Smith who is clearly bursting a gut but not 💯(Taylor in to RWB) and Kingsley (Cochrane has surely got that place nailed down by his performances at mo) will have cover if they cant get to 💯. Assuming when they that they can even get back in the team. Souttar , Braithwaite and Halkett in the middle. But lots and lots of options for a 3 or a 4 with that group. 

Haring split opinion as did Beni (with a few certainly at the game) yesterday. Devlin in for Haring possibly. McEneff may then fit better in that set up. Then GMS (again got abuse yesterday at the game) who has been tenacious and showing something. Gino who has to be frightening to see running at you when he chooses too. Boyce (was being slated by the young team yesterday as he is shit apparently) , Gnando (did well yesterday , something clicked at one point and he chased back helped win it back with Smith and then went up the pitch and got a deserved goal) Woodburn (looked lively and linked well and the transition with the other players was quick and direct) plus any others who come in before Tues night.

 

The basis is definitely there in terms of quality to compete. 

 

 

[Pagey]

2 minutes ago, sadj said:

 

 

The basis is definitely there in terms of quality to compete. 

 

 

 

This is the key-having a squad that can keep each other pushing on as well as being overall competitive 

[davie1980]

2 hours ago, Nathan2012 said:

I know it won’t happen but personally feel you need to have 4 strikers 

 

I always agreed with this when we regularly played a front two.

 

But it appears the plan is to only have one recognised striker, supported by wide players, with the option to have two strikers to change it up.

 

I think 3 strikers would suffice in this circumstance, so Boyce, Gnandulliet and one other

[airdriejambo3]

Does anyone know what happened to the laddie Thomas Robert (Tam Rab) from Airdrie that was interesting us and the green and white cousins? Last I could find was a trial at Burnley but nothing signed yet.

[johnking123]

Three strikers is enough for the way we play. Next striker should have a lot more pace though. Maybe play wide too.

[davemclaren]

12 minutes ago, airdriejambo3 said:

Does anyone know what happened to the laddie Thomas Robert (Tam Rab) from Airdrie that was interesting us and the green and white cousins? Last I could find was a trial at Burnley but nothing signed yet.

Without Club. 

[LarrysRightFoot]

1 hour ago, 8skacel8 said:

GMS, Kingsley and Halliday will never be in the reserves. GMS one of the most rated players at the club.

The thing about GMS is he has always been inconsistent but he tends to make things happen. He’s scored and won 2 penalties this season already without playing particularly well. 

[LarrysRightFoot]

1 hour ago, DS98 said:

Are we happy enough with the central midfield? 
 

Beni

Haring

Halliday

McEneff

Devlin.

 

From what I’ve heard Devlin is an energetic spoiler type. McEneff isn’t getting a sniff. It’ll be Beni and one of these. Is there enough creativity? Still think we’re missing an out and out ball player. 

I can see Woodburn playing as an attacking midfielder 

[pointon]

12 minutes ago, LarrysRightFoot said:

The thing about GMS is he has always been inconsistent but he tends to make things happen. He’s scored and won 2 penalties this season already without playing particularly well. 

He also loves a goal against the vermin 

[FarmerTweedy]

3 hours ago, Nathan2012 said:

I know it won’t happen but personally feel you need to have 4 strikers and we have 2, only Boyce and Gnanduillet are proper strikers, Ginnelly, GMS and Woodburn are all wide/number 10 in Woodburn’s case so we really need 2 more proper strikers to have more options but doesn’t sound like Robbie will do that. We have plenty options in midfield and I think we have decent cover at the back but that forward area still feels very light.

If a team regularly plays 2 strikers up front, I'd agree that you need 4, but if, as we do, you usually only play 1 striker, I reckon you're better just having 3. If you've got 4, at least 1 and maybe 2 are going to struggle to get much game time, so they'll be seriously lacking match sharpness and fitness if you do need to call on them, and you'd be better spending the money elsewhere. 

[Bongo 1874]

1 hour ago, Rick Sanchez said:

 

No other reason than I think these lads are being sent to play games and they'll be commanding a pretty penny.

 

Happy to keep them all

 

👍. 

[jr ewing]

28 minutes ago, LarrysRightFoot said:

The thing about GMS is he has always been inconsistent but he tends to make things happen. He’s scored and won 2 penalties this season already without playing particularly well. 

Done that his whole career. 

[FarmerTweedy]

2 hours ago, db211833 said:

Only if you are champions path ? St Johnstone dropped from Euros and still had conference knock out. I don't know the answer and hope you are right. Just hadn't seen it before.

I don't know the correct answer but I will just point out that the situation changes from season to season as countries move up and down the coefficient table, so the teams that qualify for next season won't necessarily face the exact same qualifying situations as the equivalent teams have this season. 

[The Treasurer]

1 hour ago, johnking123 said:

Three strikers is enough for the way we play. Next striker should have a lot more pace though. Maybe play wide too.

Surely Woodburn fits that description 

[johnking123]

1 minute ago, The Treasurer said:

Surely Woodburn fits that description 

I mean real pace.

[Cruyff]

2 hours ago, DS98 said:

Are we happy enough with the central midfield? 
 

Beni

Haring

Halliday

McEneff

Devlin.

 

From what I’ve heard Devlin is an energetic spoiler type. McEneff isn’t getting a sniff. It’ll be Beni and one of these. Is there enough creativity? Still think we’re missing an out and out ball player. 

Personally think 3 solid centerhalfs, 2 ball winning mids allows us to defend Central areas and win possession well to build counter attacks. 

 

I think we're good for creativity with GMS, Gino and Woodburn. Boyce and Gnando will score goals. 

 

IMO out biggest weakness is wing back, not defensively because Smith, Cochrane and Kingsley are all solid defenders but I feel we are lacking a Wing Back who is a threat in attack. 

 

As you point out, only really our front 3 are a threat. The other 7 outfielders are predominantly defensive players. 

[BackOfTheNet]

1 hour ago, Cruyff said:

Personally think 3 solid centerhalfs, 2 ball winning mids allows us to defend Central areas and win possession well to build counter attacks. 

 

I think we're good for creativity with GMS, Gino and Woodburn. Boyce and Gnando will score goals. 

 

IMO out biggest weakness is wing back, not defensively because Smith, Cochrane and Kingsley are all solid defenders but I feel we are lacking a Wing Back who is a threat in attack. 

 

As you point out, only really our front 3 are a threat. The other 7 outfielders are predominantly defensive players. 

I actually think with three centre backs behind and knowing there’s ball winning midfielders on top of that, Kingsley can be a great wing back for us. He definitely had the attacking attributes and it was only his defensive side that worried me a bit last a season. So Kingsley for me at LWB. RWB, however, is a major issue. Unless Logan is something we’ve been needing or Brandon gets back and becomes a different player, it’s where we won’t have the player to match the position. I like McEneff but not sure he likes playing there and it’s not a natural position for him.

[davie1980]

On 28/08/2021 at 11:24, Pasquale for King said:

Possibly in your and others, in mines it’s expectations. If we see ourselves as a big club then our expectations have to match that, we are being described as a yo yo club ffs. 

 

Being considered a "yoyo club" is just as daft as expecting us to be a genuine challenge to the old firm this year. And vice versa.

 

 

My ambition is to challenge the old firm in the medium to long term. This season my ambition is to challenge Hibs and Aberdeen.

 

My expectation however, is the minimum I expect of the club (i.e. what I would be disappointed if we didn't achieve)

This season I started the year expecting to not get relegated. After a successful looking transfer window my minimum expectation is top 6.

But making demands of the club to potentially split the Old Firm when we were playing championship football last term is just setting yourself up for disappointment, and probably priming yourself to have a totally unmerited moan in May when we don't meet your entirely unrealistic expectations.

[GinRummy]

5 minutes ago, davie1980 said:

 

Being considered a "yoyo club" is just as daft as expecting us to be a genuine challenge to the old firm this year. And vice versa.

 

 

My ambition is to challenge the old firm in the medium to long term. This season my ambition is to challenge Hibs and Aberdeen.

 

My expectation however, is the minimum I expect of the club (i.e. what I would be disappointed if we didn't achieve)

This season I started the year expecting to not get relegated. After a successful looking transfer window my minimum expectation is top 6.

But making demands of the club to potentially split the Old Firm when we were playing championship football last term is just setting yourself up for disappointment, and probably priming yourself to have a totally unmerited moan in May when we don't meet your entirely unrealistic expectations.

Top 6 is too low a minimum expectation. Who finishes above us with that expectation?

[Pasquale for King]

4 minutes ago, davie1980 said:

 

Being considered a "yoyo club" is just as daft as expecting us to be a genuine challenge to the old firm this year. And vice versa.

 

 

My ambition is to challenge the old firm in the medium to long term. This season my ambition is to challenge Hibs and Aberdeen.

 

My expectation however, is the minimum I expect of the club (i.e. what I would be disappointed if we didn't achieve)

This season I started the year expecting to not get relegated. After a successful looking transfer window my minimum expectation is top 6.

But making demands of the club to potentially split the Old Firm when we were playing championship football last term is just setting yourself up for disappointment, and probably priming yourself to have a totally unmerited moan in May when we don't meet your entirely unrealistic expectations.

I don’t think I’ve ever got to May and thought ffs we haven’t split the uglies. Your expectations are why folk can call us a yo yo club as there were no real consequences for the abject failure of the last five years. 
 

[Cruyff]

Just now, BackOfTheNet said:

I actually think with three centre backs behind and knowing there’s ball winning midfielders on top of that, Kingsley can be a great wing back for us. He definitely had the attacking attributes and it was only his defensive side that worried me a bit last a season. So Kingsley for me at LWB. RWB, however, is a major issue. Unless Logan is something we’ve been needing or Brandon gets back and becomes a different player, it’s where we won’t have the player to match the position. I like McEneff but not sure he likes playing there and it’s not a natural position for him.

I'd have Kingsley at LWB before Cochrane. I like Cochrane and he is solid but I think like yourself that Kingsley has a bit more of an attacking threat. Scored a few goals for us last season and can hit a freekick on occasion. He's still a natural LB though as opposed to an attacking Wing Back. 

 

Smith played well v Utd but I just feel we need another attacking threat so we have, 4 very attacking players going forward. I've not seen anything of Logan to state an opinion. Brandon has had a torrid time with injuries so is unlikely to play again for us. 

 

Maybe Lancefield and Savage can find us a Spinazzola, that's what we need. Someone that gets in behind defences and gets to the byline, basically a pacey winger that can defend. 

[jr ewing]

1 minute ago, Pasquale for King said:

I don’t think I’ve ever got to May and thought ffs we haven’t split the uglies. Your expectations are why folk can call us a yo yo club as there were no real consequences for the abject failure of the last five years. 
 

Neither looked particularly good today. 

[johnking123]

1 hour ago, Cruyff said:

Personally think 3 solid centerhalfs, 2 ball winning mids allows us to defend Central areas and win possession well to build counter attacks. 

 

I think we're good for creativity with GMS, Gino and Woodburn. Boyce and Gnando will score goals. 

 

IMO out biggest weakness is wing back, not defensively because Smith, Cochrane and Kingsley are all solid defenders but I feel we are lacking a Wing Back who is a threat in attack. 

 

As you point out, only really our front 3 are a threat. The other 7 outfielders are predominantly defensive players. 

Plus we will have Souttar and Moore going forward at times. 

[Cruyff]

3 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

Top 6 is too low a minimum expectation. Who finishes above us with that expectation?

Top 4 is between us and Hibs and finishing below them would be disappointing, so 3rd it should be. Personally think we're close to having a squad which can challenge the OF but that's a bonus. 

[davie1980]

Just now, GinRummy said:

Top 6 is too low a minimum expectation. Who finishes above us with that expectation?

 

 

Minimum is the key word here.

Absolute minimum expectation. Rangers and Celtic are expected to finish above us every season. The season we have just been promoted it's a given.

Aberdeen and Hibs are similar sized clubs and are established top 6 clubs who have been competing for 3rd season on season and still have solid squads. They are probably predicted by most bookies to finish ahead of us. Anyone of St Johnstone or Motherwell might well finish above us.

 

I won't be heart broken or angry at 6th. I fully expect the same people that want rid of Robbie after winning 7 of our first 9 games to be screaming for his head if we finish 6th. I won't be one of them though.

 

I hope to finish 3rd and IMO that's as much as we can possibly hope for. I'd be ****ing delighted at a 3rd place finish this year, anyone expecting better are setting wholly unreasonable and unrealistic expectations

[Newton51]

Next summer is going to be massive as so many out of contract and loan signings coming in at the moment

[GinRummy]

6 minutes ago, davie1980 said:

 

 

Minimum is the key word here.

Absolute minimum expectation. Rangers and Celtic are expected to finish above us every season. The season we have just been promoted it's a given.

Aberdeen and Hibs are similar sized clubs and are established top 6 clubs who have been competing for 3rd season on season and still have solid squads. They are probably predicted by most bookies to finish ahead of us. Anyone of St Johnstone or Motherwell might well finish above us.

 

I won't be heart broken or angry at 6th. I fully expect the same people that want rid of Robbie after winning 7 of our first 9 games to be screaming for his head if we finish 6th. I won't be one of them though.

 

I hope to finish 3rd and IMO that's as much as we can possibly hope for. I'd be ****ing delighted at a 3rd place finish this year, anyone expecting better are setting wholly unreasonable and unrealistic expectations

You’re not getting it. There are only us Hibs and Aberdeen who can generally can finish 3rd. Any season that Hibs finish above us in the league is a failure in the league, always has been and always will be. So that leaves us and Aberdeen vying for 3rd or 4th. None of the other clubs in the league have anything like the resources we do so they have no business finishing above us. 
 

You might not be screaming for the managers head if we finished 6th but you absolutely should be. It would be a total failure. 
 

I didn’t focus on the st Johnstone and Motherwell chat too much because I find it a bit embarrassing tbh. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by GinRummy

[davie1980]

10 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

I don’t think I’ve ever got to May and thought ffs we haven’t split the uglies. 
 

 

Well in my opinion, it is not an expectation, it's an ambition. Which was my original point.

If your not pissed off at us not achieving, was it truly an expectation?

 

10 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

Your expectations are why folk can call us a yo yo club as there were no real consequences for the abject failure of the last five years. 
 

 

My expectation is, as I say, a minimum expectation.

 

I'll be royally ****ed off if we finish 7th-10th this year given the squad we apear to be assembling 

I'll be outraged if we finished bottom 2. So I don't know how you reach the conclusion that my expectations are why the club are given a pass for hitting the championship in recent years.

 

Not sure what "consequences" you expect though?

What does that even mean?

 

None of us were happy at going down, even the most ardent defender of the club and leadership would have been angry at the state of affairs when we've gone down. 

[GinRummy]

10 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

Top 4 is between us and Hibs and finishing below them would be disappointing, so 3rd it should be. Personally think we're close to having a squad which can challenge the OF but that's a bonus. 

The derby could set down a huge marker for us.

[BackOfTheNet]

16 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

I'd have Kingsley at LWB before Cochrane. I like Cochrane and he is solid but I think like yourself that Kingsley has a bit more of an attacking threat. Scored a few goals for us last season and can hit a freekick on occasion. He's still a natural LB though as opposed to an attacking Wing Back. 

 

Smith played well v Utd but I just feel we need another attacking threat so we have, 4 very attacking players going forward. I've not seen anything of Logan to state an opinion. Brandon has had a torrid time with injuries so is unlikely to play again for us. 

 

Maybe Lancefield and Savage can find us a Spinazzola, that's what we need. Someone that gets in behind defences and gets to the byline, basically a pacey winger that can defend. 

I think Kingsley started his career in that in between stage where LB and LWB started merging into one, before LWB started becoming the more common position. So I actually think LWB is likely natural for him. He’s more than capable of making lung bursting runs to the byline and knocking the ball past his man, however I’ll concede his injuries over the years have likely meant he’s lost a yard of pace (certainly gets tuned defensively too easy, but so does Smith). So I’d be confident with Kingsley. Agreed that Smith was solid enough yesterday but again he had a few opportunities to get a decent cross into the box and didn’t or chose the wrong option (not the only one of course). I certainly never had confidence he’d find someone when he did get the ball down the right wing.

[Arthur Morgan]

We are seen as a yoyo club by other fans now unfortunately, so we really have to finish as high as we can to shut them up. 

[davie1980]

13 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

You’re not getting it. There are only us Hibs and Aberdeen who can generally can finish 3rd. Any season that Hibs finish above us in the league is a failure in the league, always has been and always will be. So that leaves us and Aberdeen vying for 3rd or 4th. None of the other clubs in the league have anything like the resources we do so they have no business finishing above us. 
 

You might not be screaming for the managers head if we finished 6th but you absolutely should be. It would be a total failure. 

 

Motherwell and Kilmarnock have finished 3rd in the last 3 seasons

[Phage]

4 hours ago, DS98 said:

Are we happy enough with the central midfield? 
 

Beni

Haring

Halliday

McEneff

Devlin.

 

From what I’ve heard Devlin is an energetic spoiler type. McEneff isn’t getting a sniff. It’ll be Beni and one of these. Is there enough creativity? Still think we’re missing an out and out ball player. 

Absolutely cockahoop, considering the dross we've packed in the midfeild in recent years

[GinRummy]

Just now, davie1980 said:

 

Motherwell and Kilmarnock have finished 3rd in the last 3 seasons

Thought that was a fair few season back but my memory not the best. Why should Motherwell and Kilmarnock ever finish above us? Explain it to me, I honestly don’t understand why that is acceptable to a hearts fan. They couldn’t dream of signing players like Gordon or Boyce or Baningime. With all the resources we have why would 6th be a minimum expectation as opposed to 3rd or 4th. Why would any hearts fan think it’s ok to finish below Hibs? 

I get all the above things have happened but when they do happen we have failed? We have failed a lot in recent seasons but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to continue failing surely.  

[heisenberg86]

Joe Savage spoke at the plot ceremony today and said we’re looking to get an attacker with pace and a 3rd choice GK in before the end of the window, also said we’re trying really hard to get Souttar to sign an extension. Also said he wants us to win the league! That’ll do me 

[Clerry Jambo]

So no centre half mentioned

[Mr Rabbit]

14 minutes ago, Arthur Morgan said:

We are seen as a yoyo club by other fans now unfortunately, so we really have to finish as high as we can to shut them up. 

😂 who gives a **** what other fans think.

 

We should have ambitions to finish as high as possible for us not to show any other support.

 

If fans from tinpot clubs like st mirren or united want to pretend that we’re a yo-yo club and they’re bigger then let them.

[Newton51]

7 minutes ago, heisenberg86 said:

Joe Savage spoke at the plot ceremony today and said we’re looking to get an attacker with pace and a 3rd choice GK in before the end of the window, also said we’re trying really hard to get Souttar to sign an extension. Also said he wants us to win the league! That’ll do me 

Interesting no defender mentions especially when linked with the boy from Everton 

[Pasquale for King]

44 minutes ago, jr ewing said:

Neither looked particularly good today. 

Indeed, both poor at the back with nothing up front. 

[HillmanHearts]

11 minutes ago, heisenberg86 said:

Joe Savage spoke at the plot ceremony today and said we’re looking to get an attacker with pace and a 3rd choice GK in before the end of the window, also said we’re trying really hard to get Souttar to sign an extension. Also said he wants us to win the league! That’ll do me 

A striker with pace would be great but Souttar on an extension would be massive.

He’s basically our best outfield player by a distance.

[Pasquale for King]

31 minutes ago, davie1980 said:

 

Well in my opinion, it is not an expectation, it's an ambition. Which was my original point.

If your not pissed off at us not achieving, was it truly an expectation?

 

 

My expectation is, as I say, a minimum expectation.

 

I'll be royally ****ed off if we finish 7th-10th this year given the squad we apear to be assembling 

I'll be outraged if we finished bottom 2. So I don't know how you reach the conclusion that my expectations are why the club are given a pass for hitting the championship in recent years.

 

Not sure what "consequences" you expect though?

What does that even mean?

 

None of us were happy at going down, even the most ardent defender of the club and leadership would have been angry at the state of affairs when we've gone down. 

I expect it to challenge them but with managers like Neilson it doesn’t take long to put that to bed. 
Consequences mean Levein shouldn’t have been given the managers job after his disastrous appointment of Cathro. He then should’ve been sacked after the first poor season where McLaughlins saves and Laffertys goals kept us up. Then again the next summer, not still being paid a year later. 
After all that Budge should’ve given up the job she still holds as the ultimate boss of the club. 

 

[Rick Sanchez]

He's hardly going to tell everyone his grand plan.

[Pasquale for King]

16 minutes ago, heisenberg86 said:

Joe Savage spoke at the plot ceremony today and said we’re looking to get an attacker with pace and a 3rd choice GK in before the end of the window, also said we’re trying really hard to get Souttar to sign an extension. Also said he wants us to win the league! That’ll do me 

That’s what we want to hear. 

[Gerd Muller]

16 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

Thought that was a fair few season back but my memory not the best. Why should Motherwell and Kilmarnock ever finish above us? Explain it to me, I honestly don’t understand why that is acceptable to a hearts fan. They couldn’t dream of signing players like Gordon or Boyce or Baningime. With all the resources we have why would 6th be a minimum expectation as opposed to 3rd or 4th. Why would any hearts fan think it’s ok to finish below Hibs? 

I get all the above things have happened but when they do happen we have failed? We have failed a lot in recent seasons but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to continue failing surely.  

 

Almost how I feel as well. There should be no season where we finish worse that 5th. Us, Aberdeen and Hibs have roughly the same budget in terms of wages to players. We are all in the same market. The last few seasons in the top flight have been pathetic and should have led to sackings. 

Aberdeen and Hibs seem to be able to go to away grounds against smaller teams and win more often than us. This season we have started superly away from home in the league and the next game against them should be a marker of how we do this season.