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

[daveydal]

On 08/09/2021 at 11:48, Sub4TiddlerMurray said:

 

 

So, he's a 'punt' that we hope to motivate and get the best out of.

 

Hi, just catching up and apologise if this has been covered but did Robbie not say he had been looking at and trying to get BMc in the door for a while now? Hardly what you could call a " punt " 

[daveydal]

1 minute ago, daveydal said:

Hi, just catching up and apologise if this has been covered but did Robbie not say he had been looking at and trying to get BMc in the door for a while now? Hardly what you could call a " punt " 

Edit : covered, sorry

 

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

 

 

The shite team last time out

Edited September 9, 2021 by Sir Gio

[wavydavy]

2 minutes ago, Sir Gio said:

 

 

The shite team last time out

 

I wonder if Robbie will try and match up with the same formation especially if Smith is injured.?

[DS98]

35 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

 

Laughable. 

 

Grown adults were peddling this as well. 

😂😂😂

Hate to be that guy that says ‘anyone that’s played the game’

 

But a general tactic when playing a better team of letting them have it in their own half then engaging once they pass the halfway line is quite common.

 

Might be something like that rather than ‘do not pass the halfway line’

[Andrew Gilbert Wauchope]

54 minutes ago, BackOfTheNet said:

Sandilands, always got his thoughts pre-occupied with beach holidays I’ve heard…

 

 

 

 

Or looking forward to a pre-season training at Gullane.

[sadj]

On 08/09/2021 at 08:08, brux said:

Spot on, move the other crap chat to another thread 

 

On 08/09/2021 at 08:04, Saint Jambo said:

*Clicks on transfer thread looking for views on a player signed less than 24hours ago*

*Reads a page of posts about a game played weeks ago. Sighs, but thinks not surprised the fixation is on the 1 game we've lost out of 9 this season.*

*Leaves transfer thread none the wiser on views on actual transfer.*

🤣🤣

 

Im just looking forward to Fifa 22 having an option im tactics of “don’t cross the halfway line”

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

8 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

 

I wonder if Robbie will try and match up with the same formation especially if Smith is injured.?

He will start off 3 4 3, move to 4 2 3 1 and go back to 3 4 3 to exterminate the vermin once and for all, if the past few weeks has taught us anything

[Batistuta87]

17 minutes ago, Sir Gio said:

 

 

The shite team last time out

 

They're pissing their frillies about Boyle maybe being injured - think someone one here quoted a post from .net saying they may as well not show up if he's not playing 🤣

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by Batistuta87

[wavydavy]

1 minute ago, Batistuta87 said:

 

They're pissing their frillies about Boyle maybe being injured - think someone one here quoted a post from .net saying they may as well not show up if he's not playing 🤣

 

 

They have the wee lad McKay they signed from Inverness who is quite a tricky player. Not sure he has earned his "speedos" yet as he hasn't had much time to pick up the expertise that Boyle has in the diving department.

[Voice of reason]

5 minutes ago, DS98 said:

Hate to be that guy that says ‘anyone that’s played the game’

 

But a general tactic when playing a better team of letting them have it in their own half then engaging once they pass the halfway line is quite common.

 

Might be something like that rather than ‘do not pass the halfway line’

Setting up for a low block when defending is very different to what you then do in attacking transitions. I think you are probably right in what you say about when they had the ball. The idea of sitting deep and then springing fast counter attacks was probably the plan in the first half. Celtic just played exceptionally well and it never worked. It happens. Robbie changed the plan in the second half and it worked better - good coaching really. As said above, why are people fixating on the only game we’ve lost this season - you’d almost think they had an agenda…

[GinRummy]

1 minute ago, wavydavy said:

 

They have the wee lad McKay they signed from Inverness who is quite a tricky player. Not sure he has earned his "speedos" yet as he hasn't had much time to pick up the expertise that Boyle has in the diving department.

I always have a look on the hobbits forum prior to a derby and they seem to think they should have loaned McKay back to ICT for the season. 

[Ainsley Harriott]

27 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

 

I wonder if Robbie will try and match up with the same formation especially if Smith is injured.?

I hope not we should stick to what's so far worked well for us this season with the back 3 and wing backs. Who takes Smith's position though is another question 

[Naisys Tackle]

37 minutes ago, Sir Gio said:

 

 

The shite team last time out

 

Did they get rid of Cadden for Doyle-Hayes?  I always thought he was a right good player. 

[Darren]

19 hours ago, Sir Gio said:

Displays caution or pragmatic approach in some games which seems to translate for many as a bore.

 

Few people kicking around at the moment unsurprisingly. Bad result and they all return 

 

19 hours ago, ToqueJambo said:

Also doesn't try to go out and attack when we simply don't have the attacking personnel available, for example in 16/17 after Sow left and the guy who arrived on loan obviously wasn't going to cut it in his place. So we did play much more pragmatically - and to be fair still picked up points - until Bjorn Jonson got up to speed. Then he played more attacking and we started scoring more and ultimately cuffed Rangers in a fantastic performance. Ironically around the same time our defence that had been rock solid all season started leaking goals.

 

I don't get the folk who want us to attack, even against Celtic, when we simply don't have enough good attackers available for whatever reason. Suicide.

I'll be delighted if we kick on now Neilson has the personnel to play the way he wants. The start to the season has been encouraging.

 

"Pragmatism" doesn't justify losing to Brora Rangers (the worst result in our history) or playing eye-bleeding football in the Championship for most of the season, though.
 

[GinRummy]

5 minutes ago, Robbies Tackle said:

 

Did they get rid of Cadden for Doyle-Hayes?  I always thought he was a right good player. 

Cadden has been injured. 

Edited September 9, 2021 by GinRummy

[Naisys Tackle]

2 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

Cadden has been injured. 

 

Thanks.  He would have been a good signing for us imo.  Especially with the issues on the right. 

[Batistuta87]

40 minutes ago, DS98 said:

Hate to be that guy that says ‘anyone that’s played the game’

 

But a general tactic when playing a better team of letting them have it in their own half then engaging once they pass the halfway line is quite common.

 

Might be something like that rather than ‘do not pass the halfway line’

Correct. A safe tactic - damage limitation sometimes - is to sit tight and defend and just wait for your opportunity to catch them on the break. Sometimes that opportunity never comes and it can be a horrible game to watch, but I'd imagine that if we'd went into the Celtic game all guns blazing and been caught on the break ourselves, the armchair managers on here would have been every bit as critical. 

 

Canny win. 

 

[Batistuta87]

4 minutes ago, Robbies Tackle said:

 

Thanks.  He would have been a good signing for us imo.  Especially with the issues on the right. 

Not if he's injured... 

[kingantti1874]

5 minutes ago, Robbies Tackle said:

 

Thanks.  He would have been a good signing for us imo.  Especially with the issues on the right. 

he’s a bit of a sick note, was good when younger but in all honesty has done nowt for hibs 

[Naisys Tackle]

True guys.

[Mr Elwood P]

22 minutes ago, Darren said:

 

I'll be delighted if we kick on now Neilson has the personnel to play the way he wants. The start to the season has been encouraging.

 

"Pragmatism" doesn't justify losing to Brora Rangers (the worst result in our history) or playing eye-bleeding football in the Championship for most of the season, though.
 

Hopefully we dish out a few more ‘eye bleeding’ 6-0, 6-1, 5-3, 6-2 and 4-0 score lines going forward …

[wavydavy]

40 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

I always have a look on the hobbits forum prior to a derby and they seem to think they should have loaned McKay back to ICT for the season. 

 

That's good. They obviously don't rate him or think he isn't ready yet.

[wavydavy]

15 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

he’s a bit of a sick note, was good when younger but in all honesty has done nowt for hibs 

 

This.

[Sub4TiddlerMurray]

1 hour ago, daveydal said:

Hi, just catching up and apologise if this has been covered but did Robbie not say he had been looking at and trying to get BMc in the door for a while now? Hardly what you could call a " punt " 

 

Yep, it's been covered. And the EN article quoting RN came out just after this was posted. Point still stands that his recent form isn't great and it's really down to RN's judgement. I'm sure he'll be much better than Frear or Kastaneer, so less of a punt in that respect.

[Batistuta87]

24 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

he’s a bit of a sick note, was good when younger but in all honesty has done nowt for hibs 

I honestly forgot he was even at Hibs. Assumed he was still in the US.

 

Someone I wanted when he was leaving Motherwell but glad it never happened. 

 

[Darren]

27 minutes ago, Mr Elwood P said:

Hopefully we dish out a few more ‘eye bleeding’ 6-0, 6-1, 5-3, 6-2 and 4-0 score lines going forward …

 

That's why I said most of the season. 

[Bazzas right boot]

McKay is the signing that most exited me Tbh out of all our signings. 

 

He's done decent here before and I think he'll bring directness and a cutting edge to us. 

 

We're in good nick. 

 

My belief that we'd finish top 4 when the season started is now strengthened. 

 

 

[Mr Elwood P]

10 minutes ago, Darren said:

 

That's why I said most of the season. 

I’d so some research into the meaning of the word ‘most’ … ‘some’ would be a lot more accurate?

[Rick Sanchez]

3 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

McKay is the signing that most exited me Tbh out of all our signings. 

 

He's done decent here before and I think he'll bring directness and a cutting edge to us. 

 

We're in good nick. 

 

My belief that we'd finish top 4 when the season started is now strengthened. 

 

 

 

Same here. 

 

I'm hoping he can supply more clear cut chances...that Boyce can miss

 

He doesn't look at hit the by line, head down and cross it as hard as you can type player. 

[Bazzas right boot]

3 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez said:

 

Same here. 

 

I'm hoping he can supply more clear cut chances...that Boyce can miss

 

He doesn't look at hit the by line, head down and cross it as hard as you can type player. 

 

 

👍

 

Aye, 

 

Boyce could do with just melting it some times.

[Guest ToqueJambo]

1 hour ago, Darren said:

 

I'll be delighted if we kick on now Neilson has the personnel to play the way he wants. The start to the season has been encouraging.

 

"Pragmatism" doesn't justify losing to Brora Rangers (the worst result in our history) or playing eye-bleeding football in the Championship for most of the season, though.
 

 

I'm more judging Neilson on his time managing in the Premiership. The lower leagues bring different challenges, especially the way other teams pack defences. I didn't judge him on the 14/15 season or the 20/21 season, aside from noting his ability to get off to good starts in the league and his ability to get the job done in the league. Cups have been a different matter, two delayed SC games last season aside. We've seen lots of managers who were great in the Scottish lower leagues but failed at larger jobs aside from maybe the odd season. Neilson for me bucks that trend.

[FarmerTweedy]

On 08/09/2021 at 11:56, Sub4TiddlerMurray said:

 

29 goals in 240 pro games (not counting Scotland U18/19/21 and 1 full cap). 

 

14 goals in his last 119 games since 2015. Only 4 in 33 games for the mighty Fleetwood.

 

...according to wikipedia

It's almost as if he isn't a striker! 

[HeartsandonlyHearts]

2 minutes ago, FarmerTweedy said:

It's almost as if he isn't a striker! 

Thank god it wasn’t Craig Gordon who’s scoring exploits were being torn up for bum hole paper. They’d have had some ammo there. He’ll never make it as a striker.

[RobNox]

4 hours ago, wavydavy said:

 

 

This part is spot on and explains why he never managed to build a proper team.

 

Robbie to his credit knows how he wants to play and has gone about his recruitment via Joe Savage etc to find the players that fit into his system.

 

He has had to adjust how he wantd to play partly because he did not have all the right players and he made a few dodgy signings but these were really just stop gaps and nothing in comparison to the revolving door fo players that Levein had.

 

We also have a much younger group of players than before and none on silly lengthy contracts.

 

It has taken a long time but things are gradually starting to look promosing again.

It almost looks like we now have a recruitment strategy in place!

 

What I like is that we are focusing on younger players who should still have their best years ahead of them, as opposed to more experienced players who have passed their peak and are on a downward career trajectory.

 

While you can still pick up good signings that way, guys who will still put in a shift and give 100%, you also risk picking up players like Whelan and Martin etc who just seem happy to be picking up a wage, as they know they won't be getting a bigger move after Hearts.

[Naisys Tackle]

16 minutes ago, RobNox said:

It almost looks like we now have a recruitment strategy in place!

 

What I like is that we are focusing on younger players who should still have their best years ahead of them, as opposed to more experienced players who have passed their peak and are on a downward career trajectory.

 

While you can still pick up good signings that way, guys who will still put in a shift and give 100%, you also risk picking up players like Whelan and Martin etc who just seem happy to be picking up a wage, as they know they won't be getting a bigger move after Hearts.

 

The strategy of patiently waiting for players of calibre who will have other options instead of players just because they are available and for the sake of it is refreshingly brilliant.

 

[Darren]

1 hour ago, Mr Elwood P said:

I’d so some research into the meaning of the word ‘most’ … ‘some’ would be a lot more accurate?

 

You cite five games out of 27 as being the exceptions, perhaps it's you who needs to invest in a dictionary?

 

Not that you'd need to look up condescending, you seem to be all over that one.

 

45 minutes ago, ToqueJambo said:

 

I'm more judging Neilson on his time managing in the Premiership. The lower leagues bring different challenges, especially the way other teams pack defences. I didn't judge him on the 14/15 season or the 20/21 season, aside from noting his ability to get off to good starts in the league and his ability to get the job done in the league. Cups have been a different matter, two delayed SC games last season aside. We've seen lots of managers who were great in the Scottish lower leagues but failed at larger jobs aside from maybe the odd season. Neilson for me bucks that trend.

 

Brora was unforgivable and I still think he should have been sacked for that. But while he remains in charge, let's hope for the best

[Mr Elwood P]

6 minutes ago, Darren said:

 

You cite five games out of 27 as being the exceptions, perhaps it's you who needs to invest in a dictionary?

 

Not that you'd need to look up condescending, you seem to be all over that one.

 

 

Brora was unforgivable and I still think he should have been sacked for that. But while he remains in charge, let's hope for the best

That was only a reference to the games where we had scored 4+ goals.   We had plenty other wins and two decent Hampden performances. The games of the ‘eyebleeding’ variety were definitely less frequent, hence our current  Premiership status !

[Naisys Tackle]

McHattie signs for Brechin.  Some HMFC connection they have now. 

[Darren]

1 minute ago, Mr Elwood P said:

That was only a reference to the games where we had scored 4+ goals.   We had plenty other wins and two decent Hampden performances. The games of the ‘eyebleeding’ variety were definitely less frequent, hence our current  Premiership status !

 

It was a pretty grim winter after the cup final, culminating in our worst-ever result.

 

Even taking out embarrassing results like that, there were plenty of drab draws and victories despite playing bland, uninspiring football.

 

Better this season. Let's hope that remains the case.

 

 

 

[Mr Elwood P]

11 minutes ago, Darren said:

 

It was a pretty grim winter after the cup final, culminating in our worst-ever result.

 

Even taking out embarrassing results like that, there were plenty of drab draws and victories despite playing bland, uninspiring football.

 

Better this season. Let's hope that remains the case.

 

 

 

We can agree on that.

[jamboinglasgow]

49 minutes ago, RobNox said:

It almost looks like we now have a recruitment strategy in place!

 

What I like is that we are focusing on younger players who should still have their best years ahead of them, as opposed to more experienced players who have passed their peak and are on a downward career trajectory.

 

While you can still pick up good signings that way, guys who will still put in a shift and give 100%, you also risk picking up players like Whelan and Martin etc who just seem happy to be picking up a wage, as they know they won't be getting a bigger move after Hearts.

 

Would agree with this.

 

Thinking back to our recruitment under Levein, there was no plan to our signings except "this guy could be good" or "this guy was really good once but has been injured etc, lets get him and he might be good again." There certainly wasn't most players signed to fit a style. Nor were most signed because of their mental side. Or not having the attributes to fit Scottish football, the signing of Bobby Burns for example, a talented young player but he did not have the pace to play top flight Scottish football. David Vaneck was signed based on looking good in Czech football, but came here and was binned very quickly for a poor attitude. So many players that could be good on paper if you look at them at face value but often with fatal flaws for playing regularly at Hearts.

 

As you say, we seem to be targeting players who are youngish in age and looking to kick on after past issues, be it injury, poor loans in England or the manager just deciding they are not their kind of player, but crucially these players are hard working. Baningime, Woodburn and Moore. Then you have a player like Devlin, whose hard working and determined mentality is ideal in Scottish football, adding in his success in Australia and it fits perfectly with what we want to do. But crucially all the signings fit in with our style and are versatile enough with the formation. 

 

It may not work out for all signings but it certainly looks much better.

[GavK1012]

29 minutes ago, Robbies Tackle said:

McHattie signs for Brechin.  Some HMFC connection they have now. 

Has he 🤣😅 very poor player, lucky we were on our knees at the time we had no other option but to play him & he racked up a fair number of games...cue the folk that claim the sevco injury turned his career downwards 🙄😬🤥

[Japan Jambo]

8 hours ago, GinRummy said:

Do you think we are all worried about our lack of strikers because we had to rely on Steven McLean a couple of seasons ago?

 

Did you really need to bring that up? Part of the justification for his presence was 'teacher of the dark arts' if I recall correctly...

[GinRummy]

Just now, Japan Jambo said:

 

Did you really need to bring that up? Part of the justification for his presence was 'teacher of the dark arts' if I recall correctly...

After I posted that I read a few articles from around the time we signed him. Levein basically saying he’d be used in the last half hour of games to shithouse our way to the final whistle. What a ****ing signing. 

[Naisys Tackle]

18 minutes ago, GavK1012 said:

Has he 🤣😅 very poor player, lucky we were on our knees at the time we had no other option but to play him & he racked up a fair number of games...cue the folk that claim the sevco injury turned his career downwards 🙄😬🤥

 

Aye he was torrid.  By far the weakest part of the side when played. 

[Ibrahim Tall]

46 minutes ago, GavK1012 said:

Has he 🤣😅 very poor player, lucky we were on our knees at the time we had no other option but to play him & he racked up a fair number of games...cue the folk that claim the sevco injury turned his career downwards 🙄😬🤥

Bit odd taking joy out of a former Hearts youth players career not going great? 
McHattie wasn’t the level required but that was hardly his fault. 

[Guest ToqueJambo]

2 hours ago, Darren said:

 

It was a pretty grim winter after the cup final, culminating in our worst-ever result.

 

Even taking out embarrassing results like that, there were plenty of drab draws and victories despite playing bland, uninspiring football.

 

Better this season. Let's hope that remains the case.

 

 

 

Our previous worst ever result for me was the 6-2 Hibs derby. It didn’t define JJ as a manager rightly and the Brora one (not as bad for me) shouldn’t define Neilson as a manager.

[Guest ToqueJambo]

1 hour ago, Ibrahim Tall said:

Bit odd taking joy out of a former Hearts youth players career not going great? 
McHattie wasn’t the level required but that was hardly his fault. 

McHattie was looking very good until Kenny Miller was allowed to take him out.

[Sub4TiddlerMurray]

7 minutes ago, ToqueJambo said:

Our previous worst ever result for me was the 6-2 Hibs derby. It didn’t define JJ as a manager rightly and the Brora one (not as bad for me) shouldn’t define Neilson as a manager.

 

The 6-2 was 100X worse than the Brora result