** Hearts - January Transfer Window 2022 ** Toby Sibbick signs 3.5 year deal

[wavydavy]

49 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

If that is the case, I just hope that Henderson is now good enough to get a decent try in his favoured position. I’m in no position to judge if he’s improved enough but would be great to see someone coming through the ranks. 

 

If we assume that Robbie may not want to risk Boyce against Auchinleck then he might get a run out to show what he can do.

[Bazzas right boot]

Just now, wavydavy said:

 

If we assume that Robbie may not want to risk Boyce against Auchinleck then he might get a run out to show what he can do.

 

 

Is he not cup tied? 

[wavydavy]

Just now, Bazzas right boot said:

 

 

Is he not cup tied? 

 

Don't know.

[Bazzas right boot]

Just now, wavydavy said:

 

Don't know.

So wine mentioned he played in the previous round for Alloa, could mean he's cup tied unless it resets at this round. 

 

 

[The Kdogg]

2 minutes ago, Bazzas right boot said:

So wine mentioned he played in the previous round for Alloa, could mean he's cup tied unless it resets at this round. 

 

 

Played and scored a hat trick I think so cup tied

[heartmussel]

2 minutes ago, Bazzas right boot said:

So wine mentioned he played in the previous round for Alloa, could mean he's cup tied unless it resets at this round. 

 

 

Sure he played in their last round tie against Bonnyrigg and scored.

[jr ewing]

1 minute ago, heartmussel said:

Sure he played in their last round tie against Bonnyrigg and scored.

Good 👍 

[Tom Hardy’s Dug]

3 hours ago, Berra than you said:

Given Gnando looks set to leave and Walker is already away, we must be close (or at least very very confident) of bringing attacking players in.

 

45 minutes ago, AlphonseCapone said:

I hate football fans. 

Both of these.

 

Also people realise that we can’t dictate when we do business. The business involves a number of different parties and moving cogs.

 

We have absolutely no control over when we do business unless we overpay for players who aren’t worth what we spend on them.

 

Would that shut some of you up? Would it **** - there would be moans about “wage thief” after the first game.

[BackOfTheNet]

Weird, I got called all sorts last summer as we went through the window without signings and I was saying we’d be in trouble, but I’m actually calm this time around. Might be as I was not confident in Neilson pre-season and with the squad we had for most of the window I wasn’t confident in reaching top 6 based on how we finished the Championship. But now we’re in 3rd I’m pretty content. Don’t get me wrong, I want signings (and want them badly), but I guess I don’t see a immediate need for them like I did in the summer.

Edited January 20, 2022 by BackOfTheNet

[Horatio Caine]

57 minutes ago, davie1980 said:

 

Sorry, but if we get to February without adding at least one attacking player, then it is a failure bythe recruitment department. No other way to look at it.

 

I've no doubt it's a difficult job and I don't want to sign shite for the sake of numbers.

But it's they're job to recruit players we need and a job being difficult isn't a reason to not do it. They've had months to identify targets and the entire of January to get someone in.

If theyget no one or do get 1 in and he's shite, then Savage and Co have failed.

I think they have done a good job by and large but people are becoming apologists for them quite frankly 

 

We need a striker and it's Savages job to deliver that.

God knows why we bothered with hiring Savage, Lancefield et al when the club could just have jumped on here and hired all the expertise in the world.

[JimmyCant]

1 hour ago, davie1980 said:

 

Sorry, but if we get to February without adding at least one attacking player, then it is a failure bythe recruitment department. No other way to look at it.

 

I've no doubt it's a difficult job and I don't want to sign shite for the sake of numbers.

But it's they're job to recruit players we need and a job being difficult isn't a reason to not do it. They've had months to identify targets and the entire of January to get someone in.

If theyget no one or do get 1 in and he's shite, then Savage and Co have failed.

I think they have done a good job by and large but people are becoming apologists for them quite frankly 

 

We need a striker and it's Savages job to deliver that.

Correct. Even if we can’t get one on a contract we have to bring a loan striker in

[gorgieheart]

1 hour ago, davie1980 said:

 

Sorry, but if we get to February without adding at least one attacking player, then it is a failure bythe recruitment department. No other way to look at it.

 

I've no doubt it's a difficult job and I don't want to sign shite for the sake of numbers.

But it's they're job to recruit players we need and a job being difficult isn't a reason to not do it. They've had months to identify targets and the entire of January to get someone in.

If theyget no one or do get 1 in and he's shite, then Savage and Co have failed.

I think they have done a good job by and large but people are becoming apologists for them quite frankly 

 

We need a striker and it's Savages job to deliver that.

  its still only 20th January  !

 

People are becoming apologists for what exactly  ? 

 

You and your like need to calm the beans a wee bit and see what happens rather than ranting utter drivel.

 

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

3 minutes ago, gorgieheart said:

  its still only 20th January  !

 

People are becoming apologists for what exactly  ? 

 

You and your like need to calm the beans a wee bit and see what happens rather than ranting utter drivel.

 

 

Exactly, historically January is a window of last minute deals. We took our time in the summer and made some great signing well into the window ie Benni and Devlin 

[Danny1874]

Robbie was asked about Gnando leaving, confirmed he’s in talks with another club. Says we’ve been looking to recruit in that area already and now might need to speed things up, reiterated that the right player takes longer to get in.

[Lone Striker]

Some strikers  blow hot and cold too, influenced by injury, teammates and changing clubs.   

 

Just look at Stevie May.  Made a name for himself at  Hamilton & Saints first time round.    Decent for Sheff Wed for 1 season, on the slide at Preston, same at the Dons, and nothing to write home about at Saints this time.

 

If good strikers are too difficult to come by, an alternative approach might be to scour the world for a high-scoring midfielder.   I don't think any of our forwards scored as many as our star midfield man did in 2010/11 or 2011/12.   

 

[Haken]

52 minutes ago, Muppetboy said:

Don’t want to be sitting here at the end of the season having blown 3rd and bemoaning this whole transfer situation. It’s there for the taking but not with Boyce and a mixture of wood burn and ginelly at centre forward occasionally 

Woodburn scored twice against Dundee Utd when played further forward.  Ginelly repeated that against St Johnstone.  But I'd agree that things would look a bit healthier with a quality addition.

[hmfc_liam06]

10 minutes ago, Haken said:

Woodburn scored twice against Dundee Utd when played further forward.  Ginelly repeated that against St Johnstone.  But I'd agree that things would look a bit healthier with a quality addition.

 

And it takes longer getting quality in.

 

I'm sure we could have signed any random striker if we wanted, but it's actually reassuring me more that we're taking our time and aiming higher.

[Mikey1874]

37 minutes ago, BackOfTheNet said:

Weird, I got called all sorts last summer as we went through the window without signings and I was saying we’d be in trouble, but I’m actually calm this time around. Might be as I was not confident in Neilson pre-season and with the squad we had for most of the window I wasn’t confident in reaching top 6 based on how we finished the Championship. But now we’re in 3rd I’m pretty content. Don’t get me wrong, I want signings (and want them badly), but I guess I don’t see a immediate need for them like I did in the summer.

 

Squad is still a bit light. If its quality we're after and every deal fails then we're relying on everyone staying fit and in form. 

[Jambo92]

3 hours ago, TheBigO said:

Issue is, mate, that's easy to say, but the difficulty is straight up finding the guys to spend that dosh on.  I think we're probably in a position to splash a bit of cash, but I'd think finding and then securing the guys is the tough part.  If we spend £500k on a player it HAS to be right.

 

Could be we're a bit rock and a hard place in this window.

 

Other factor which just popped to mind is I wonder if we're basically upping the quality we're looking for, and have a bit more dosh, and also looking a bit further afield at times, if that puts us into a harder market.  Whereas our competition was maybe Hibs, Aberdeen and maybe L1 and even L2 teams down south.  Are we now up against teams who can easily blow us out the water if they chose to cos we're simply going for guys good enough for a higher level?  Hard job, but that's the deal if we want to improve and we've not got a really dedicated professional team working on it, with a plan.  Was just a thought more than a concern.

 

 

Oh yeah no easy feat, my point was more around we if the opportunity is there then we should go for it, take that gamble kind of thing.

 

Regardless we are extremely light in size for the number of fixtures we have coming up and that's before factoring in Covid. 

[true-jambo]

1 hour ago, Pasquale for King said:

As long as we don’t come against a physical striker because couldn’t handle Chris Kane for 15 minutes the other night. 

Certainly with Hallett off by then

[soonbe110]

1 hour ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

 

Is he not cup tied? 

Yes, could maybe even be the tournaments leading scorer at the moment. 

[soonbe110]

42 minutes ago, gorgieheart said:

  its still only 20th January  !

 

People are becoming apologists for what exactly  ? 

 

You and your like need to calm the beans a wee bit and see what happens rather than ranting utter drivel.

 

 

Accept it’s only the 20th but it would be ideal to have another striker in for Celtic, Well, Hibs and Rangers.  Don’t think Boyce is fit enough for that run at the moment. 

[lost in space]

1 hour ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

Yip, but folk screaming for striker need to take that into consideration, if we can't get who we want we'll go with what we've got. 

 

 

Who is "screaming" exactly?

Hope you are not going to post as often as that "SRB". He was really annoying.

[lost in space]

Triple post! Sorry.

Edited January 20, 2022 by lost in space
DP

[lost in space]

Just now, lost in space said:

DP.

 

[Bazzas right boot]

4 minutes ago, lost in space said:

Who is "screaming" exactly?

Hope you are not going to post as often as that "SRB". He was really annoying.

 

4 minutes ago, lost in space said:

Triple post! Sorry.

 

3 minutes ago, lost in space said:

 

 

 

🤣🤣🤣😂😂

 

[Jim Panzee]

1 hour ago, davie1980 said:

 

Sorry, but if we get to February without adding at least one attacking player, then it is a failure bythe recruitment department. No other way to look at it.

 

I've no doubt it's a difficult job and I don't want to sign shite for the sake of numbers.

But it's they're job to recruit players we need and a job being difficult isn't a reason to not do it. They've had months to identify targets and the entire of January to get someone in.

If theyget no one or do get 1 in and he's shite, then Savage and Co have failed.

I think they have done a good job by and large but people are becoming apologists for them quite frankly 

 

We need a striker and it's Savages job to deliver that.

Respectfully disagree Davie. The number of factors at play signing any players is complex. Who's to say we've been moments away from signing a striker only to have the rug pulled thanks to another club offering more wages etc etc

 

JS said himself, if 55% of signings work out well, then that's a success. 

 

We are night and day compared to previous regimes. If JS and team cannot land the RIGHT player for HMFC in this window, then that's fine by me.

[bringonthesevco]

2 hours ago, GinRummy said:

If that is the case, I just hope that Henderson is now good enough to get a decent try in his favoured position. I’m in no position to judge if he’s improved enough but would be great to see someone coming through the ranks. 

The only was we're going to know is to give him a chance, maybe when you're 2-0 up against the bottom of the league team !  or if you have a diddy team to play in the cup 🙂

[CMc]

The winter break has meant we could take our time. 
 

It is inevitable that much will be done towards the last week of the window. 
 

Convincing players to sign is like buying a house. If you go in with a massive offer and nobody else is interested, yes they might agree to come off the market early. If there’s loads of folk sniffing about and they are confident there will be multiple offers, of course the player and their agent are going to wait until they feel like they know they have the best offer on the table (or will be confident to take to a blind auction on deadline day). 
 

We want to stretch for a better quality of player. Those with no offers are likely shite. We don’t have the bank to massively outbid others interested in the quality we want. 
 

We need to trust our eye for a bargain and hold our nerve for the negotiations. 
 

It may be pish for us in the grandstands but we shouldn’t mistake our own impatience and need for developments in the news cycle for the club not going about their business the right way. 

[JimmyCant]

3 minutes ago, Jim Panzee said:

Respectfully disagree Davie. The number of factors at play signing any players is complex. Who's to say we've been moments away from signing a striker only to have the rug pulled thanks to another club offering more wages etc etc

 

JS said himself, if 55% of signings work out well, then that's a success. 

 

We are night and day compared to previous regimes. If JS and team cannot land the RIGHT player for HMFC in this window, then that's fine by me.

Sorry but that’s shite. What’s the point of having a whole player recruitment department with a glaring goal scoring issue to resolve in a key period for us. An issue they have known about since they were brought in. And NOT being able to find a player who, at the very least, can do a job on loan for the remainder of the season.

[Dia Liom]

3 minutes ago, JimmyCant said:

Sorry but that’s shite. What’s the point of having a whole player recruitment department with a glaring goal scoring issue to resolve in a key period for us. An issue they have known about since they were brought in. And NOT being able to find a player who, at the very least, can do a job on loan for the remainder of the season.

 

We've scored 31 goals, the third highest in the league.  

[Leveins Battalion]

Surely after the last 5 years the last thing we can criticise is our current recruitment department?🤣🤣

 

Patience,players will be coming in.

[lost in space]

8 minutes ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

 

 

 

🤣🤣🤣😂😂

 

My post was so good, it deserved to be said 3 times.

Bit of an own goal to do that after calling someone "annoying" though😇.

Was hoping no-one would notice -aye right!!

[davemclaren]

Just now, lost in space said:

My post was so good, it deserved to be said 3 times.

Bit of an own goal to do that after calling someone "annoying" though😇.

Was hoping no-one would notice -aye right!!

It made me laugh. The one post you didn’t want to do that with. 🤣🤣

[BackOfTheNet]

34 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

Squad is still a bit light. If its quality we're after and every deal fails then we're relying on everyone staying fit and in form. 

If the stories are to be believed about the failed deadline day signings last summer, then that’s what we’ve done so far this season. Would rather not chance it even more, as you are correct, but unless it’s a loan you don’t want to be lumped with a signing that’s not right for the next 2-3 years.

[GinRummy]

6 minutes ago, Dia Liom said:

 

We've scored 31 goals, the third highest in the league.  

Maybe Jimmy didn’t word it well but we lack a goal scorer. We have Boyce and that’s pretty much it. We create a lot of chances, tend to overplay them and ultimately they come to nothing. Probably why we are prioritising a striker this window. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by GinRummy

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

16 minutes ago, Leveins Battalion said:

Surely after the last 5 years the last thing we can criticise is our current recruitment department?🤣🤣

 

Patience,players will be coming in.

This!

[Guest ToqueJambo]

8 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

Maybe Jimmy didn’t word it well but we lack a goal scorer. We have Boyce and that’s pretty much it. We create a lot of chances, tend to overplay them and ultimately they come to nothing. Probably why we are prioritising a striker this window. 

 

Ginnelly's worth a bit of a run at striker, especially as those two finishes were striker finishes which will have given him confidence. Ideally he should play with Woodburn and McKay though as Woodburn also has goals in him.

 

That's our best front 3 combination even with Boyce fit right now I think - McKay the creator and Woodburn and Ginnelly who on their day can finish. If McKay could start scoring there's no doubt that front line on form could generate Crabb-Robbo-JC levels  of excitement. Signing a striker who is less of an out and out striker but instead has the qualities of those 3 in terms of pace, trickiness and making runs in behind would be fantastic.

 

I also very much liked the idea of Andy Carroll on a 6 month deal as a rampaging big forward but that's obviously pie in the sky.

[TheBigO]

18 minutes ago, Jim Panzee said:

Respectfully disagree Davie. The number of factors at play signing any players is complex. Who's to say we've been moments away from signing a striker only to have the rug pulled thanks to another club offering more wages etc etc

 

JS said himself, if 55% of signings work out well, then that's a success. 

 

We are night and day compared to previous regimes. If JS and team cannot land the RIGHT player for HMFC in this window, then that's fine by me.

Respectfully agree

11 minutes ago, JimmyCant said:

Sorry but that’s shite. What’s the point of having a whole player recruitment department with a glaring goal scoring issue to resolve in a key period for us. An issue they have known about since they were brought in. And NOT being able to find a player who, at the very least, can do a job on loan for the remainder of the season.

Totally disagree.  Sorry, but this is shite.  That's what's shite.  This!  (sorry that's a bit OTT, but I disagree).

 

Where is the glaring goalscoring issue?  We're averaging 1.5 goals a game in the league.  Take a look at London Hearts.  That's above our history average.  Quick glance, we've averaged above that twice in the last 20 years in the top division (happy to be corrected, not a stats guy)

 

There's nothing glaring about that.  It's like folk are saying we would have scored those goals if we hadn't scored them!  Same as, if it wasn't for our goalie, we'd have lost more!  I saw someone on here saying our first goal was "lucky" on Tuesday cos St Johnstone left Gino space!!!!

 

We're doing absolutely fine.  And much of that without Boycie too.  There was also no Woodburn on Tues.  Natty yet to get his boots on too.

 

No one on here will say they don't want another forward or two, but to paint it like some kind of crisis is just a bit shouting at the moon for my liking!

 

That isn't all aimed at you Jimmy, just seen a helluva lot of folk gnashing teeth.  I doubt Joe and his team are sitting having cocktails thinking, ach it's awright, we're averaging 1.5 goals a game, like!  They're working very hard trying to find and convince the right guys.  Summer will be easier.

 

They could bring in the next Dauda, or Ngog or McCallum or any of these guys, easy peasy.  Me?  Don't want them.  We've got a great group who obviously work so hard for one another.  Need to be sure anyone who comes in instantly buys in to that too.

[Irufushi]

28 minutes ago, Leveins Battalion said:

Surely after the last 5 years the last thing we can criticise is our current recruitment department?🤣🤣

 

Patience,players will be coming in.

Very much this. 
 

 

[Takeshi kovac]

48 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Accept it’s only the 20th but it would be ideal to have another striker in for Celtic, Well, Hibs and Rangers.  Don’t think Boyce is fit enough for that run at the moment. 

Funnily enough I would be quite happy starting Gino in those games as he should get plenty of space to run into. It’s against packed defences that we need a wily no9 to hold up the ball and bring the midfield into play

[Dia Liom]

25 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

Maybe Jimmy didn’t word it well but we lack a goal scorer. We have Boyce and that’s pretty much it. We create a lot of chances, tend to overplay them and ultimately they come to nothing. Probably why we are prioritising a striker this window. 

 

We lack competition for Boyce, so a striker on a similar level to him would be excellent.  In saying that I remember some of our best teams of the past 25 years scoring plenty goals without having a 15-20 goal a season striker.  My post was just to make the point that there's no need to get hysterical about it - we all know that the club will be trying to get a striker in.  

[Haken]

1 hour ago, hmfc_liam06 said:

 

And it takes longer getting quality in.

 

I'm sure we could have signed any random striker if we wanted, but it's actually reassuring me more that we're taking our time and aiming higher.

Exactly.  No point in rushing to end up with a Gnando v2.0.

[Getintaethem]

I thought Ginnelly looked lost in the number 9 position first half.  The runs he made and his positioning were poor.  Looked much more comfortable when moved to the right in the second half, not convinced he’d cope at centre forward.

[GinRummy]

4 minutes ago, Dia Liom said:

 

We lack competition for Boyce, so a striker on a similar level to him would be excellent.  In saying that I remember some of our best teams of the past 25 years scoring plenty goals without having a 15-20 goal a season striker.  My post was just to make the point that there's no need to get hysterical about it - we all know that the club will be trying to get a striker in.  

That’s fair comment. The wee issue for me is, apart from Boyce we don’t really have any goal scorers at all from central midfield or who ever plays in the three with Boyce. As long as we keep winning I don’t suppose it matters too much. No real complaints this season so far. 

[GinRummy]

26 minutes ago, ToqueJambo said:

 

Ginnelly's worth a bit of a run at striker, especially as those two finishes were striker finishes which will have given him confidence. Ideally he should play with Woodburn and McKay though as Woodburn also has goals in him.

 

That's our best front 3 combination even with Boyce fit right now I think - McKay the creator and Woodburn and Ginnelly who on their day can finish. If McKay could start scoring there's no doubt that front line on form could generate Crabb-Robbo-JC levels  of excitement. Signing a striker who is less of an out and out striker but instead has the qualities of those 3 in terms of pace, trickiness and making runs in behind would be fantastic.

 

I also very much liked the idea of Andy Carroll on a 6 month deal as a rampaging big forward but that's obviously pie in the sky.

I’m not against Gino or Woodburn playing in the centre forward role but do think there are games where that won’t work. If I’m honest, it didn’t really work on Tuesday until Gino moved over to the right but fair play to RN for changing it a wee bit and to Gino for his finishing. 

[jambo_No5]

6 minutes ago, Getintaethem said:

I thought Ginnelly looked lost in the number 9 position first half.  The runs he made and his positioning were poor.  Looked much more comfortable when moved to the right in the second half, not convinced he’d cope at centre forward.

Said the exact same thing after the game on Tuesday. He definitely doesn’t want to be playing with his back to goal or trying to win balls in the air against centre halves either

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, true-jambo said:

Certainly with Hallett off by then

Indeed, how’s he going to cope in a four at his new club 😆?!?!

[soonbe110]

13 minutes ago, Getintaethem said:

I thought Ginnelly looked lost in the number 9 position first half.  The runs he made and his positioning were poor.  Looked much more comfortable when moved to the right in the second half, not convinced he’d cope at centre forward.

Completely agree. If not Boyce I’d rather play GMS in there. Takes all other responsibility away from him 

[soonbe110]

Just now, Pasquale for King said:

Indeed, how’s he going to cope in a four at his new club 😆?!?!

Suspect he won’t