*** Hearts Summer Transfer Window 2022 - Snodgrass signs ***

[vegas-voss]

9 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

Aye I don't get that either.I guess part of it is they have just bought a team of absolute athletes and that doesn't come cheap.

[Jambo 4 Ever]

3 minutes ago, Brick Tamland said:

Ummm I think you are unless your fellow H1b5 pals on here didn't recognise him either

Ummm no mate 

 

I guarantee I was not the only one who didn’t recognise him 

[AlphonseCapone]

30 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Ummm 🤔 I doubt  I’m the only one on here who didn’t know who he was mate 

 

You suggested we resigned him, mate.

[RustyRightPeg]

38 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Ummm 🤔 I doubt  I’m the only one on here who didn’t know who he was mate 

😂😂 

[Hackney Hearts]

8 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Ummm no mate 

 

I guarantee I was not the only one who didn’t recognise him 

 

Not sure how you can guarantee that..? No-one else has said so.

Hard to believe a Hearts fan wouldn't know Roberts - quite a contentious figure on here for a while.

[Malinga the Swinga]

40 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Ummm 🤔 I doubt  I’m the only one on here who didn’t know who he was mate 

But you were the only one daft enough to ask

[Leisham38]

14 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Ummm no mate 

 

I guarantee I was not the only one who didn’t recognise him 

You’d be a terrible at a Hearts quiz night. 

[Jambo 4 Ever]

4 minutes ago, Malinga the Swinga said:

But you were the only one daft enough to ask

So you didn’t know either?

[Hackney Hearts]

10 minutes ago, Malinga the Swinga said:

But you were the only one daft enough to ask

 

Probably knew all the time, but just couldn't resist another question...

[August Landmesser]

53 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Ummm 🤔 I doubt  I’m the only one on here who didn’t know who he was mate 

fair point - there's probably a couple of S*n hacks lurking on here from time to time too

[Malinga the Swinga]

34 minutes ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

So you didn’t know either?

I knew. 

[Tasavallan]

I thought Jason Roberts was only on loan to Motherwell.  Quite glad he signed with them on a permanent deal last season.  Gone to League 2 Stevenage?

[TheBigO]

3 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

he’s not EPL level IMO.  He can get there, but they won’t rely on simms this season in my opinion

I'd have to agree.  Don't get me wrong, guys can even have pretty poor loan periods but then just click in preseason and earn their shot.  Perhaps he will show the manager he's worth having around.

 

I also think far FAR too much is made about "EPL" level however.  Plenty absolute pony has and still does play at that level!  Shane Duffy anyone!?

 

For me, however, he's still too raw and needs to add a fair bit to his game.  I think he can work a lot better off the ball.  He comes to life well when we're in attack and is actually very intelligent in his movement, but I feel he doesn't offer enough when our defenders and fullbacks have the ball, especially in games we're struggling to get a foothold in.  Learnable, and he will, but he is to yet.

 

Basically I the kid has ability, physique and attitude to properly lead the line for a team, but he perhaps needs another year or two to really really get there.  He can very happily get there with us!!!!  He does these things well and if this is the best he ever gets right now, or what we saw last season, hey that's a good bloody Hearts player and I'd snap him up.  I think he has another level he can reach though.  Joe and Robbie need to and can convince him he can do that with us I suppose.

[Bauld]

1 hour ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

 

It's an much genetics as anything else.

 

Some bodies can handle the rigours of training to gain that level of fitness and some can't.

 

What money buys you these days isn't just the talent but also that genetic athlete who can withstand the punishment put on the body.

[innerjambo]

1 hour ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

 

Both fitter and faster. Not sure if it's down to fitness levels, or the natural speed of their players, compared to ours. Or a bit of both. Also if your passing skills, and running off the ball and into space are so much better than the other team, and a level above. It can make the other team look slow, unfit.

[Jim Panzee]

6 minutes ago, Bauld said:

 

It's an much genetics as anything else.

 

Some bodies can handle the rigours of training to gain that level of fitness and some can't.

 

What money buys you these days isn't just the talent but also that genetic athlete who can withstand the punishment put on the body.

totally agree. its just another factor as to why elite players cost so much - fitness levels, consistency, resistance to injury. 

 

be interesting to see if Soutter continues to break down at his new.....new club...

[oxfordman]

2 hours ago, Back to 2005 said:

I remember him going in goals. Was the league cup semi first leg. Don’t think he got sent off though as far as I can recall? 

To be fair, when I read the original post, it was him going in goal that I remembered rather than being sent off. It was a pretty bad tempered game though I seem to recall. Hegarty (if indeed that's who it was) was getting pelters from the shed right after he floored Henry, and every time he came up for a corner after that. But, it was a long time ago, memory not what it used to be etc etc....

[Dick Dastardly]

1 hour ago, Hackney Hearts said:

 

Not sure how you can guarantee that..? No-one else has said so.

Hard to believe a Hearts fan wouldn't know Roberts - quite a contentious figure on here for a while.

I'll hold my hands up. I thought it was Jake Mulraney. Oh well 

[Bazzas right boot]

5 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

agreed. Can’t go into the season only relying on Boyce 

 

We won't. 

 

[reaths17]

19 minutes ago, oxfordman said:

To be fair, when I read the original post, it was him going in goal that I remembered rather than being sent off. It was a pretty bad tempered game though I seem to recall. Hegarty (if indeed that's who it was) was getting pelters from the shed right after he floored Henry, and every time he came up for a corner after that. But, it was a long time ago, memory not what it used to be etc etc....

think paul hegarty got a lot of stick because his brother kevin had played for us. think bowman might have got sent off 2nd leg tannadice i seem to remember, got beat on penalties

[Bazzas right boot]

5 hours ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

Rangers tactically are improving all the time, very early in the window, Rangers have a very versatile and strong core that managed a heavy workload far better than I think they even expected themselves last season. Previously it was all about Morelos, they showed they could cope, they might move him on and a couple of strikers in. 

 

Sum of the parts for them has increased dramatically for GVB, the real star in their team is the manager, Hearts were doing ok with Gerrard, struggling now against Van Bronckhurst, where we have got better and they are working with a similar pool.

 

I expect them to add significantly before the window ends

 

 

Disagree. 

 

Gerrard was brilliant for them, an undefeat league season and league title was testament to that. 

 

He'd mixed experienced with youth and a had a team that was improving. He built a team over a few seasons. 

GVB then taken that on.

I reckon GVB could be good for Rangers, but he's gota challenge on his hands this season to replicate last season in Europe and win the the league. That was Gerrard's team that matured and progressed. He just walked in and went with it. 

Next season with his signings- only the league title will be seen as a success. 

Tough, as celtic got better and imo will continue to improve. 

 

 

 

[Bazzas right boot]

7 hours ago, GBJambo said:

I see Aberdeens new striker has come out and said he wants to be the number 1 striker in Scotland.

 

Hope our new striker has the same ambitions 

 

I  hope our new striker does well for the team and doesn't cone out with nonsense propaganda that keeps a few simple fans happy whilst at the same time setting himself up for failure. 

 

 

[upgotheheads]

2 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

 

It's not really a for comparison. All professional football players are athletes to some extent but some are just much better athletes than others. The most athletic are playing in the EPL for a reason.

[oxfordman]

25 minutes ago, reaths17 said:

think paul hegarty got a lot of stick because his brother kevin had played for us. think bowman might have got sent off 2nd leg tannadice i seem to remember, got beat on penalties

Yeah, could well be. 

 

Christ, nearly 40 years ago; that doesn't seem possible. 

[Wee Mikey]

22 minutes ago, Bazzas right boot said:

I  hope our new striker does well for the team and doesn't cone out with nonsense propaganda that keeps a few simple fans happy whilst at the same time setting himself up for failure. 

 

Mega-flop and serial loud-mouth Joey Barton when signing for The Rangers whilst imagining that he was all set to be the best player in Scotland:-

 

"I am comfortable with expectation, I'm comfortable with pressure, I'm comfortable with my mindset and focus I have in terms of turning in my own performances.

If I get to that level, unfortunately for anybody up there, they ain't going to live with me."

 

"People keep talking about Joey Barton and Scott Brown.

He ain't in my league. He is nowhere the level I am as a player. He can't get to me.

If I play well, Scott Brown doesn't stand a chance. That is not me being blasé. That is me just stating what I believe."

 

“I still feel I can more than hold my own, I feel like I’m on an upward curve as a player as last season showed.

“I don’t want to go up there as a swansong, a last hurrah. That’s not me.

“I’m going up there to play the best football at the peak of my powers, challenge for titles, cups and also after getting a personal accolade this season at Burnley, I want to go to Scotland and be the best player in the country – that’s my aim.

[The Wrinkly Ninja]

2 hours ago, Leisham38 said:

You’d be a terrible at a Hearts quiz night. 

If I’ve learnt anything from kickback over the years that if there was a hearts quiz night your man from Hamilton there would be the one asking the questions.

[WDJ87]

3 hours ago, Jambo 4 Ever said:

Ummm 🤔 I doubt  I’m the only one on here who didn’t know who he was mate 

That's right, because you're not the only interloper on here 👍

[Carl Fredrickson]

36 minutes ago, The Wrinkly Ninja said:

If I’ve learnt anything from kickback over the years that if there was a hearts quiz night your man from Hamilton there would be the one asking the questions.

[Dick Dastardly]

44 minutes ago, Wee Mikey said:

 

Mega-flop and serial loud-mouth Joey Barton when signing for The Rangers whilst imagining that he was all set to be the best player in Scotland:-

 

"I am comfortable with expectation, I'm comfortable with pressure, I'm comfortable with my mindset and focus I have in terms of turning in my own performances.

If I get to that level, unfortunately for anybody up there, they ain't going to live with me."

 

"People keep talking about Joey Barton and Scott Brown.

He ain't in my league. He is nowhere the level I am as a player. He can't get to me.

If I play well, Scott Brown doesn't stand a chance. That is not me being blasé. That is me just stating what I believe."

 

“I still feel I can more than hold my own, I feel like I’m on an upward curve as a player as last season showed.

“I don’t want to go up there as a swansong, a last hurrah. That’s not me.

“I’m going up there to play the best football at the peak of my powers, challenge for titles, cups and also after getting a personal accolade this season at Burnley, I want to go to Scotland and be the best player in the country – that’s my aim.

Was he not on the radio saying he was too good for his the rangers team mates and thats why he seemed to look utter garbage? ( I'm paraphrasing, obviously) 

[mre]

3 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

You'd almost think they were on some kind of performance enhancers the way they seemed to recover physically from seville 🤔

[jamboinglasgow]

2 minutes ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Was he not on the radio saying he was too good for his the rangers team mates and thats why he seemed to look utter garbage? ( I'm paraphrasing, obviously) 

 

Yup. Its the usual for an experienced player from the Premier league who fails, they do an interview after leaving saying its becuase the league is awful and they are too good that the move failed. Pretty sure Glenn Whelan did the same the day after he left (having added to his contract that he wont do press interviews and then did one with an English media outlet the moment he left.)

[Wilson]

7 minutes ago, mre said:

You'd almost think they were on some kind of performance enhancers the way they seemed to recover physically from seville 🤔

Don't tell me- another club with 75% of the players on asthma medication?. 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Wilson

[Sertse]

51 minutes ago, The Wrinkly Ninja said:

If I’ve learnt anything from kickback over the years that if there was a hearts quiz night your man from Hamilton there would be the one asking the questions.

🤣🤣🤣

[Dick Dastardly]

9 minutes ago, jamboinglasgow said:

 

Yup. Its the usual for an experienced player from the Premier league who fails, they do an interview after leaving saying its becuase the league is awful and they are too good that the move failed. Pretty sure Glenn Whelan did the same the day after he left (having added to his contract that he wont do press interviews and then did one with an English media outlet the moment he left.)

Whelan is a trumpet

[CMc]

2 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

My guesses would be:

Sevco are signing players for more money than us. One of the things that money pays for is better natural athletes and players with a higher ceiling. Look at distance runners, boxers or pro rugby union players. It’s not as simple as any random punter training lots. Different players will have a different starting point and overall capacity. Not everyone who trains running all day become Gabriel Haliselassi or Usain Bolt. Equally your average punter off the street is never going to become Mauro Itoje or Brian Habanna no matter how hard they train. 
 

They also are likely to have better ball skills at the point of signing and so can spend a greater percentage of training on fitness without losing their edge technically. 
 

Sevco’s overall wage budget is many multiples of ours. The playing budget will be the majority of this, but it is reasonable to assume their sports science department is also on 5-10x the wage of ours. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to infer that they have more folk in that team and/or they are folk who get paid better paid than ours. So more individual analytics, better nutrition plans, better gym plans, etc, etc. Also if the players are getting 5x the wage our guys get, they are possibly more prepared to commit more of their own time to individual training. This might be a habit that got them the bigger money move in the first place. This might have been drilled in to them at an EPL academy. 
 

They’ve also got a big squad. More likely to catch more natural athletes in a bigger net. 
 

I’m also always fascinated that so few footballers fail drugs tests compared to say boxing, cycling or athletics (Rio Ferdinands high profile one aside). Every now and then a Man City player has to claim he thought his wife’s diet pills were paracetamol or they’ve had very specific relations with a pregnant woman, etc, but folk aren’t getting bust left, right and centre. This means that either a) there’s no advantage in doing performance enhancing drugs, b) everyone it too moral and upstanding to do them in football c) there are legal supplements that work just as well, or d) it takes a lot of money to do it successfully and get away with it. a) is a prima facie oxymoron and  b) would be weird given there’s more money in football than cycling. That leaves c) & d). c) sounds expensive. The SFA let them away with everything else, so d) doesn’t feel like a wild stretch - although maybe I’m straying into tinfoil hat territory.  
 

What is 100% clear is that kids who break through at rich clubs end up developing in a way kids elsewhere don’t- and this translates across sports. Lots of cash leads to better athletes- hence all the lottery money splurged on elite competitors before London 2012. 
 

i don’t think it’s as simple as Robbie taking them up the sand dunes more often or doing triple sessions (although that could help I guess). It’s another example of an unlevel playing field. 
 

 

[Dick Dastardly]

5 minutes ago, Wilson said:

Don't tell me- another club with 75% of the players on asthma medication?. 

Are they? How do you know that? Absolutely shocking if thats for real

[db211833]

3 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

Totally agree, no matter skill levels or physicality. The one thing players have full control of is being as fit as they possibly can be.

[Bazzas right boot]

1 hour ago, Wee Mikey said:

 

Mega-flop and serial loud-mouth Joey Barton when signing for The Rangers whilst imagining that he was all set to be the best player in Scotland:-

 

"I am comfortable with expectation, I'm comfortable with pressure, I'm comfortable with my mindset and focus I have in terms of turning in my own performances.

If I get to that level, unfortunately for anybody up there, they ain't going to live with me."

 

"People keep talking about Joey Barton and Scott Brown.

He ain't in my league. He is nowhere the level I am as a player. He can't get to me.

If I play well, Scott Brown doesn't stand a chance. That is not me being blasé. That is me just stating what I believe."

 

“I still feel I can more than hold my own, I feel like I’m on an upward curve as a player as last season showed.

“I don’t want to go up there as a swansong, a last hurrah. That’s not me.

“I’m going up there to play the best football at the peak of my powers, challenge for titles, cups and also after getting a personal accolade this season at Burnley, I want to go to Scotland and be the best player in the country – that’s my aim.

 

Yip, played  that spout this pish straight from the get go rarely deliver. 

 

Tbf, a good few on here thought he was a cracking signing as well. 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Bazzas right boot

[merseyjambo]

1 hour ago, reaths17 said:

think paul hegarty got a lot of stick because his brother kevin had played for us. think bowman might have got sent off 2nd leg tannadice i seem to remember, got beat on penalties

IIRC, we lost the first leg 2-1 then lost either 2 or 3-1 up there.

 

Got memories of the Georgie Aggro causing mayhem on the Mount Everest terrace that night and I’m sure the game had to be stopped.

[kingantti1874]

Rangers took players like Ryan Jack and Scott Wright and improved their levels enormously.

 

i accept that the athletes with talent will find their way to the bigger club.  I don’t believe players at hearts or in the SPL are anywhere near as fit as they could be.  

[RustyRightPeg]

1 minute ago, kingantti1874 said:

Rangers took players like Ryan Jack and Scott Wright and improved their levels enormously.

 

i accept that the athletes with talent will find their way to the bigger club.  I don’t believe players at hearts or in the SPL are anywhere near as fit as they could be.  

You gain natural fitness playing at a higher level, the more you run, etc etc. 

 

If we were to play against Rangers and Celtic or higher level opposition every week we’d naturally become fitter. 

[Rogue Daddy]

 

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

3 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

Rangers took players like Ryan Jack and Scott Wright and improved their levels enormously.

 

i accept that the athletes with talent will find their way to the bigger club.  I don’t believe players at hearts or in the SPL are anywhere near as fit as they could be.  

Don't think it was our players weren't as fit last season ! problem was we ran with a small squad and we ran out of gas 

[Sertse]

1 minute ago, Rogue Daddy said:

 

Exciting news

[Pasquale for King]

2 hours ago, Jim Panzee said:

totally agree. its just another factor as to why elite players cost so much - fitness levels, consistency, resistance to injury. 

 

be interesting to see if Soutter continues to break down at his new.....new club...

🤞

[Bazzas right boot]

3 minutes ago, Rogue Daddy said:

 

 

[Halliphax]

4 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The point vegas made on fitness is correct but materially irritating.

 

why can’t we be as fit as EPL teams? Watching them out run us in the cup final was gut wrenching (albeit I accept we had a number of players returning from long periods out) but that aside rangers were fitter than any team in the league.

 

really no excuse for it 

Genetics mate - fitter people typically make better footballers and vice versa. 
 

The calibre of player the huns can afford have a higher fitness ceiling than those we can shoot for. 
 

There’s definitely other factors like average age, type of facilities and what not (i.e our good 27 year old players will simply never be as fit as some of the 19/20 year olds Rangers get in - even if it’s only marginal). 

[Sooks]

5 minutes ago, Rogue Daddy said:

 

Good feeling about him I hope he signs

[Phil D. Corners]

2 minutes ago, Rogue Daddy said:

 

Good news. 
 

Im trying to keep my welms in check, but Savage is getting me very excited. 
 

 

[Hector Riva]

Just back from the game.4-0 Gms Hendo 2 and Alan forrest. New guys all looked very good. Very hot 🔥