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

[BigAlim]

15 minutes ago, MarkDevriesScores4 said:

I assumed with grant signing, Ronan was no longer on the agenda. Admittedly I don’t know how similarly they are played.

From my very limited St Mirren knowledge, I think Ronan can operate as more of a number 8 which would allow Grant to play the 10 role

[HoGwash]

18 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Wasn't on here yesterday and seem to have missed people questioning Cammy Devlin?!

 

Think back a very short number of seasons and ask yourself if you'd have killed to have Cam in our team.  He's exactly what we need at Hearts.  And by the way a much better player than given credit for.  Does way more attacking work than seems to get noticed.  Finished article?  Best CM we've ever had?  Nope.  An absolutely commited player who wants to be the very very best he can be and who we can already see has added to his game in his time in Edinburgh?  Absochuffinglutely.

 

My tuppence a day late!

It might be late but it's spot on. 

[JimmyCant]

11 minutes ago, Spookie said:

Neilson has already stated he's an admirer and we are still short on another attacking midfielder,  will cost money granted but you're talking tosh here 

That article was weeks ago and we’ve signed Jorge Grant since it was written. We won’t sign Ronan. We might well take him on loan but Ronan has said publicly he doesn’t want to go out on loan.

Edited August 17, 2022 by JimmyCant

[TheBigO]

2 minutes ago, JimmyCant said:

Short summary. 2 posters suggested Ronan would be our best signing of the summer, one said he would be the best summer signing of any club outwith the OF. One suggested he was ‘nearly’ as good as Billy Gilmour despite Ronan not having achieved anything close to what Gilmour has. Not one competitive first team appearance vs a guy with 15 caps and a CL medal in his drawer.

 

Anyway, to support this, they stated picking holes in Devlin who they reckoned Ronan would replace. The nodding dogs joined in and there you have it. Suddenly Devlin isn’t very good and Ronan is the second coming.

 

Only on JKB could a player with the heart and the commitment and the contribution Devlin has shown be vilified to justify an arguement about a player who had 4 good games for St bleeding Mirren last year.

Aha!  And haha!  Thanks for the summary.  You know the funny thing, I didn't miss JKB yesterday... but here I am back again!!!  Tell myself I'll ween off after the transfer window....

[johnking123]

Ronan and Grant are very similar. Can be playmaker or somewhere behind the striker with good movement. Long season and could do with another playmaker with intelligence.

[bobby bombscare]

3 hours ago, bobskeldon said:

Absolutely, he was my MOM on Sunday. My only criticism of him is that sometimes he could very easily get us 10/15 yards further up the pitch. 

I thought on quite a few occasions that Devlin was reluctant to run with the ball or attempt a pass to progress us up the pitch. I also think his passing is the most defensive of all our current midfielders. 

 

That being said, IMO, he is undoubtedly the most energetic player on the pitch when we're out of possession and has a terrific work ethic. 

 

I didn't think he was MOM, in fact I thought it was a poorer display from him. But everything he lacked can be taught, heart and work ethic can't. We need to stick with him, he will develop into a major player for us! 

Edited August 17, 2022 by bobby bombscare

[DC_92]

9 minutes ago, JimmyCant said:

That article was weeks ago and we’ve signed Jorge Grant since it was written. We won’t sign Ronan. We might well take him on loan but Ronan has said publicly he doesn’t want to go out on loan.

 

The article is from the 1st of July. We signed Grant on the 27th of June.

 

As I said, though, I'd be surprised if we went for him. I think we'll go with someone more combative in midfield and someone with more pace in the forward areas.

[PapaShango]

I'm assuming no more word on the South Korean? 

[AllyjamboDerbyshire]

14 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Wasn't on here yesterday and seem to have missed people questioning Cammy Devlin?!

 

Think back a very short number of seasons and ask yourself if you'd have killed to have Cam in our team.  He's exactly what we need at Hearts.  And by the way a much better player than given credit for.  Does way more attacking work than seems to get noticed.  Finished article?  Best CM we've ever had?  Nope.  An absolutely commited player who wants to be the very very best he can be and who we can already see has added to his game in his time in Edinburgh?  Absochuffinglutely.

 

My tuppence a day late!

The high number of balls won/half won leads to the impression he makes too many bad passes or loses the ball. He's winning the ball in incredibly tight situations and then trying to make something happen while still under pressure, so, of course, many of his passes will go astray or he'll lose the ball as he's tackled very quickly after having just won it. His game is played in the most crowded part of the pitch where there's little or no time to bring the ball under control immediately after a successful tackle, but I'd reckon more than half his tackles lead to Hearts gaining control of the ball while the rest of his tackles ensure the opposition don't have clean control of the ball in the same area. As he showed with the first goal on Sunday, his passing is good when he's got that little bit of space having been involved twice in the move ending with a perfect low cross/pass assist to Shankland. Even when not winning the ball, he makes sure nobody within 20 yards of him is given the freedom to spend time on the ball because he'll be right in there.

[gov]

Was no legs in the rumour anyway but Liam delap from City is away to Stoke on loan 

[Wee Mikey]

3 minutes ago, AllyjamboDerbyshire said:

The high number of balls won/half won leads to the impression he makes too many bad passes or loses the ball. He's winning the ball in incredibly tight situations and then trying to make something happen while still under pressure, so, of course, many of his passes will go astray or he'll lose the ball as he's tackled very quickly after having just won it. His game is played in the most crowded part of the pitch where there's little or no time to bring the ball under control immediately after a successful tackle, but I'd reckon more than half his tackles lead to Hearts gaining control of the ball while the rest of his tackles ensure the opposition don't have clean control of the ball in the same area. As he showed with the first goal on Sunday, his passing is good when he's got that little bit of space having been involved twice in the move ending with a perfect low cross/pass assist to Shankland. Even when not winning the ball, he makes sure nobody within 20 yards of him is given the freedom to spend time on the ball because he'll be right in there.

 

Perfectly described so I'll bin my ½ baked, unfinished effort. 👍

[gorgieheart]

6 minutes ago, PapaShango said:

I'm assuming no more word on the South Korean? 

woo ? 

[Jambo 4 Ever]

6 minutes ago, PapaShango said:

I'm assuming no more word on the South Korean? 

No word on anyone at all 

[Sub4TiddlerMurray]

Devlin is an absolute star for Hearts. Love watching him play. Not only is he one of the best at stealing the ball from opponents, his drive, commitment and especially his cheeky humour (constantly winding up opponents with little comments, nudges & pushes) are top class entertainment.

 

As a few posters have said, criticism of him - wishing he was a even better than he is - is dumb as. 

 

Long may he wear the Hearts colours! 

[Martin_T]

8 minutes ago, PapaShango said:

I'm assuming no more word on the South Korean? 

 

I'd assume that with most of the key footballing staff currently being otherwise engaged in Switzerland, that no further progress will be made on any signings until Friday at the earliest.

[BelgeJambo]

7 minutes ago, AllyjamboDerbyshire said:

The high number of balls won/half won leads to the impression he makes too many bad passes or loses the ball. He's winning the ball in incredibly tight situations and then trying to make something happen while still under pressure, so, of course, many of his passes will go astray or he'll lose the ball as he's tackled very quickly after having just won it. His game is played in the most crowded part of the pitch where there's little or no time to bring the ball under control immediately after a successful tackle, but I'd reckon more than half his tackles lead to Hearts gaining control of the ball while the rest of his tackles ensure the opposition don't have clean control of the ball in the same area. As he showed with the first goal on Sunday, his passing is good when he's got that little bit of space having been involved twice in the move ending with a perfect low cross/pass assist to Shankland. Even when not winning the ball, he makes sure nobody within 20 yards of him is given the freedom to spend time on the ball because he'll be right in there.

You can probably add he is a bit short of match fitness after his hamstring issues

only going to get better

[The White Cockade]

4 minutes ago, gorgieheart said:

woo ? 

Twit!

[Flimsy]

4 minutes ago, Sub4TiddlerMurray said:

Devlin is an absolute star for Hearts. Love watching him play. Not only is he one of the best at stealing the ball from opponents, his drive, commitment and especially his cheeky humour (constantly winding up opponents with little comments, nudges & pushes) are top class entertainment.

 

As a few posters have said, criticism of him - wishing he was a even better than he is - is dumb as. 

 

Long may he wear the Hearts colours! 

I liked it in the 2nd half on Sunday when he wound up the Utd player until they got booked and walked away after with a massive grin on his face. I'd rather he was on our side than our opponents.

[AllyjamboDerbyshire]

 

11 minutes ago, Wee Mikey said:

 

Perfectly described so I'll bin my ½ baked, unfinished effort. 👍

👍

[AllyjamboDerbyshire]

8 minutes ago, BelgeJambo said:

You can probably add he is a bit short of match fitness after his hamstring issues

only going to get better

With his all action style of play full fitness becomes even more important to his game, but even when not fully fit he gives his absolute all and never hides or takes a rest until too wrecked to continue.

[cosanostra]

19 minutes ago, PapaShango said:

I'm assuming no more word on the South Korean? 

 

Something probably would have happened by now if it was going to.

You never know but it doesn't seem likely.

[manaliveits105]

14 minutes ago, gorgieheart said:

woo ? 

Who 

[Rogue Daddy]

11 minutes ago, Sub4TiddlerMurray said:

Devlin is an absolute star for Hearts. Love watching him play. Not only is he one of the best at stealing the ball from opponents, his drive, commitment and especially his cheeky humour (constantly winding up opponents with little comments, nudges & pushes) are top class entertainment.

 

As a few posters have said, criticism of him - wishing he was a even better than he is - is dumb as. 

 

Long may he wear the Hearts colours! 

Ditto that! ...cannae believe some are targeting him as a 'boo boy'. Really?

[Punks No Deid]

1 minute ago, Flimsy said:

I liked it in the 2nd half on Sunday when he wound up the Utd player until they got booked and walked away after with a massive grin on his face. I'd rather he was on our side than our opponents.

When we scored the third he nipped in to grab the ball from the net before the UTD goalie could get it. Ran away with it then threw it back into the net. Wee cheeky grin, stuck his tongue out and winked at Hearts fans in the Gorgie ... classic wee wind up merchant 

[Rogue Daddy]

21 minutes ago, AllyjamboDerbyshire said:

The high number of balls won/half won leads to the impression he makes too many bad passes or loses the ball. He's winning the ball in incredibly tight situations and then trying to make something happen while still under pressure, so, of course, many of his passes will go astray or he'll lose the ball as he's tackled very quickly after having just won it. His game is played in the most crowded part of the pitch where there's little or no time to bring the ball under control immediately after a successful tackle, but I'd reckon more than half his tackles lead to Hearts gaining control of the ball while the rest of his tackles ensure the opposition don't have clean control of the ball in the same area. As he showed with the first goal on Sunday, his passing is good when he's got that little bit of space having been involved twice in the move ending with a perfect low cross/pass assist to Shankland. Even when not winning the ball, he makes sure nobody within 20 yards of him is given the freedom to spend time on the ball because he'll be right in there.

Good post mate👍

[AllyjamboDerbyshire]

Just now, Rogue Daddy said:

Good post mate👍

Thanks 👍 I just really like the guy and the way he plays. Leaves nothing in the dressing room but lots on the pitch, some blood, a lot of sweat and other players' tears.

[MyWay]

2 hours ago, DC_92 said:

 

Frees up Ronan to go elsewhere I'd have thought.

 

Side note- Teams like Wolves spending 45m+ on players blows my mind!

[bobby bombscare]

8 minutes ago, Rogue Daddy said:

Ditto that! ...cannae believe some are targeting him as a 'boo boy'. Really?

Not a boo boy for me. I really like him, I just didn't think he was MOM on Sunday, I think that goes to McKay, who was absolutely excellent! 

 

He is quite young, if we can keep a hold of him and keep him fit, he'll be a huge asset in the future. He will also be in the WC squad if he stays injury free too I think. 

 

There are areas of his game to be improved though but that is why Robbie described him and Natty as development players. But in order to develop they need game time, and Devlin has more than earned his place in the team! 

Edited August 17, 2022 by bobby bombscare

[Jack Torrance]

4 minutes ago, AllyjamboDerbyshire said:

Thanks 👍 I just really like the guy and the way he plays. Leaves nothing in the dressing room but lots on the pitch, some blood, a lot of sweat and other players' tears.

 

 

He's immense in there. And shows the urgency, alongside others to hunt in a pack and win the ball back within a few seconds of losing it,  so the other team doesn't have time to regroup.

[Rogue Daddy]

6 minutes ago, AllyjamboDerbyshire said:

Thanks 👍 I just really like the guy and the way he plays. Leaves nothing in the dressing room but lots on the pitch, some blood, a lot of sweat and other players' tears.

 

4 minutes ago, bobby bombscare said:

Not a boo boy for me. I really like him, I just didn't think he was MOM on Sunday, I think that goes to McKay, who was absolutely excellent! 

 

He is quite young, if we can keep a hold of him and keep him fit, he'll be a huge asset in the future. He will also be in the WC squad if he stays injury free too I think. 

 

Yeah, I really like him too. His stats were posted somewhere on JKB a few weeks ago and were hugely impressive for things like tackles won etc. ... compared to the rest of the spfl.

 

[savage]

12 minutes ago, MyWay said:

 

Side note- Teams like Wolves spending 45m+ on players blows my mind!

One of top 20 richest clubs in the world.  Not that surprising 

[The Wrinkly Ninja]

Everybody: (not booing)

JKB cabal: “is Devlin the new boo-boy?”

Rest of JKB: “Can’t believe people are booing Cammy Devlin?”

People interested in transfers: <sigh>

[Jambo 4 Ever]

Doubt there will be any today or tomorrow - with the squad and management team travelling and playing 

[johnking123]

English will be getting finalised soon. Movement will really start next week.

[PhoenixHearts]

41 minutes ago, Sub4TiddlerMurray said:

Devlin is an absolute star for Hearts. Love watching him play. Not only is he one of the best at stealing the ball from opponents, his drive, commitment and especially his cheeky humour (constantly winding up opponents with little comments, nudges & pushes) are top class entertainment.

 

As a few posters have said, criticism of him - wishing he was a even better than he is - is dumb as. 

 

Long may he wear the Hearts colours! 

 

"Wishing a player was even better than he was" is not criticism. 

 

I like everything you say about Devlin and I thankfully don't count myself among his critics.

 

I do however think he needs to calm down and improve upon his passing.

 

He had a great assist on Sunday but too many times when he had the ball he would just offload it with the easiest pass to the nearest player for them to make the "better" pass instead, which was often Halkett, Smith, Haring or Rowles, all players beside or behind him.

It's not even inherently a bad thing - if he thinks another player can pick a better pass than him then it's the smart move, but it tells me he isn't as confident in that side of his game.

If he could improve that he would be even better than he already is.

[David McCaig]

1 minute ago, PhoenixHearts said:

 

"Wishing a player was even better than he was" is not criticism. 

 

I like everything you say about Devlin and I thankfully don't count myself among his critics.

 

I do however think he needs to calm down and improve upon his passing.

 

He had a great assist on Sunday but too many times when he had the ball he would just offload it with the easiest pass to the nearest player for them to make the "better" pass instead, which was often Halkett, Smith, Haring or Rowles, all players beside or behind him.

It's not even inherently a bad thing - if he thinks another player can pick a better pass than him then it's the smart move, but it tells me he isn't as confident in that side of his game.

If he could improve that he would be even better than he already is.

Worth bearing in mind that it is almost 5 months since Cammy did his hammy at Tannadice.

 

As well as regaining full fitness it will also take a few games for him to get back to full sharpness.

[RustyRightPeg]

10 minutes ago, PhoenixHearts said:

 

"Wishing a player was even better than he was" is not criticism. 

 

I like everything you say about Devlin and I thankfully don't count myself among his critics.

 

I do however think he needs to calm down and improve upon his passing.

 

He had a great assist on Sunday but too many times when he had the ball he would just offload it with the easiest pass to the nearest player for them to make the "better" pass instead, which was often Halkett, Smith, Haring or Rowles, all players beside or behind him.

It's not even inherently a bad thing - if he thinks another player can pick a better pass than him then it's the smart move, but it tells me he isn't as confident in that side of his game.

If he could improve that he would be even better than he already is.

You literally just described Ngolo Kante.  

[Jambof3tornado]

10 minutes ago, PhoenixHearts said:

 

"Wishing a player was even better than he was" is not criticism. 

 

I like everything you say about Devlin and I thankfully don't count myself among his critics.

 

I do however think he needs to calm down and improve upon his passing.

 

He had a great assist on Sunday but too many times when he had the ball he would just offload it with the easiest pass to the nearest player for them to make the "better" pass instead, which was often Halkett, Smith, Haring or Rowles, all players beside or behind him.

It's not even inherently a bad thing - if he thinks another player can pick a better pass than him then it's the smart move, but it tells me he isn't as confident in that side of his game.

If he could improve that he would be even better than he already is.

I think he has calmed down on last season, absolutely love the guys attitude and bite!

[PhoenixHearts]

3 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

You literally just described Ngolo Kante.  

 

😎

[MyWay]

33 minutes ago, savage said:

One of top 20 richest clubs in the world.  Not that surprising 

 

Probably not quite top 20 but I get what you're saying. Think you've missed my point though. Before the EPL money warped everything teams like Wolves and many other clubs who have been in and out of the EPL would be considered a similar size club to Hearts. Makes me wonder what our pulling power would be if we had the money those clubs have. If I was a young millionaire I'd certainly rather live in Edinburgh than Wolverhampton.

Edited August 17, 2022 by MyWay

[RustyRightPeg]

1 minute ago, PhoenixHearts said:

 

😎

I get it. 
 

As football fans we always want more, it’s only natural. I like how Devlin knows his limitations and focuses on pushing his strengths. 
 

For example, if he tried 3 or 4 diagonals or a couple of longer passes through the lines that didn’t work we’d be on here going he needs to get back to basics. Just the way it is. 
 

FWIW, I love him. Love his enthusiasm, love for the club, love for the fans, he absolutely adores his team mates by the looks of it. Long may it continue. 

[Bauld]

16 minutes ago, PhoenixHearts said:

 

"Wishing a player was even better than he was" is not criticism. 

 

I like everything you say about Devlin and I thankfully don't count myself among his critics.

 

I do however think he needs to calm down and improve upon his passing.

 

He had a great assist on Sunday but too many times when he had the ball he would just offload it with the easiest pass to the nearest player for them to make the "better" pass instead, which was often Halkett, Smith, Haring or Rowles, all players beside or behind him.

It's not even inherently a bad thing - if he thinks another player can pick a better pass than him then it's the smart move, but it tells me he isn't as confident in that side of his game.

If he could improve that he would be even better than he already is.

 

Funny, I remember Xavi being exactly like that.

 

Would always pick the easiest pass and finish the game with about 95% passing success having played about 50-60 more passing than anyone else overall. 

 

What made it work was he had iniesta, Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Villa, Pedro, Cesc etc all playing around him. But the principal at our level remains the same.

 

Devlins job should be similar. To make sure we win the ball and retain possession. Ideally moving it quickly onto someone who can provide the next move going forward either a goal or an assist. 

 

Scott Brown made a career out of it as well, Kante in England.

 

All small guys. Roaming the midfield like terriers. Snapping at ankles and giving nobody any time on the ball, moving it quickly onto our own creative players.

[john thomas]

13 minutes ago, MyWay said:

 

Probably not quite top 20 but I get what you're saying. Think you've missed my point though. Before the EPL money warped everything teams like Wolves and many other clubs who have been in and out of the EPL would be considered a similar size club to Hearts. Makes me wonder what our pulling power would be if we had the money those clubs have. If I was a young millionaire I'd certainly rather live in Edinburgh than Wolverhampton.

Used to live not far from Wolverhampton. Went once , never went back

[BigAlim]

I've always found it funny on here that our players become worse and worse over the summer break in so many peoples eyes. 

 

Devlin and Haring are a fantastic partnership who will easily secure third place for us. Why am I so sure? Because they did it a few months ago.

 

Boyce will score some goals and contribute to our third place finish. Why am I so sure? Because he did it a few months ago.

 

Imagine if we were left with Gino and GMS as back up options? We'd be in the same position that we were in a few months ago.

 

Hearts are class, anything extra is a bonus

[Spookie]

1 hour ago, JimmyCant said:

That article was weeks ago and we’ve signed Jorge Grant since it was written. We won’t sign Ronan. We might well take him on loan but Ronan has said publicly he doesn’t want to go out on loan.

We have signed Grant and we are still looking for another attacking midfielder. Why no Ronan?  Why would we take him on loan if you've just said he won't go on loan? That only leaves a transfer. You can't be stating he won't sign unless you've heard it from the laddie himself. You take a pinch of salt with anything Robbie tells the press, All options are open wether we pursue him or not,  nobody knows he won't sign, nobody knows he will 

[PapaShango]

Gino and GMS are definitely worth as back up if they are happy with that role. GMS came on Sunday and had one really good run, gave away a penalty that was never a penalty. He is useful to bring on to carry the ball and run at tired defenders. Gino is similar and I have always thought he impacted games as a sub more when the games get stretched a bit. 

[Waterboy]

9 minutes ago, Bauld said:

 

Funny, I remember Xavi being exactly like that.

 

Would always pick the easiest pass and finish the game with about 95% passing success having played about 50-60 more passing than anyone else overall. 

 

What made it work was he had iniesta, Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Villa, Pedro, Cesc etc all playing around him. But the principal at our level remains the same.

 

Devlins job should be similar. To make sure we win the ball and retain possession. Ideally moving it quickly onto someone who can provide the next move going forward either a goal or an assist. 

 

Scott Brown made a career out of it as well, Kante in England.

 

All small guys. Roaming the midfield like terriers. Snapping at ankles and giving nobody any time on the ball, moving it quickly onto our own creative players.

 

Not that it really matters, but you've done Xavi a bit of a disservice there in my opinion.  Was a fantastically technical player that finished his career with 108 goals and 213 assists from 880 games, so averaging a goal contribution every 2.75 games over a 20 year career.  

 

Devlin not all that technical, and currently on 4 goals and 4 assists from 88 games, so managing a goal contribution every 11 games.

 

Very different players in my opinion.

[BigAlim]

Listen, I love Cammy Devlin as much as the next jambo, but all this chat about Kante and Xavi is a bit mental. Cammy is a good lad who is lucky to be at Hearts and you can tell that he knows that fact by the level of his performances in the maroon jersey.

 

Proper Neil Berry type warrior from the bush we've got here

[JimmyCant]

14 minutes ago, Spookie said:

We have signed Grant and we are still looking for another attacking midfielder. Why no Ronan?  Why would we take him on loan if you've just said he won't go on loan? That only leaves a transfer. You can't be stating he won't sign unless you've heard it from the laddie himself. You take a pinch of salt with anything Robbie tells the press, All options are open wether we pursue him or not,  nobody knows he won't sign, nobody knows he will 

I didn’t say he wouldn’t go on loan. I said he doesn’t WANT to. Ultimately he’ll do what his club tells him. Why not Ronan ? Why not better than Ronan ?

 

You’re not going to convince me that our all singing all dancing hi tech recruitment team of 3 have scoured the global systems they have and all the contacts they have and all the incoming agent calls they’ve had and Ronan came to the top of the ‘possibles’ list

Edited August 17, 2022 by JimmyCant

[Aussie Jambo]

5 minutes ago, BigAlim said:

Listen, I love Cammy Devlin as much as the next jambo, but all this chat about Kante and Xavi is a bit mental. Cammy is a good lad who is lucky to be at Hearts and you can tell that he knows that fact by the level of his performances in the maroon jersey.

 

Proper Neil Berry type warrior from the bush we've got here

This