Jump to content

***** Official Heart of Midlothian v Rangers Match Thread *****


cookieboy

Recommended Posts

Eldar Hadzimehmedovic
15 minutes ago, Tom Hardy’s Dug said:

To be honest Halliday has looked way more ready for a start the last couple of weeks.

 

Didnt think I’d say this 6 weeks ago but my starting midfield 2 would be Haring and Halliday.

 

Me too. I'm nervous about Devlin in a game like this. Actually don't trust him very much, both to keep the head and contribute much goal threat. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 839
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • HeartsandonlyHearts

    42

  • Bazzas right boot

    28

  • Don Dan

    25

  • Geoff Kilpatrick

    21

Percival King
35 minutes ago, Back of the Bus said:

Now the rage has subsided…..

 

They deliberately played a weakened team to make us push for the win thus risking injury. We didn’t bite.

 

Shite to lose but this was always going to be a weird game. 
 

Bring on the final 

They, correctly in my opinion, played a weakened team because they have a massive game on Wednesday and another next Saturday. I'd have preferred us to do the same but I'm not going to get upset about it as it looks like our players came through it unscathed (hopefully including Boyce). If they had wanted our players injured they might as well have just played a weakened team (which they did) and get those players to kick us off the park (which they didn't) and not have to worry about bookings and sending offs. 

 

But I agree,always going to be a weird game, bring on the final.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fozzyonthefence
18 minutes ago, Salad Fingers said:

 

Well that is true. They were also a better team in '98 (despite what some may say) and Celtic were a better team when we beat them in the semi in 2012. 

 

The right attitude and a rub of the green and we may just do it. 


Rangers only got 72 points in 98.  That suggests they weren’t very good doesn’t it?   You need to get 90 odd or late 80’s minimum to win the league these days. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fozzyonthefence
35 minutes ago, Salad Fingers said:

 

Your point may be valid, but the point about our late season runs in 98 and 2012 are also valid in that they have no bearing on the cup final itself. If we lose next week it's because our players didn't turn up on the day. The league games will have no bearing on it. 


If we lose next week it will more than likely be because Rangers have much better players than us.  We’ll only beat them if they don’t turn up and we’re on our game. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, Tom Hardy’s Dug said:

To be honest Halliday has looked way more ready for a start the last couple of weeks.

 

Didnt think I’d say this 6 weeks ago but my starting midfield 2 would be Haring and Halliday.

Agreed 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, jbee647 said:

We could turn up next week and have the game of our lives and still lose

If Rangers turn up, they win because they simply have far better players than we do I’m afraid.

Hopefully we get that bit of luck, Rangers are drained after Wednesdays defeat, and there is a heatwave in Seville .

 

Forecast to be in the 30’s in Seville on Wed so one of three looking likely at this point. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Tom Hardy’s Dug said:

To be honest Halliday has looked way more ready for a start the last couple of weeks.

 

Didnt think I’d say this 6 weeks ago but my starting midfield 2 would be Haring and Halliday.

I agree. To be frank I’m worried about next week. Defence has been really poor the past 3 games and I just can’t see Soutar or Halkett making it. Boyce is obviously not fully fit, and hasn’t been for weeks, BUT it’s a cup final and hopefully 🤞whoever is in the team rises to the occasion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Holtie said:

I agree. To be frank I’m worried about next week. Defence has been really poor the past 3 games and I just can’t see Soutar or Halkett making it. Boyce is obviously not fully fit, and hasn’t been for weeks, BUT it’s a cup final and hopefully 🤞whoever is in the team rises to the occasion.


i think they will ok 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Салатные палочки
14 minutes ago, Fozzyonthefence said:


Rangers only got 72 points in 98.  That suggests they weren’t very good doesn’t it?   You need to get 90 odd or late 80’s minimum to win the league these days. 

 

Or that the opposition back then were a wee bit tougher. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Fozzyonthefence said:


That Rangers team was well past it’s sell by date and several players were playing their last game for the club.  Plus, that Hearts team was way better than this current one. Not even close. 


Sadly you are spot on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fozzyonthefence
23 minutes ago, Salad Fingers said:

 

Or that the opposition back then were a wee bit tougher. 


I think it was a bit of both.  I’d agree the overall standard of the league was better back then and one of the reasons the OF dropped more points than they do these days. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

gashauskis9

Gordon, Kingsley, Haring, McKay, Simms.  As long as those 5 are on the teamsheet, I’m happy we have players who can compete with Rangers next week.  That’s the spine for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, gashauskis9 said:

Gordon, Kingsley, Haring, McKay, Simms.  As long as those 5 are on the teamsheet, I’m happy we have players who can compete with Rangers next week.  That’s the spine for me.


Sorry mate but if we are going to beat Rangers we need the other 6 players to be on their game 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shooter McGavin
3 hours ago, Ray Gin said:

 

We'll be playing their first team next week.

We’ll have something to play for next week

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fozzyonthefence
7 minutes ago, gashauskis9 said:

Gordon, Kingsley, Haring, McKay, Simms.  As long as those 5 are on the teamsheet, I’m happy we have players who can compete with Rangers next week.  That’s the spine for me.


We need to be adding Halkett and Soutar to these 5 to have any chance.  Might be a gamble but a gamble we simply have to take.  We’ve seen how bad the defence is without them the last few weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dick Dastardly
2 hours ago, SomethingAboutObua said:

The biggest frustration for me was we could have had a good match if we'd done what Rangers did and played a B team x senior bench / our injury returns XI. Take it Neilson didn't expect Rangers to play such an extremely depleted squad. I'm glad the players didn't want to get involved in anything physical, but we shouldn't have filled the bench with first teamers 

We don't have a b team though. It would have been damaging to the u18s to put them into that game, although i would have had a couple of them on the bench. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HeartsandonlyHearts
3 hours ago, indianajones said:

Imagine coming on to your rivals board after the season your own team has had just so stick the boot in a bit after a game that meant NOTHING. 

 

Rats. Rats everywhere. 

They’re hurting right now because we have a final next week and they’re last game is tomorrow and a must win to not be 10th in a league of 12.

Losers, every last one of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HeartsandonlyHearts
3 hours ago, indianajones said:

Imagine coming on to your rivals board after the season your own team has had just so stick the boot in a bit after a game that meant NOTHING. 

 

Rats. Rats everywhere. 

They’re hurting right now because we have a final next week and they’re last game is tomorrow and a must win to not be 10th in a league of 12.

Losers, every last one of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HeartsandonlyHearts
3 hours ago, indianajones said:

Imagine coming on to your rivals board after the season your own team has had just so stick the boot in a bit after a game that meant NOTHING. 

 

Rats. Rats everywhere. 

They’re hurting right now because we have a final next week and they’re last game is tomorrow and a must win to not be 10th in a league of 12.

Losers, every last one of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PapaShango
28 minutes ago, gashauskis9 said:

Gordon, Kingsley, Haring, McKay, Simms.  As long as those 5 are on the teamsheet, I’m happy we have players who can compete with Rangers next week.  That’s the spine for me.

No chance without at least one of Souttar or Halkett. The rest in that position nowhere near good enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PapaShango
21 minutes ago, Fozzyonthefence said:


We need to be adding Halkett and Soutar to these 5 to have any chance.  Might be a gamble but a gamble we simply have to take.  We’ve seen how bad the defence is without them the last few weeks.

Correct. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Smith&Weston

Neilson does not trust the youth system which is a big problem at a club with an academy.  We secured 3rd before the split yet didn’t give any young players an opportunity.  Says it all for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

joondalupjambo

Anyone know the Rammstein tune that was getting belted out just before kickoff?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jambo in Bathgate
4 hours ago, Gambo said:

Whatever team we put out today, worst case scenario was a strong Hearts getting beat by a Rangers reserves. That happened.

 

Next week is different.

 

As well as fitness, any bounce game this week should concentrate on cross balls (awful today) and holding the ball up.

Watching Rangers today showed why we need a B team playing regularly in a league. You could see that they came on and knew how to play in the Rangers system. It shows that the Glasgow 2 have a further advantage over every other club in Scotland. The best result for us on Wednesday is that Rangers lose. We will also be flying in for the tackle and pressing. My only worry is playing Souttar. The way he greeted the Ranger’s doctor was revealing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

joondalupjambo
6 minutes ago, Jambo in Bathgate said:

Watching Rangers today showed why we need a B team playing regularly in a league. You could see that they came on and knew how to play in the Rangers system. It shows that the Glasgow 2 have a further advantage over every other club in Scotland. The best result for us on Wednesday is that Rangers lose. We will also be flying in for the tackle and pressing. My only worry is playing Souttar. The way he greeted the Ranger’s doctor was revealing. 

And his handshake with VB, his new boss albeit the former made sure he did it as Soapy jogged past him as he ran back from a warm up.  I am your new boss mate, remember that 😃😃

Edited by joondalupjambo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No highlights for the Simms booking on Sportscene.   It didn't look a yellow from where I was sitting.   I'm guessing it was for mouthing off to the referee.    Simms not the type to get booked for swearing you'd think.  

 

Apart from that it was some shite defending.    Kingsley lost Itten on the corner.   Some poor work by the defence overall I thought. 

 

Great goal for Haring. 

 

I can see Souttar, Halkett, Kingsley starting next week.    They need to prove their fitness though. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jambo in Bathgate
1 hour ago, Smith&Weston said:

Neilson does not trust the youth system which is a big problem at a club with an academy.  We secured 3rd before the split yet didn’t give any young players an opportunity.  Says it all for me.

No point in playing young players at the moment for 90 mins they would be wiped out. You saw the difference with the Ranger’s young players having had a season of B team league and cup games. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fozzyonthefence
53 minutes ago, Jambo in Bathgate said:

Watching Rangers today showed why we need a B team playing regularly in a league. You could see that they came on and knew how to play in the Rangers system. It shows that the Glasgow 2 have a further advantage over every other club in Scotland. The best result for us on Wednesday is that Rangers lose. We will also be flying in for the tackle and pressing. My only worry is playing Souttar. The way he greeted the Ranger’s doctor was revealing. 


How?  We weren’t playing Rangers B team today.  They play in the Lowland League and they can’t even compete with Bonnyrigg Rose there.  Not sure how that’s an advantage to them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

doctor jambo
1 hour ago, joondalupjambo said:

Anyone know the Rammstein tune that was getting belted out just before kickoff?

Du Hast?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fozzyonthefence
1 hour ago, joondalupjambo said:

Anyone know the Rammstein tune that was getting belted out just before kickoff?


I thought it was Ich Will but there were no lyrics so maybe an instrumental version of that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

grumpyespana

I noticed that when Boyce was going up the tunnel when he went off injured the Rangers manager came over to shake his hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watt-Zeefuik

I missed the match this morning but have now watched the highlights and am watching back the replay at the moment. Main thought is that, unsurprisingly, the doom and gloom on here is more than a wee bit over the top.

 

That's clearly a squad of fairly talented Rangers players who've been regulars in their colts squad, trying to make an impression for inclusion in the first team next season. And for the most part, we didn't play badly—we played some nice stuff going forward and just had a bit of a lack of effort in defence in closing down players and tracking runs.

 

All three of their goals happened because Smith, Souttar, and Halkett all looked like they had some mental cobwebs to shake and weren't fully switched on defensively. They were playing today precisely for the reason to clear those cobwebs. On the first, Smith blocked Kingsley's tracking run, and if he's 100% he has the awareness to step forward himself to fill the space. It's also the kind of ball you see a locked-in Gordon shut down. On the next, Smith leaves too much space in the box rather than getting up in the shooter's business. On the third, Souttar does the same as Halkett doesn't track back full speed. I doubt they're that switched off mentally at Hampden.

 

The yellow on Simms is nothing but nonsense. He's barely clipped the heels of the player and Kevin Clancy comes over to make sure the big scary man with the big hair isn't hurting the precious young OF player. Absolute rubbish. Amad should also have been booked for his slide on GMS. Just a terrible day at the shop for Clancy, whom I used to rate.

 

Boyce's injury looks the worst news to me. I watched it several times—no contact anywhere, he's just running up the pitch after a ball and pulls up. 60 seconds later he decides he can't go and hits the pitch. Groin pulls always take an infuriatingly long time to heal—I'll hope he's available as a late sub if we're in a close one and need some graft late in the game, but I don't have much hope for him starting. The other injuries didn't look nearly as worrying.

 

Plenty of positives though. McKay was a menace, Ginnelly looked genuinely dangerous down the side at times, and GMS was fully involved. Simms has only gotten better since he got here. Sibbick was his usual mixed bag, and while I like him as a prospect I'm not expecting him to be involved much in the final.

 

All in all a fine tune-up match for next Sunday. We were plainly going about 75% and got beat on the scoreboard by a hungry B squad but that score matters about as much as the score at the Sunday park kickabout. We're exactly where we thought we'd be—we'll be the underdogs on Saturday and will need to be up for it. Onward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watt-Zeefuik
39 minutes ago, Fozzyonthefence said:


How?  We weren’t playing Rangers B team today.  They play in the Lowland League and they can’t even compete with Bonnyrigg Rose there.  Not sure how that’s an advantage to them.

I don't understand the rules as to how players are allowed to move between them, but many of the players on the pitch today were regulars for Rangers B and played in their recent match against Celtic B.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Fozzyonthefence said:


If we lose next week it will more than likely be because Rangers have much better players than us.  We’ll only beat them if they don’t turn up and we’re on our game. 

What game underdogs win if you believe you can win the problem we have is our manager is so negative against the old firm… not wanting Robbie sacked just want him to be more positive his tactics frustrate me

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jambo in Bathgate
1 hour ago, Fozzyonthefence said:


How?  We weren’t playing Rangers B team today.  They play in the Lowland League and they can’t even compete with Bonnyrigg Rose there.  Not sure how that’s an advantage to them.

 

1 hour ago, Led Tasso said:

I don't understand the rules as to how players are allowed to move between them, but many of the players on the pitch today were regulars for Rangers B and played in their recent match against Celtic B.

Some of the players in the Rangers team had been playing regularly in a B team to Rangers system. This gives their young players an advantage over our young academy players. Also it allows them to slot into the first team when needed. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Smith&Weston said:

Neilson does not trust the youth system which is a big problem at a club with an academy.  We secured 3rd before the split yet didn’t give any young players an opportunity.  Says it all for me.

Agree.  We had two at Motherwell but none today, the perfect game to give them a taste of Tynie against the Hun's youths.

Robbie got it wrong today.  He didn't need to play the likes of Boyce, Simms, etc.  He should have given Soutar, Halliday and Halkett a start and not Smith who was toiling.

He should also have put on more subs to give them game time.

It was irritating to hear the Hun sing " beaten by our youth team" but sadly accurate.  Their youngsters were up for it, faster than us and hungrier, whereas rightly or wrongly we couldn't be arsed.  As a pre-final match it it bore no benefit to us whatsoever. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Tom Hardy’s Dug said:

My only conclusion really from the post split games is that we still don’t have enough winners and enough players with a top attitude yet:

 

We are getting there but a proper “big” team would still win games even if they didn’t matter.

 

I don’t blame the management for this. We just need to keep building the squad with better mentally stronger players. 
 

If we perform the same way after the split next season (unless we have won the league) then we won’t have progressed.

 

I think this is a fair summary. We have some decent players but judging on the last week in particular you feel that the gap between us and the Old Firm is still quite significant both in terms of quality and players with a big game mentality. If Rangers have to play 120 minutes in midweek it might help us, but I can't say I'm confident about next week. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fozzyonthefence
11 minutes ago, Jambo in Bathgate said:

 

Some of the players in the Rangers team had been playing regularly in a B team to Rangers system. This gives their young players an advantage over our young academy players. Also it allows them to slot into the first team when needed. 


Their B / colts team was 14 points worse than Bonnyrigg Rose and only 2 better than East Kilbride.  I’m not convinced we’re missing out on anything there, it’s a piss poor league. At least the loan system enables us to give some of our youngsters game time at a much higher level than the Lowland League. 
 

Still not sure how their first team is allowed to use players that were playing for another team this season.  How many of their squad from today was playing in their colts team this season?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

jambopilms

Folk are really over egging the Rangers youth aspect.

They had a team full of quality, most of which would walk into our team. They made changes around the hour mark when we were already in preservation mode.

The team they started with would easily be top end premiership.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watt-Zeefuik
1 hour ago, jambopilms said:

Folk are really over egging the Rangers youth aspect.

They had a team full of quality, most of which would walk into our team. They made changes around the hour mark when we were already in preservation mode.

The team they started with would easily be top end premiership.

 

 

That team on the pitch today had quality in it but was extremely raw. It would absolutely not walk into our team.

 

On a day where the result mattered, where we weren't making nonsensical positional substitutions because the focus was solely on getting certain players some running time, and where our players were actually trying, we'd scud that team 4-0 easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bazzas right boot
7 hours ago, Fozzyonthefence said:


I think it was a bit of both.  I’d agree the overall standard of the league was better back then and one of the reasons the OF dropped more points than they do these days. 

 

Unsure that is true tbh, How good was the Rangers 98 team in Europe, did they beat teams of Dortmund's standing and knock them out?

The current OF teams are good.

 

Everyone always says it wasn't the same back in x year etc, etc, but the reality is that the differences are marginal either way.

Edited by Bazzas right boot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bazzas right boot
17 minutes ago, Led Tasso said:

 

That team on the pitch today had quality in it but was extremely raw. It would absolutely not walk into our team.

 

On a day where the result mattered, where we weren't making nonsensical positional substitutions because the focus was solely on getting certain players some running time, and where our players were actually trying, we'd scud that team 4-0 easily.

 

 

It highlighted the difference between the OF and the next BEST team in Scotland. It's not the first time this has happened. I remember Celtic spanking us 4-1 at home with a 19 year old Maloney destroying us about 20 odd years ago.

 

The of are miles ahead of us and the Scottish football it almost makes you want to give up.

 

There are posters on here that get upset that we can't compete for the title. The difference is bordering on ridiculous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watt-Zeefuik
1 minute ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

 

It highlighted the difference between the OF and the next BEST team in Scotland. It's not the first time this has happened. I remember Celtic spanking us 4-1 at home with a 19 year old Maloney destroying us about 20 odd years ago.

 

The of are miles ahead of us and the Scottish football it almost makes you want to give up.

 

There are posters on here that get upset that we can't compete for the title. The difference is bordering on ridiculous.

 

Except that for large portions of the game we absolutely bossed their players, driving them off the ball, and out-passing them dramatically. We lost because we didn't finish our better chances and because our defenders didn't fully have their heads in the game.

 

That team might have made the top six but it would be right in the mire with the rest of the 4-10 squads.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are people really getting hung up on us losing to a team of Rangers reserves and young 'uns? We were clearly playing for fitness purposes only. How many of their players would we take, despite them beating us? It was a stupid game with a nothing result. I'm not bothered in the slightest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...