*** Hearts Summer Transfer Thread*** Offiah signs on loan

[kingantti1874]

2 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

He looks a like a brilliant footballer. You don't go from your stats being out of the park in the A-League to being not good enough to play in Scotland. 

 

I think he just needs time to settle in. 

maybe he will and maybe he won’t. But deserves support and the opportunity 

Edited September 5, 2023 by kingantti1874

[OTT]

7 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

It’s not about rubbing it in your face.  These type of views  are a symptom on the problem with our whole support.

 

120 mins after moving across the world And we have a significant number declaring him shite. After he actually played pretty decent . And he did play decent.   I don’t get the kio : grant comparison either.  Maybe he will be at the same level as beni? Probably not but at our level (which is really bargain basement) we cannot guarantee players. There will be hits and misses

 

I’ve no idea what that is or where this kind of view comes from tbh. Even if he was bad there are countless examples of top players who’ve stuggled initially.  Hearts legends amongst them
 

Annoying as **** 
 

 

 

 

No, I'm saying that part just as a "I hope I'm wrong, and will happily laugh at myself if proven so". 

 

The Kio/Grant part is symptomatic of our failure to sign quality midfielders. Christ, Haring has been in decline since effectively the end of the season we first signed him (when he picked up the hernia injury that caused him to miss over a year of football and apparently forget that footballs can also be passed forwards...) Yet we've failed to replace him in 9 different transfer windows because despite everything, he's still here and deemed a more viable option than everyone else. With Hof having made no noticeable impact yet, I'm concerned that we've yet another midfielder who won't make the grade. 

 

I'm not willing the laddie to fail or anything like that, but I am asking to be shown something before throwing support behind him. We could see straight away that Kio didn't have anything, and I'm worried that we're on the same road with Hof. Against St Johnstone, I saw nothing and against Partick I saw a very average looking midfielder. 

 

As I say, I'm not particularly passionate about Hofs place in the team. Hopefully he makes it, but I'm far from excited based on what we've seen. 

 

My issue is that he seems to have been signed as some sort of project, yet we're looking at the same deficient midfield that caused us problems last season and the season before. Haring isn't positive in possession and Devlin can't pass a ball. We needed someone who could come in right away and push Haring out the team, but yet again we've failed to do that. I suppose I'm more irritated at recruitment for again dropping the ball in not delivering a midfielder that was ready to go from the off. 

[Cruyff]

1 minute ago, kingantti1874 said:

maybe he will and maybe he won’t. But deserves support and the opportunity 

100%. 

[Batistuta87]

Found this lad in the Aussie press, apparently was looking like a top player for Wellington Pheonix and was getting some glowing reviews then negotiations broke down over a new deal and he walked away. Same agent as Cammy. 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Batistuta87

[BackOfTheNet]

16 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

FREE AGENTS (within our sort of MV):

 

 

Right backs:

 

 

Centre Mids: 

 

 

 

 

Wingers:

 

 

 

I’m hoping our recruitment team are looking. But I have my doubts. The last 3 free agents we signed have gern Scottish. Clark was likely well on the radar before the deadline and only available after another move broke down. And McKay and Snodgrass were looking to have a place near family and friends.

 

Guess what I’m saying is, unless it’s someone who was playing nearby recently, or is mates with Andy Halliday, I have my doubts anyone will come in as a free agent. Would he pleasantly proved wrong if it did happen though.

[BackOfTheNet]

9 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

It’s not about rubbing it in your face.  These type of views  are a symptom on the problem with our whole support.

 

120 mins after moving across the world And we have a significant number declaring him shite. After he actually played pretty decent . And he did play decent.   I don’t get the kio : grant comparison either.  Maybe he will be at the same level as beni? Probably not but at our level (which is really bargain basement) we cannot guarantee players. There will be hits and misses

 

I’ve no idea what that is or where this kind of view comes from tbh. Even if he was bad there are countless examples of top players who’ve stuggled initially.  Hearts legends amongst them
 

Annoying as **** 
 

 

 

See also Tagawa. Folk have written him off like they did Oda (incidentally Oda appears to be getting close to being written off again) and remember Simms being written off early as he had the touch of an elephant apparently?

[BackOfTheNet]

3 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

Found this lad in the Aussie press, apparently was looking like a top player for Wellington Pheonix and was getting some glowing reviews then negotiations broke down over a new deal and he walked away. Same agent as Cammy. 

 

 

Our squad will just start looking like a dyslexic’s attempt at spelling Callum…

[Robbo-Jambo]

10 hours ago, OTT said:

 

I've responded above, Its not so much that I'm choking at the bit to let him go. Its more that after Kio and Grant, we really needed someone who could make an immediate impact, and I'm extremely doubtful that he's going to do that. St Johnstone he looked poor, and Partick he looked average, With other players like Haring, Djoum, Beni or Devlin there was something immediate to latch onto but with Hof, I've not seen anything yet. 

 

By all means keep him, its not a hill I'm dying on. Just not holding out hope that we have some sort of gem on our hands. 

I think everybody thought that he was a first eleven signing the fuss that was made about us getting him in.

 

Yet he appears to be another project.

 

Nobody seems to know what his injury is or how long he is going to be out for. Same applies to Beni and McKay unless I have missed an injury update?

[TexasAndy]

10 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

It’s not about rubbing it in your face.  These type of views  are a symptom on the problem with our whole support.

 

120 mins after moving across the world And we have a significant number declaring him shite. After he actually played pretty decent . And he did play decent.   I don’t get the kio : grant comparison either.  Maybe he will be at the same level as beni? Probably not but at our level (which is really bargain basement) we cannot guarantee players. There will be hits and misses

 

I’ve no idea what that is or where this kind of view comes from tbh. Even if he was bad there are countless examples of top players who’ve stuggled initially.  Hearts legends amongst them
 

Annoying as **** 
 

 

 

The reality is while KB is good for general interest and chat you do have to scroll past a lot of drivel.  

[kingantti1874]

The problem is the level of patience, and understanding of where hearts are.  does requiring a few weeks to settle in make him a project player now? 
 

I’ve no idea why anyone at this point thinks we are in the market for ready made, guaranteed players. The economics of football simply prevent that happening.
 

 

[BackOfTheNet]

28 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

I think everybody thought that he was a first eleven signing the fuss that was made about us getting him in.

 

Yet he appears to be another project.

 

Nobody seems to know what his injury is or how long he is going to be out for. Same applies to Beni and McKay unless I have missed an injury update?

What fuss was made over him? And by who? People on here?

 

A player who only has one senior season under his belt is not someone who was ever going to come in and take the team by the scruff of the neck. It’s always been a signing with potential, and potential is not going to be realised in two sets of 60 minutes.

[Robbo-Jambo]

1 minute ago, BackOfTheNet said:

What fuss was made over him? And by who? People on here?

 

A player who only has one senior season under his belt is not someone who was ever going to come in and take the team by the scruff of the neck. It’s always been a signing with potential, and potential is not going to be realised in two sets of 60 minutes.

Well if he is not a first eleven player maybe we should focus on signing players that are considering the state of our shite midfield.

[kingantti1874]

8 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

Well if he is not a first eleven player maybe we should focus on signing players that are considering the state of our shite midfield.

nobody said he is or he isn’t.  The reality is he needs more than 120 mins at least 60 of which he was good, and tbh - he was as good as anyone at st Johnston as well.  
 

this aside, do you see what’s going on in football? Rangers, Celtic, Hearts’s , Hibs, Aberdeen are all having massive hits and misses on transfers,  becuase we are all (and I include the old firm) shopping in the bargain bin.  Even 3/4/5m is not enough to guarantee a player any more it Only lessenens the odds of them being poor.  Aberdeen have signed that rubezic for nearly £1m and he looks like a cart horse.  
 

honestly, it like people can’t see what’s going on.  We still expect Colin Cameron type players or Stefan Salvatori.  We literally couldn’t either of those players today, they’d be hoovered into the English system for. 10* the money

[BackOfTheNet]

46 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

Well if he is not a first eleven player maybe we should focus on signing players that are considering the state of our shite midfield.

Our midfield is the best outside the OF when they’re all fit. We obviously thought Baningime was going to come back roaring.

[Japan Jambo]

On 05/09/2023 at 00:31, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

They forgot to order the beds

 

🤣 

[Batistuta87]

BBC saying we're in the market for a RB so assuming Offiah's health scare is serious enough to mean he won't be playing for the next wee while. I hope he's OK. 

 

Looking at the list of available players, I'm going to suggest that we'll be looking at Callan Elliott from Wellington Pheonix. Has the same agent as Cammy, played with him at WP, born in Scotland, MV is right in the sort of range we'd have for a backup player... Just looks like a very realistic option. Glowing reports from his time with the NZ national side, comparisons to Dani Alves at Pheonix (LOL), has chipped in with a few assists in the A-League, and having just turned 24 I'd say he's a decent enough age to come over here and learn on his feet. 

 

[feej]

This lad still available, Ryan Nyambe, seems to have similar profile to Odel, right back that can also play at centre back.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

1 hour ago, Batistuta87 said:

BBC saying we're in the market for a RB so assuming Offiah's health scare is serious enough to mean he won't be playing for the next wee while. I hope he's OK. 

 

Looking at the list of available players, I'm going to suggest that we'll be looking at Callan Elliott from Wellington Pheonix. Has the same agent as Cammy, played with him at WP, born in Scotland, MV is right in the sort of range we'd have for a backup player... Just looks like a very realistic option. Glowing reports from his time with the NZ national side, comparisons to Dani Alves at Pheonix (LOL), has chipped in with a few assists in the A-League, and having just turned 24 I'd say he's a decent enough age to come over here and learn on his feet. 

 

Would have to be a free agent - no?

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

2 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The problem is the level of patience, and understanding of where hearts are.  does requiring a few weeks to settle in make him a project player now? 
 

I’ve no idea why anyone at this point thinks we are in the market for ready made, guaranteed players. The economics of football simply prevent that happening.
 

 

Or we could sign Nicky Devlin who has been giving away goals for fun at Aberdeen

[BackOfTheNet]

9 minutes ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

Would have to be a free agent - no?

He is a free agent. Wikipedia just hasn’t updated that yet. Not been at a club since July according to Transfermarkt.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

1 minute ago, BackOfTheNet said:

He is a free agent. Wikipedia just hasn’t updated that yet. Not been at a club since July according to Transfermarkt.

👍

[Batistuta87]

12 minutes ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

Would have to be a free agent - no?

Elliott is, aye. Left Wellington Pheonix in August.

 

[Chimp]

13 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

Boys played about 120 mins of football.  In the second 60 he was pretty decent.

 

I’ll play the ball and not the man.  Views like this are absolutely WANK . Total ****ing nonsense, embarrassing nonsense

 

 

 

I actually agree with you about Calem btw and judging him so soon is very unfair... but this part, get some new material man anyone who has an opinion you don't agree with - is this is the same thing you churn out? Said almost the exact same thing to me because I don't think Haring isn't good enough. Flying off the handle because you feel differently about something.

[jbee647]

2 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

nobody said he is or he isn’t.  The reality is he needs more than 120 mins at least 60 of which he was good, and tbh - he was as good as anyone at st Johnston as well.  
 

this aside, do you see what’s going on in football? Rangers, Celtic, Hearts’s , Hibs, Aberdeen are all having massive hits and misses on transfers,  becuase we are all (and I include the old firm) shopping in the bargain bin.  Even 3/4/5m is not enough to guarantee a player any more it Only lessenens the odds of them being poor.  Aberdeen have signed that rubezic for nearly £1m and he looks like a cart horse.  
 

honestly, it like people can’t see what’s going on.  We still expect Colin Cameron type players or Stefan Salvatori.  We literally couldn’t either of those players today, they’d be hoovered into the English system for. 10* the money

All true I’m afraid, the money available to clubs in Scotland at our level only buys you a certain standard, if we sort out recruitment we should still be able to comfortably afford a level of player to finish best of the rest most seasons.

We can’t however afford the type of players who will get us ahead of the Old Firm or able to succeed in European competition 

Every week on the match thread I see people predicting 5-0 wins etc, these are usually the ones on here after the game losing there shit, there expectations of the club far outweigh the reality I’m afraid.

 

Just trying harder, and not being scared of the old firm and changing the manager every season only gets you so far, but mostly one step forward two steps back

I have been that eternal optimist as a Hearts fan, but I’m now more of a realist and accepting of where we are in the food chain, when you do that you will enjoy it more.

 

Don’t get to high when we win or too low when we  lose, then there will be occasions when the stars align and we get that luck and we get to see the Hearts lift the very occasional trophy.

Edited September 6, 2023 by jbee647

[Chimp]

3 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The problem is the level of patience, and understanding of where hearts are.  does requiring a few weeks to settle in make him a project player now? 
 

I’ve no idea why anyone at this point thinks we are in the market for ready made, guaranteed players. The economics of football simply prevent that happening.
 

 

 

It definitely seems that way now to a lot of fans now. Unless you play a blinder in your first 90 mins you've had it. Written off just like that, or if not then they're certainly up against it to try and prove themselves. Big hill to climb before they've even managed to unpack their bags properly.

[Saint Jambo]

2 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

nobody said he is or he isn’t.  The reality is he needs more than 120 mins at least 60 of which he was good, and tbh - he was as good as anyone at st Johnston as well.  
 

this aside, do you see what’s going on in football? Rangers, Celtic, Hearts’s , Hibs, Aberdeen are all having massive hits and misses on transfers,  becuase we are all (and I include the old firm) shopping in the bargain bin.  Even 3/4/5m is not enough to guarantee a player any more it Only lessenens the odds of them being poor.  Aberdeen have signed that rubezic for nearly £1m and he looks like a cart horse.  
 

honestly, it like people can’t see what’s going on.  We still expect Colin Cameron type players or Stefan Salvatori.  We literally couldn’t either of those players today, they’d be hoovered into the English system for. 10* the money

 

I agree, but would expand on it to say that every team at every level has massive hits and misses in the transfer market and that has always been the case. There isn't a team in the English Premiership who don't have expensive flops. Think of all the players that go to Madrid or Barcelona as the next big thing only to struggle. A Saudi team bought Jota for £25m and already looks like a miss. The same year we bought Cameron, we also signed David Winnie and Hans Eskilsson. Jeremy Goss and Darren Beckford were signed in the same season as Stefan Salvatori. There will always be hits and misses in the transfer market and always have been.

 

Project player is a tired and pretty meaningless cliche on kickback.

[wavydavy]

2 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

BBC saying we're in the market for a RB so assuming Offiah's health scare is serious enough to mean he won't be playing for the next wee while. I hope he's OK. 

 

Looking at the list of available players, I'm going to suggest that we'll be looking at Callan Elliott from Wellington Pheonix. Has the same agent as Cammy, played with him at WP, born in Scotland, MV is right in the sort of range we'd have for a backup player... Just looks like a very realistic option. Glowing reports from his time with the NZ national side, comparisons to Dani Alves at Pheonix (LOL), has chipped in with a few assists in the A-League, and having just turned 24 I'd say he's a decent enough age to come over here and learn on his feet. 

 

 

Why do we have to be looking for players so far away from here and Europe?

 

JJ and Billy Brown don't get it either as they stated at last nights shareholders dinner q&a.

[Chimp]

4 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

 

Why do we have to be looking for players so far away from here and Europe?

 

JJ and Billy Brown don't get it either as they stated at last nights shareholders dinner q&a.

 

They view it as value for money most likely. Wages and fees won't be as high. We haven't really had much success with our signings in recent years from that part of the world so I'd probably prefer us to be looking elsewhere.

[wavydavy]

3 minutes ago, Chimp said:

 

They view it as value for money most likely. Wages and fees won't be as high. We haven't really had much success with our signings in recent years from that part of the world so I'd probably prefer us to be looking elsewhere.

 

Maybe true however I think in all cases you mostly get what you pay for and if you opt for value for money then that is reflected in what you get.

 

 

[briever]

1 hour ago, Saint Jambo said:

 

I agree, but would expand on it to say that every team at every level has massive hits and misses in the transfer market and that has always been the case. There isn't a team in the English Premiership who don't have expensive flops. Think of all the players that go to Madrid or Barcelona as the next big thing only to struggle. A Saudi team bought Jota for £25m and already looks like a miss. The same year we bought Cameron, we also signed David Winnie and Hans Eskilsson. Jeremy Goss and Darren Beckford were signed in the same season as Stefan Salvatori. There will always be hits and misses in the transfer market and always have been.

 

Project player is a tired and pretty meaningless cliche on kickback.

 

We need to immediately stop getting Aussies - their basic skills are atrocious and when pressed they fall to pieces.

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

4 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The problem is the level of patience, and understanding of where hearts are.  does requiring a few weeks to settle in make him a project player now? 
 

I’ve no idea why anyone at this point thinks we are in the market for ready made, guaranteed players. The economics of football simply prevent that happening.
 

 

What is a project player?

Is that like our project manager?

Edited September 6, 2023 by Howdy Doody Jambo

[Chimp]

23 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

 

Maybe true however I think in all cases you mostly get what you pay for and if you opt for value for money then that is reflected in what you get.

 

 

Yeah mostly. Vargas was fairly cheap by all accounts though and looks to be a player so far, especially for his age. Oda has great potential too. All about good scouting at the end of the day.

[Batistuta87]

38 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

 

Why do we have to be looking for players so far away from here and Europe?

 

JJ and Billy Brown don't get it either as they stated at last nights shareholders dinner q&a.

We can only sign a free agent just now so a very limited selection and I didn't pick the guy because of where he's from I picked him because he looks like a decent fit. 

 

[Jambof3tornado]

4 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The problem is the level of patience, and understanding of where hearts are.  does requiring a few weeks to settle in make him a project player now? 
 

I’ve no idea why anyone at this point thinks we are in the market for ready made, guaranteed players. The economics of football simply prevent that happening.
 

 

You can get ready made guaranteed players,its just the level they are at may be lower than one of these projects turn out to be.

[Berrassobad]

11 hours ago, BackOfTheNet said:

Our midfield is the best outside the OF when they’re all fit. We obviously thought Baningime was going to come back roaring.

complete tosh - no attacking mids - just huff and puff players - no foresight -  and before you ask me to justify it look at the results historically and currently - total tosh imo

[Jambof3tornado]

38 minutes ago, Chimp said:

 

They view it as value for money most likely. Wages and fees won't be as high. We haven't really had much success with our signings in recent years from that part of the world so I'd probably prefer us to be looking elsewhere.

What about when we sign rowles on a deal then give him a bumper new deal then he becomes shite overnight? Is that value for money?

[Section Q]

Smith doesn't have a club. Maybe we should re sign him until Xmas.

[Chimp]

3 minutes ago, Jambof3tornado said:

What about when we sign rowles on a deal then give him a bumper new deal then he becomes shite overnight? Is that value for money?

Worth every penny! 

I said they probably value it that way, not me. That's why I said I'd prefer us to be looking elsewhere, because nothing we've signed from that neck of the woods has been proven to be value for money. Even pish like Bozanic was a poor signing.

[Chimp]

3 minutes ago, Section Q said:

Smith doesn't have a club. Maybe we should re sign him until Xmas.

 

Maybe we shouldn't do that at all.

[DC_92]

Our midfield was the same or worse last season when we scored plenty of goals. If you chucked Kent into that defence we'd probably have finished 3rd comfortably. Currently you couldn't even confidently say we'll finish top 6.

 

I wouldn't be against another midfielder coming in but the biggest problem by far is the tactics, or lack thereof.

[Leveins Battalion]

1 minute ago, DC_92 said:

Our midfield was the same or worse last season when we scored plenty of goals. If you chucked Kent into that defence we'd probably have finished 3rd comfortably. Currently you couldn't even confidently say we'll finish top 6.

 

I wouldn't be against another midfielder coming in but the biggest problem by far is the tactics, or lack thereof.

 

 

Shhh don't say that I started a thread called bottom 6 and got nothing but abuse and laughing emojis.

[Deevers]

2 minutes ago, DC_92 said:

Our midfield was the same or worse last season when we scored plenty of goals. If you chucked Kent into that defence we'd probably have finished 3rd comfortably. Currently you couldn't even confidently say we'll finish top 6.

 

I wouldn't be against another midfielder coming in but the biggest problem by far is the tactics, or lack thereof.

This for me. So far the tactics just seem like a complete rehash of what we had under Robbie - and that’s not what was sold to us by Naismith. It would not surprise me to see one or possibly two in the door before the Aberdeen game, depending on our right back situation. That game will tell us a lot about where we are under Naismith and about the resolve and bottle of our current squad.

[feej]

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/9-hearts-free-transfer-right-27658948#amp-readmore-target

 

[jbee647]

1 hour ago, Chimp said:

 

They view it as value for money most likely. Wages and fees won't be as high. We haven't really had much success with our signings in recent years from that part of the world so I'd probably prefer us to be looking elsewhere.

But it’s a false economy, buy rubbish you buy twice

[DC_92]

9 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

Found this lad in the Aussie press, apparently was looking like a top player for Wellington Pheonix and was getting some glowing reviews then negotiations broke down over a new deal and he walked away. Same agent as Cammy. 

 

 

 

I wouldn't be keen on this as he looks a bit of a weed and I'd be cautious about bringing in anyone other than the very best from that league.

 

Based on Offiah's signing, I reckon they'll be looking for a more physical alternative to Atkinson.

[Korky]

5 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

The problem is the level of patience, and understanding of where hearts are.  does requiring a few weeks to settle in make him a project player now? 
 

I’ve no idea why anyone at this point thinks we are in the market for ready made, guaranteed players. The economics of football simply prevent that happening.
 

 

It happened with Kent and Shankland and Beni and Simms and Kingsley……So it’s not impossible.

 

[wavydavy]

50 minutes ago, Batistuta87 said:

We can only sign a free agent just now so a very limited selection and I didn't pick the guy because of where he's from I picked him because he looks like a decent fit. 

 

 

Yeah I relaise that and was not having a go at you.

[Chimp]

24 minutes ago, jbee647 said:

But it’s a false economy, buy rubbish you buy twice

 

More often than not yes. You do get that odd gem and for a club our size that's usually what we have to rely on finding. But as I said I'd prefer looking at other parts of the globe like we did with Vargas and Oda, because the Aussies have been largely disappointing and haven't been very good value for money so far.

[Worthing Jambo]

1 hour ago, wavydavy said:

 

Maybe true however I think in all cases you mostly get what you pay for and if you opt for value for money then that is reflected in what you get.

 

 

Spot on, and applies in most walks of life.

It maybe takes some a bit longer, and a few burnt fingers, to get there though!

[iantjambo]

Michael Smith still doesn’t have a club. Might be worth getting him back on a short term deal, even just until January, as back up for right back.