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

[tartofmidlothian]

Hopefully a bad result inspires a good one and that's why the team were playing within themselves yesterday, keeping it in reserve. There's not a lot between the teams, but the atmosphere will obviously be against us. I have hope.

 

2-1 to us, 5-4 to us on pens. 🤞

[tartofmidlothian]

Mods - teams the wrong way round in the title, please can you sort, thank you!

[i8hibsh]

PAOK to score 4. Rowles to assist with 3 of them.

 

 

[By The Light..]

For the fans making the trip to attend I hope the team puts on better performance than they did yesterday in Dundee.

 

 

[EIEIO]

Glorious failure 1-1 draw. Our European performances ,except for the first half in Norway , have been decent. Dundee and Kilmarnock however....

We can't play on two fronts so sadly a European exit is probably a good thing.

[Batistuta87]

Got to go for it. Nothing to lose. 

 

GK Clark

RB Atkinson

CB Kent 

CB Kingsley

LB Cochrane 

CM Devlin

CM Denholm/Lowry

RW Vargas

LW Oda

AM Boyce

ST Shankland

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Batistuta87

[E3OBE]

Would love to feel confident but I genuinely think we’ll

be beaten comfortably. Had to take a lead over there to protect. 28 degrees minimum and they’ll have about an extra 5 players to pick from.

3-0 PAOK

[PapaShango]

Would love to turn this around but more than likely we will lose this by 2 or 3. Our defending is still not the best and our midfield is hopeless in any offensive form. Just got to hope we hang in there as long as possible and sneak a goal. Tough ask with the conditions as well. Bare minimum is to not be rabbits caught in the headlights and leave everything on the park. I can accept us losing if we have burst a gut and turned in some kind of performance. 

[Schevchenko]

I had the slightest glimmer of hope but after yesterday that has now gone 😔

[weegie jambo]

I'd be sticking Halliday in midfield to beef it up rather than risking Denholm (too inexperienced) or Sibbick (not a midfielder). I think we should go for the jugular but not too gung-ho like the 4-4-2 we played in the home leg. I think we need a strong midfield otherwise we'll get overrun. Devlin, Halliday and Cochrane doing his doubling up with Kingsley. If the BBC website is anything to go by their fans are the most entitled, arrogant and gloating fans I've come across. They have us down as cheats, thugs and not football players. I'd love nothing better than to make them eat their words.

[Chimp]

2 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

Got to go for it. Nothing to lose. 

 

GK Clark

RB Atkinson

CB Kent 

CB Kingsley

LB Cochrane 

CM Devlin

CM Denholm/Lowry

RW Vargas

LW Oda

AM Boyce

ST Shankland

 

 

Exactly the team I'd go for. Lowry over Denholm all day long for me though. 

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

Could have won the first leg and if we had, I’d have been quietly confident. But hard to see us getting through and probably a risk that we get properly horsed

[Jambof3tornado]

3 hours ago, EIEIO said:

Glorious failure 1-1 draw. Our European performances ,except for the first half in Norway , have been decent. Dundee and Kilmarnock however....

We can't play on two fronts so sadly a European exit is probably a good thing.

Unfortunately this. When we blew 3rd last year we failed in our ability to build on last years Europe funds.

Going through qualifiers nigh on impossible and for that reason I agree

[Pasquale for King]

4 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

Got to go for it. Nothing to lose. 

 

GK Clark

RB Atkinson

CB Kent 

CB Kingsley

LB Cochrane 

CM Devlin

CM Denholm/Lowry

RW Vargas

LW Oda

AM Boyce

ST Shankland

 

I like the look of that team, would maybe put Tagawa in ahead of Boyce to stretch them on the break and let Shankland drop slightly deeper but hopefully not far off that line up. 

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, weegie jambo said:

I'd be sticking Halliday in midfield to beef it up rather than risking Denholm (too inexperienced) or Sibbick (not a midfielder). I think we should go for the jugular but not too gung-ho like the 4-4-2 we played in the home leg. I think we need a strong midfield otherwise we'll get overrun. Devlin, Halliday and Cochrane doing his doubling up with Kingsley. If the BBC website is anything to go by their fans are the most entitled, arrogant and gloating fans I've come across. They have us down as cheats, thugs and not football players. I'd love nothing better than to make them eat their words.

We do need a strong midfield but playing a cart horse against quick quality players was bad enough last season and wont be repeated again. 

[Inglis3901]

Anywhere showing it on tv where there will be a lot of Jambos? Murrayfield sports bar? 

[Pasquale for King]

2 minutes ago, Inglis3901 said:

Anywhere showing it on tv where there will be a lot of Jambos? Murrayfield sports bar? 

Its on Viaplay 1 so most pubs around Gorgie should be showing it, then watch another demolition of Hibs from Aston Villa straight after 😆. 

[weegie jambo]

23 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

We do need a strong midfield but playing a cart horse against quick quality players was bad enough last season and wont be repeated again. 

what would your midfield look like? given we have so few options! Halliday would at least get stuck in and has experience.

[GinRummy]

Just now, weegie jambo said:

what would your midfield look like? given we have so few options! Halliday would at least get stuck in and has experience.

You're as well sticking Denholm in there again if it's a straight choice between him and Halliday. Neither good enough for this game but at least Denholm might gaim something from it and improve.

 

Halliday shouldn't even be at the club after last season.

[wavydavy]

4 hours ago, i8hibsh said:

PAOK to score 4. Rowles to assist with 3 of them.

 

 

 

Clark might throw one in as well.

[Sherbet]

4 hours ago, PapaShango said:

Would love to turn this around but more than likely we will lose this by 2 or 3. Our defending is still not the best and our midfield is hopeless in any offensive form. Just got to hope we hang in there as long as possible and sneak a goal. Tough ask with the conditions as well. Bare minimum is to not be rabbits caught in the headlights and leave everything on the park. I can accept us losing if we have burst a gut and turned in some kind of performance. 

If we can't win in Dundee then doubt very much we will.in greece

[MattyK82]

5 hours ago, tartofmidlothian said:

Hopefully a bad result inspires a good one and that's why the team were playing within themselves yesterday, keeping it in reserve. There's not a lot between the teams, but the atmosphere will obviously be against us. I have hope.

 

2-1 to us, 5-4 to us on pens. 🤞

You need to change the thread title buddy! PAOK are of course at home 😉

[David McCaig]

5 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

Got to go for it. Nothing to lose. 

 

GK Clark

RB Atkinson

CB Kent 

CB Kingsley

LB Cochrane 

CM Devlin

CM Denholm/Lowry

RW Vargas

LW Oda

AM Boyce

ST Shankland

 

Whilst not a huge fan of Kingsley as a LCH in a back 4, I think we are pretty much at the no other options stage.

 

I like Frankie Kent as an out and out old school defender but he has the passing ability of Christophe Berra, so desperately needs a ball playing centre half alongside him which is something Rowles will never be.  To be honest, as well as being vastly superior on the ball, I think Kingsley edges Rowles on aerial ability as well.

 

This in turn allows Cochrane to play in his natural LB position.

 

The only issue I'd have with that side is that Project Denholm is surely now dead in the water and it probably has to be in order of preference, Lowry, Sibbick, Grant, Halliday, Tait, playing with 10 men, Stone, clear blue water .... followed by Denholm for the role alongside Devlin.

Edited August 28, 2023 by David McCaig

[skinnybob72]

We failed to trouble the goal at Dens Park against the mighty Dundee yesterday, the idea we can get a win in Greece can only be described as utter delusion. I don’t know what price the bookies are offering for us to win the tie but 100/1 would be about right. 
 

However, strange things happen….

[Watt-Zeefuik]

I still think we've got a chance in this and the Dundee debacle (hardly the first time we've had a horrific result against them) could be as much of a hangover from last Thursday as anything.

 

But the players and the management have to come together, just exactly the way they didn't last spring under Neilson.

[Luckies1874]

They’ll be significantly better than last Thursday and will win comfortably.
 

This is what I genuinely believe but I’ll try the reverse hex anyway. 

[Broxburn Jambo]

Wouldn't have Lowry at centre -mid, no doubt he is a player, but a centre-mid has to be able to graft, I would like to see him at left using his skills as he did second half yesterday, if it is attacking mid it has to be Boyce

[BelgeJambo]

To All Jambos travelling, be safe 🇱🇻🇱🇻

[Watt-Zeefuik]

17 minutes ago, Broxburn Jambo said:

Wouldn't have Lowry at centre -mid, no doubt he is a player, but a centre-mid has to be able to graft, I would like to see him at left using his skills as he did second half yesterday, if it is attacking mid it has to be Boyce

 

We really don't have a player to play attacking center mid, pretty much anywhere, except for Boyce who's really a striker. We should quit deploying a formation that requires one so much.

 

[GinRummy]

21 minutes ago, Broxburn Jambo said:

Wouldn't have Lowry at centre -mid, no doubt he is a player, but a centre-mid has to be able to graft, I would like to see him at left using his skills as he did second half yesterday, if it is attacking mid it has to be Boyce

The only way I’d have him as a centre mid is in a three man midfield with the likes of Devlin and Haring in there.  

[Cruyff]

 

                   Clark 

Atkinson Kent Rowles Cochrane

            Devlin Denholm

  Vargas                        Lowry 

            Boycie Shanks 

 

3-1 Hearts

[Broxburn Jambo]

3 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

 

                   Clark 

Atkinson Kent Rowles Cochrane

            Devlin Denholm

  Vargas                        Lowry 

            Boycie Shanks 

 

3-1 Hearts

Would suggest Kingsley for Denholm, and bring Denholm on later, he seems more comfortable as a sub at present

[Gundermann]

Seeing as we're pretty crap at passing, I'm expecting another brainfart near our box plus a wondergoal or two. Will be surprised if we manage better than 2-0 defeat. Dens Park was a brig too far for us FFS.

[Gundermann]

1 minute ago, Broxburn Jambo said:

Would suggest Kingsley for Denholm, and bring Denholm on later, he seems more comfortable as a sub at present

 

He was awful at Dens too. Don't have many solutions myself though.

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, weegie jambo said:

what would your midfield look like? given we have so few options! Halliday would at least get stuck in and has experience.

He won’t get anywhere near any of these players to get “stuck in”, hes the slowest player we have. 
He’s played 1200 minutes over 21 games in European competitions, he was so far off the standard required at this level last season that it was laughable. 
For me he will play Devlin, and either Cochrane or Sibbick probably, not ideal by any means but they are both quick and that is what we will need to get a victory, slow players of mind and body are no use in this competition. 

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

They struggled yesterday also, at home, resting quite a few. Dug out a 2-1 win, I think they will be happy enough to sit and wait, probably a narrow loss with limited excitement that we were ever going to get back in it.

 

On Viaplay, not sure thats common knowledge

[Swanny17]

Clark

 

Natty   Kent   Sibbick   Kingsley

 

Devlin   Halliday

 

Vargas   Boyce   Cochrane

 

Shanks

[SMJ_1874]

6 hours ago, i8hibsh said:

PAOK to score 4. Rowles to assist with 3 of them.

 

 

😂

[SMJ_1874]

6 hours ago, Batistuta87 said:

Got to go for it. Nothing to lose. 

 

GK Clark

RB Atkinson

CB Kent 

CB Kingsley

LB Cochrane 

CM Devlin

CM Denholm/Lowry

RW Vargas

LW Oda

AM Boyce

ST Shankland

 

 There are  two threads with almost the same heading, a bit confusing,  but I basically said this same team on the other thread. Nothing to lose so we have to go for it. You just never know with a bit of luck on our side…..and a decent referee 

[Batistuta87]

13 minutes ago, SMJ_1874 said:

 There are  two threads with almost the same heading, a bit confusing,  but I basically said this same team on the other thread. Nothing to lose so we have to go for it. You just never know with a bit of luck on our side…..and a decent referee 

👍

[weegie jambo]

26 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

He won’t get anywhere near any of these players to get “stuck in”, hes the slowest player we have. 
He’s played 1200 minutes over 21 games in European competitions, he was so far off the standard required at this level last season that it was laughable. 
For me he will play Devlin, and either Cochrane or Sibbick probably, not ideal by any means but they are both quick and that is what we will need to get a victory, slow players of mind and body are no use in this competition. 

I really don't like playing players out of position, square pegs in round holes was Neilson's forte, I would rather have Halliday in there with Cammy as at least he's a midfielder and always gives 100%. Whether that 100% is good enough is something we could debate endlessly but if he takes the Hibs 2 goal version I'll be happy.

[Pasquale for King]

47 minutes ago, weegie jambo said:

I really don't like playing players out of position, square pegs in round holes was Neilson's forte, I would rather have Halliday in there with Cammy as at least he's a midfielder and always gives 100%. Whether that 100% is good enough is something we could debate endlessly but if he takes the Hibs 2 goal version I'll be happy.

I’m not even sure hes a midfielder, was a left winger as a youngster and has moved steadily backwards to reach the bench, next stop the stand once more players are fit. RN played him in about 7 different positions, he was crap in them all. 
He scored those goals 17 months ago, has got steadily worse since then, and you can’t compare a frankly awful Hibs team at Tynecastle under Maloney to a decent Greek team at home with double our budget. 
He won’t even come off the bench and will hopefully go on loan somewhere on Friday. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Pasquale for King
Spelling

[longmalx]

Still can’t get my head around why Grant was omitted from the squad in pretence to Beni. That was a nuts decision since otherwise Grant should start.

[Rick Sanchez]

McGovern

 

Sibbick

Kent

Kingsley

 

Atkinson

Devlin

Halliday

Cochrane

 

Boyce

Shankland

Vargas

[AC Mallin_51]

As much as I want us to somehow pull it off part of me will be relieved to just get back concentrating on domestic football. I just don’t know how we’d cope with European football til Christmas with this team 

Edited August 28, 2023 by AC Mallin_51

[AC Mallin_51]

Also heart says 2-1 win and through on pens

 

head says 4-1 them 

[BangkokHearts]

GK Clark

 

RB Natty Akka

CB Kent

CB Rowells

LB Cochrane

 

CM Devlin

CM Lowry

RW Vargas

LW Oda

 

AM Boyce

ST Shankland

 

[OTT]

1 hour ago, Swanny17 said:

Clark

 

Natty   Kent   Sibbick   Kingsley

 

Devlin   Halliday

 

Vargas   Boyce   Cochrane

 

Shanks

 

I think this is about as good as we can get

[hearts00]

Yep 3-0 to PAOK feels a banker. 

[gregzy2k7]

4-1 to PAOK and that's being generous.

 

We will do our usual terrible start and find ourselves 1-0 down within the first 10 mins, will get back level around 31 mins but it will all be in vain as we concede again a min later, they will then pick us off in the second half with a couple more goals.

 

Have a safe trip to all those going, enjoy your beers and sun as the football is gonna be painful to watch.