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

[JimmyCant]

16 hours ago, Gundermann said:

 

He's had one goal in 167 minutes of football. He may turn out to be a disappointment but I wouldn't write him off yet.

Made a very good run and pass for the winner against Rosenborg as well

[Pans Jambo]

Just noticed this was the match day fred. The title is wrong. Should be PAOK v Hearts.

 

Anyway, Maybe had too many coffee's today but I think we will sneak a 1-0 win and extra time/penalties tomorrow.

[DC_92]

1 hour ago, Sooks said:

Humidity is a thing that people do not always understand properly too . There is a difference between a dry heat and a humid heat . It all comes down to our physiological response to over heating ………… we sweat

 

The reason we sweat is because the evaporating fluids on our skins cools us down 

 

Saline can not evaporate in to air with a higher water content so you do not sweat effectively and you do not cool down as a consequence . You lose the water and salt but you do not get the cooling effect of it 

 

 

 

30 minutes ago, Victorian said:

 

This.  High humidity can be a killer.  Higher humidity existing at sea level normally.  You get that dry heat at high altitude.

 

Humidity there is 33% today, forecast for 39% tomorrow and 47% on Friday.

 

If that's the case it'll be a pretty dry heat.

[Sooks]

2 minutes ago, DC_92 said:

 

 

Humidity there is 33% today, forecast for 39% tomorrow and 47% on Friday.

 

If that's the case it'll be a pretty dry heat.

That would be a good thing if so 

[DC_92]

1 minute ago, Sooks said:

That would be a good thing if so 

 

Yep. This is the forecast for kick-off time tomorrow.

 

 

[Sooks]

4 minutes ago, DC_92 said:

 

Yep. This is the forecast for kick-off time tomorrow.

 

 

Hopefully they spent today acclimatising and their minds are able to focus . Plenty fluids when possible and get wired in 

[feedthefox]

15 hours ago, Ricardo Quaresma said:

                                                Clark

 

                                      Kent              Offiah

        Atkinson                                                                Kingsley

                                    Devlin            Cochrane

 

                                         Shankland (C)

        Oda                                                                        Tagawa

                                              Vargas

 

 

 

******* into them, about them, round them and through them

 

FULL ATTACK, subs only if essential

 

Switch the forwards to see who's good against who

 

 

 

-

 

Please not Cochrane in midfield, absolute murder. Tagawa looks absolutely lost so far

[MattyK82]

The thread title still needs sorted! PAOK are the home team! 

[gorgieshuffle]

Poor that we’re playing a game worth £5m to the club and we don’t have a midfield partner for Devlin. That is a big failure. Beni was never going to be able to be relied on. Haring is constantly injured. Hof we were told would take time to adjust. It’s a glaring error that we haven’t signed a CM starter that improves us.

Regardless of what happens tomorrow we should be in the market for a loan at least. Someone who has played in British football and is ready to come straight into the side.

Who plays in there tomorrow? Sibbick hooked at ht at dens. Can’t be Denholm, no way. Cochrane again? Halliday hasn’t featured. Grant away or not fancied? He’s not played much football either way. It’s going to be an important choice. 
 

I wouldn’t play Rowles, I’d have Kingsley beside Kent. But I don’t think that will happen. Therefore Cochrane at left mid and Vargas right. Boyce and Shanks up top. Someone could come in from out the cold here to partner Devlin. We should miss out the midfield and go direct. Go after their centre halves. Use the thrust of Cochrane wide and ask Vargas to go in behind. Kent won every first ball so we may have an opportunity from a set piece knock down.
It’s a massive ask tomorrow and we missed a huge opportunity at home but what’s football without a little hope. 

[feedthefox]

16 minutes ago, gorgieshuffle said:

Poor that we’re playing a game worth £5m to the club and we don’t have a midfield partner for Devlin. That is a big failure. Beni was never going to be able to be relied on. Haring is constantly injured. Hof we were told would take time to adjust. It’s a glaring error that we haven’t signed a CM starter that improves us.

Regardless of what happens tomorrow we should be in the market for a loan at least. Someone who has played in British football and is ready to come straight into the side.

Who plays in there tomorrow? Sibbick hooked at ht at dens. Can’t be Denholm, no way. Cochrane again? Halliday hasn’t featured. Grant away or not fancied? He’s not played much football either way. It’s going to be an important choice. 
 

I wouldn’t play Rowles, I’d have Kingsley beside Kent. But I don’t think that will happen. Therefore Cochrane at left mid and Vargas right. Boyce and Shanks up top. Someone could come in from out the cold here to partner Devlin. We should miss out the midfield and go direct. Go after their centre halves. Use the thrust of Cochrane wide and ask Vargas to go in behind. Kent won every first ball so we may have an opportunity from a set piece knock down.
It’s a massive ask tomorrow and we missed a huge opportunity at home but what’s football without a little hope. 

 

Just don't get why we are so reluctant to give Jorge Grant a chance to seize his opportunity. I know folks on here scoff at what he's shown so far but he's had so little opportunity it's hardly fair to judge him in fact the last couple of cameos (inc Dundee) he's looked quite assured and at least looks to get forward. It wasn't that long ago everyone was wanting Atkinson moved on and now this season so far he's one of our best players, sometimes a player just needs a chance to step up. Utter madness having Cochrane in midfield ahead of Grant.

[Shooter McGavin]

How’s the thread title still not been changed 😂

[Auld Reekin']

50 minutes ago, gorgieshuffle said:

Poor that we’re playing a game worth £5m to the club and we don’t have a midfield partner for Devlin. That is a big failure. Beni was never going to be able to be relied on. Haring is constantly injured. Hof we were told would take time to adjust. It’s a glaring error that we haven’t signed a CM starter that improves us.

Regardless of what happens tomorrow we should be in the market for a loan at least. Someone who has played in British football and is ready to come straight into the side.

Who plays in there tomorrow? Sibbick hooked at ht at dens. Can’t be Denholm, no way. Cochrane again? Halliday hasn’t featured. Grant away or not fancied? He’s not played much football either way. It’s going to be an important choice. 
 

I wouldn’t play Rowles, I’d have Kingsley beside Kent. But I don’t think that will happen. Therefore Cochrane at left mid and Vargas right. Boyce and Shanks up top. Someone could come in from out the cold here to partner Devlin. We should miss out the midfield and go direct. Go after their centre halves. Use the thrust of Cochrane wide and ask Vargas to go in behind. Kent won every first ball so we may have an opportunity from a set piece knock down.
It’s a massive ask tomorrow and we missed a huge opportunity at home but what’s football without a little hope. 

 

 

25 minutes ago, feedthefox said:

 

Just don't get why we are so reluctant to give Jorge Grant a chance to seize his opportunity. I know folks on here scoff at what he's shown so far but he's had so little opportunity it's hardly fair to judge him in fact the last couple of cameos (inc Dundee) he's looked quite assured and at least looks to get forward. It wasn't that long ago everyone was wanting Atkinson moved on and now this season so far he's one of our best players, sometimes a player just needs a chance to step up. Utter madness having Cochrane in midfield ahead of Grant.

 

 

[gorgieshuffle]

20 minutes ago, feedthefox said:

 

Just don't get why we are so reluctant to give Jorge Grant a chance to seize his opportunity. I know folks on here scoff at what he's shown so far but he's had so little opportunity it's hardly fair to judge him in fact the last couple of cameos (inc Dundee) he's looked quite assured and at least looks to get forward. It wasn't that long ago everyone was wanting Atkinson moved on and now this season so far he's one of our best players, sometimes a player just needs a chance to step up. Utter madness having Cochrane in midfield ahead of Grant.

Grant has a bit of ability but he’s just never had a moment in a Hearts jersey. His bigger impacts have been times where he’s cost us. He did well away at Rosenborg when he came on. But when he didn’t get game time v Partick it looked like he was away.
We need better than him imo. He’s never going to be good enough to play CM week in week out for us.

You’d think he’d be away on Friday so he’d be unlikely to start. If his future is at the club then let’s hope tomorrow is when he finally has a big moment. 

[DC_92]

1 minute ago, gorgieshuffle said:

Grant has a bit of ability but he’s just never had a moment in a Hearts jersey. His bigger impacts have been times where he’s cost us. He did well away at Rosenborg when he came on. But when he didn’t get game time v Partick it looked like he was away.
We need better than him imo. He’s never going to be good enough to play CM week in week out for us.

You’d think he’d be away on Friday so he’d be unlikely to start. If his future is at the club then let’s hope tomorrow is when he finally has a big moment. 

 

He definitely won't play tomorrow because he's not in the squad.

[gorgieshuffle]

1 minute ago, DC_92 said:

 

He definitely won't play tomorrow because he's not in the squad.

Well there you go then. He should be away on Friday. 

[GBJambo]

5 minutes ago, DC_92 said:

 

He definitely won't play tomorrow because he's not in the squad.

Shame as we need a CM but we will play a defender/ full back in there instead 

[DC_92]

6 minutes ago, gorgieshuffle said:

Well there you go then. He should be away on Friday. 

 

1 minute ago, GBJambo said:

Shame as we need a CM but we will play a defender/ full back in there instead 

 

I'd have started him alongside Devlin, but we decided not to put him in the squad last week and that means we can't play him this week either. Took Nieuwenhof and Beni instead, both of whom are apparently injured.

[gregzy2k7]

Anyone any idea how long Haring will be out for ? I thought it was just a rolled ankle ? Thats usually like 2 weeks out tops, Could be doing with a Strong midfielder in beside Devlin, preferably tomorrow night. 

[Newton51]

Did shankland travel? Keep looking out for him in pre match videos but not picked him out.

[spacerjoe]

On 28/08/2023 at 09:55, 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.

Getting into Europe and receiving a £4M windfall is probably a bad thing?

 

[south morocco]

1 hour ago, DC_92 said:

 

 

I'd have started him alongside Devlin, but we decided not to put him in the squad last week and that means we can't play him this week either. Took Nieuwenhof and Beni instead, both of whom are apparently injured.

Unless Beni and Calem are in with a shout tomorrow night it’s baffling. 

[gregzy2k7]

Would like to see us go a 3-5-2 in this one,

 

Think it's the best formation with our options,

 

I would go for,

 

Clark

Offiah Kent Kingsley

Natty Devlin Haring* Cochrane

Boyce

Vargas Shankland 

 

If Haring not fit would go with Grant.

[DC_92]

1 minute ago, south morocco said:

Unless Beni and Calem are in with a shout tomorrow night it’s baffling. 

 

Both were in training when the squad was finalised. Nieuwenhof's injury seems to have happened since then and Baningime seems to have had a setback.

[DC_92]

2 minutes ago, gregzy2k7 said:

Would like to see us go a 3-5-2 in this one,

 

Think it's the best formation with our options,

 

I would go for,

 

Clark

Offiah Kent Kingsley

Natty Devlin Haring* Cochrane

Boyce

Vargas Shankland 

 

If Haring not fit would go with Grant.

 

Neither Haring nor Grant are eligible to play.

[gregzy2k7]

Just now, DC_92 said:

 

Neither Haring nor Grant are eligible to play.

Fs there goes my plan lol, Denholm or Sibbick it Is then 😬

[sac]

6 hours ago, Sooks said:

Hopefully they spent today acclimatising and their minds are able to focus . Plenty fluids when possible and get wired in 

Nah, in and out like the SAS, de-brief in the skyline with a few cigars and some scotch, with a big smile

[EIEIO]

2 minutes ago, spacerjoe said:

Getting into Europe and receiving a £4M windfall is probably a bad thing?

 

Not a bad think but qualifying and playing an additional 6 european games would make it less likely that we qualify for the groups by securing third place this season. My point is we can't have both so would you sacrifice a poor league season (eg no goals v Dundee and Killie etc) for 6 European games?

It would be great to have both obviously but I don't think we are good enough, sadly.

 

[spacerjoe]

On 28/08/2023 at 09:59, 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'm sorry, but Kingsley is absolutely murder as CB in a 4. He can't head a ball to save his life.

 

Does nobody remember last season at all??

 

If you're going to swap Rowles out at least put Offiah in who is actually a CB. Or Sibbick.

 

Also, as much as I agree with the sentiment that we can't sit in, 'nothing to lose' is not true. We're only one goal behind. This is basically a cup final where we've gone a goal down after a minute.

 

It's a massive uphill battle, but we're not 2 or 3 down.

Edited August 30, 2023 by spacerjoe

[south morocco]

5 minutes ago, DC_92 said:

 

Both were in training when the squad was finalised. Nieuwenhof's injury seems to have happened since then and Baningime seems to have had a setback.

We have no luck at all with injuries. 

[Captain Canada]

My starting lineup would be: 

 

Clark

Atkinson Sibbick Kent Kingsley 

Devlin Halliday 

Vargas Boyce Cochrane 

Shankland 

 

Halliday might be limited in terms of skill, but he's an experienced head who might come in useful in a hostile atmosphere. 

[Hungry hippo]

3 minutes ago, Captain Canada said:

My starting lineup would be: 

 

Clark

Atkinson Sibbick Kent Kingsley 

Devlin Halliday 

Vargas Boyce Cochrane 

Shankland 

 

Halliday might be limited in terms of skill, but he's an experienced head who might come in useful in a hostile atmosphere. 

 

I think that's a reasonable shout in the circumstances.

[spacerjoe]

Just now, EIEIO said:

Not a bad think but qualifying and playing an additional 6 european games would make it less likely that we qualify for the groups by securing third place this season. My point is we can't have both so would you sacrifice a poor league season (eg no goals v Dundee and Killie etc) for 6 European games?

It would be great to have both obviously but I don't think we are good enough, sadly.

 

We only blew 3rd last year when we were already out of Europe.

 

By Feb we were out of sight and every pundit claiming we were on another level.

 

Europe was not the reason we didn't make 3rd.

 

That is moot though - get into Europe this year and your earnings over this season and next are £4M to £8M.

 

Don't get in and your earnings this season and next season are £0 to £4M.

 

Gotta take Europe every time. 3rd is not guaranteed either way, but the cash we receive for European football (groups) is.

 

 

[BackOfTheNet]

They have a wide pitch? Taking everything into account, we’re going to lose this badly I fear. As in 4 or 5-0.

[hearts00]

2 hours ago, gorgieshuffle said:

Grant has a bit of ability but he’s just never had a moment in a Hearts jersey. His bigger impacts have been times where he’s cost us. He did well away at Rosenborg when he came on. But when he didn’t get game time v Partick it looked like he was away.
We need better than him imo. He’s never going to be good enough to play CM week in week out for us.

You’d think he’d be away on Friday so he’d be unlikely to start. If his future is at the club then let’s hope tomorrow is when he finally has a big moment. 

He screwed up his career at Hearts early on with the two reds.

 

It would appear they are trying to usher him out.
 

Does he deserve three games in CM to prove himself…absolutely.  
 

He won’t get it though. We’ll go with Cochrane in there  and it will be murder. 

[GorgieFifeLife]

Clark

 

Offiah

Kent

Sibbick

Kingsley

 

Atkinson

Devlin

Halliday

Cochrane

 

Vargas

Shankland

 

The thinking is we need to be hard to beat here or they will tear us apart.  Vargas in for his pace on the counter.

[Costanza]

1 hour ago, Captain Canada said:

My starting lineup would be: 

 

Clark

Atkinson Sibbick Kent Kingsley 

Devlin Halliday 

Vargas Boyce Cochrane 

Shankland 

 

Halliday might be limited in terms of skill, but he's an experienced head who might come in useful in a hostile atmosphere. 

I'd likely go with that but Lowry over Cochrane as I'd like to see our ball retention better higher up the pitch.

The centre mid does give me the fear though....

Can see a few folk wanting Oda in the starting lineup but I'm just not seeing it with him yet (very early days) and he doesn't try to go past his man often enough for me.

[Sooks]

2 hours ago, sac said:

Nah, in and out like the SAS, de-brief in the skyline with a few cigars and some scotch, with a big smile

Awesome  

 

Kingsley in a fur lined aviator jacket or GTF 

[Bongo 1874]

Will be interesting to see if Shankland starts this game.

[HMFC01]

Clark

Atkinson Kent Sibbick Cochrane 

 Denholm Devlin Haliday

Vargas Shankland Lowry

 

I'm not confident who's available in midfield.   No Beni, No Haring, No Hof.   We could start in a 4231 and go patient or just press them from the start.   Probably patient then eventually a press to equalise.   Unless we lose an early goal then we're really chasing it.   They won't make it easy.   The heat will slow it down as well as their diving.   Substitutions will be crucial.   I can see a young player or two getting a game being so short on players. 

 

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

1 hour ago, Bongo 1874 said:

Will be interesting to see if Shankland starts this game.

Why wouldn't our captain and main striker not start?

[GorgieFifeLife]

39 minutes ago, Selkirkhmfc1874 said:

Why wouldn't our captain and main striker not start?

Deal done with Southampton perhaps.  I’d still expect him to start even if it is his last game.

[Bongo 1874]

45 minutes ago, Selkirkhmfc1874 said:

Why wouldn't our captain and main striker not start?

What Gorgie Fife Life said,not saying he has but have heard it.

[Ricardo Quaresma]

2 hours ago, Sooks said:

Awesome  

 

Kingsley in a fur lined aviator jacket or GTF 

I would seriously LOL if someone done a mock-up of Kingsley in the Tom Cruise Top Gun shot, with the sunglasses, of course

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

3 hours ago, GorgieFifeLife said:

Deal done with Southampton perhaps.  I’d still expect him to start even if it is his last game.

Be gutted if that's the case.

[Tenor]

Clark

Atkinson - Kent - Offiah - Kingsley

Vargas - Devlin - Denholm - Lowry

Boyce - Shankland

[CMc]

9 hours ago, spacerjoe said:

I'm sorry, but Kingsley is absolutely murder as CB in a 4. He can't head a ball to save his life.

 

Does nobody remember last season at all??

 

If you're going to swap Rowles out at least put Offiah in who is actually a CB. Or Sibbick.

 

Also, as much as I agree with the sentiment that we can't sit in, 'nothing to lose' is not true. We're only one goal behind. This is basically a cup final where we've gone a goal down after a minute.

 

It's a massive uphill battle, but we're not 2 or 3 down.

Bold is untrue. Defensive unit as a whole struggled, with set pieced in particular, but Kingsley individually did well in the air for us. Won four headers per 90 and was in the 94th percentile in the SPL for heading success last season.

 

To put that in context, only three centrebacks (who played more than a handful of games) won five or more headers per game. 

Edited August 31, 2023 by CMc

[KyleLafferty]

46 minutes ago, CMc said:

Bold is untrue. Defensive unit as a whole struggled, with set pieced in particular, but Kingsley individually did well in the air for us. Won four headers per 90 and was in the 94th percentile in the SPL for heading success last season.

 

To put that in context, only three centrebacks (who played more than a handful of games) won five or more headers per game. 

Anybody with eyes can tell you Kingsley was shocking in the air defensively last year. Stats don’t tell you the area of the park, or challenged. Lost count he got beat in the air for goals or lost his man. He can’t play centre back in a two.

[cazzyy]

On 28/08/2023 at 09:48, tartofmidlothian said:

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

 

Surprised this hasn't been sorted yet, took me a wee while to realise this was the match day thread. 🤬

[cazzyy]

10 hours ago, EIEIO said:

Not a bad think but qualifying and playing an additional 6 european games would make it less likely that we qualify for the groups by securing third place this season. My point is we can't have both so would you sacrifice a poor league season (eg no goals v Dundee and Killie etc) for 6 European games?

It would be great to have both obviously but I don't think we are good enough, sadly.

 

 

Wait, you don't want us to qualify for the group stage because it might hamper us from qualifying for the group stage next season? 🫣

I presume "we can't have both" means that we can never play group stage football 2 seasons in a row if you're right?

[spacerjoe]

1 hour ago, CMc said:

Bold is untrue. Defensive unit as a whole struggled, with set pieced in particular, but Kingsley individually did well in the air for us. Won four headers per 90 and was in the 94th percentile in the SPL for heading success last season.

 

To put that in context, only three centrebacks (who played more than a handful of games) won five or more headers per game. 

Those were his stats when playing CB in a 4?

 

Yes, me saying he 'can't header a ball' could be taken as a general statement, but it was in the context of playing CB in a 4. It's very different to LCB in a 3 or LB.

 

Of course, the sample size for that data will be too small to be statistically significant I'm sure (he maybe only played there 5 or 6 times), but it would be interesting to see. Especially alongside aerial duels won (you can win 4 headers a game, but it's no good if you concede 15).

 

I personally remember him being bullied plenty. One goal against Istanbul springs to mind when he just collapsed. Against a similar level of opposition tonight I would fear the same.

 

We have 4 fit CBs on our books. Pick 2 is my point.

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by spacerjoe