Give Naismith time, what he is trying to achieve, our identity

[Nookie Bear]

6 hours ago, gregzy2k7 said:

Financial necessity?!! Where the feck has all our money gone then? I thought we were a financially well run club? Wheres the Foh money going ? That's surely got to be bullocks? There is absolutely no chance that that is the reason why Naismith was appointed. The only reason I can think of is because a certain person or "chairwoman" rather wanted Naismith to get the job.

 

And btw McKinley can go feck himself for trying to blame the fans for the appointment too.

Yep. Fair questions. 

[Leveins Battalion]

I want him and the 2 assistants beside him gone today.

 

I want our Board to actually behave like a professional Football Club and go out and get a manager worthy of HMFC.

[bawheed]

12 hours ago, Captain Lithuania said:

Now we all know if that happened Liam “Just along the corridor” Fox would be the next manager. I wish I was joking. 

Fox would be a huge improvement but another yes man to JS and the board.

[briever]

2 hours ago, jimbojambo said:

Going to Hampden yesterday nobody expected a Hearts win and we just wanted the players to put in some effort some effort which they certainly did. I am astonished that fans felt we did not do as well as we could against a team with one player who cost more than our whole team with millions of pounds signings in throughout the team and on the bench. Our form has picked up recently and hopefully we'll start picking up points on Saturday. 

 

Yawn.

[jamboozy]

12 hours ago, Jim_Duncan said:

The board won’t replace Naismith because it’s be an admission they made a major arse of things in the summer. 

And this people, is the crux of the whole problem. 👏

[Bazzas right boot]

3 hours ago, hearts00 said:

Bottom line is he is on notice. Won’t be sacked because lost to the OF. 
 

won 4, drew 1 and lost 1 in last 6 against non OF. He will have to keep that sort of record up from here in the next 6 non OF games or he will inevitably be on his way. 

 

Yip, win 3 or 4 of those games and we'll likley be 3rd and looking ok.

 

[The Real Maroonblood]

24 minutes ago, Leveins Battalion said:

I want him and the 2 assistants beside him gone today.

 

I want our Board to actually behave like a professional Football Club and go out and get a manager worthy of HMFC.

Unfortunately hell will freeze over first.

[Hashimoto]

27 minutes ago, bawheed said:

Fox would be a huge improvement but another yes man to JS and the board.

Do you honestly think so?

Foxy would just join a huge line of sycophants and lickspittles appointed by an incompetent board.  An appointment that would divide and alienate the support even further.

Time to board up the door leading to the corridor permanently. No more ex Levein boot room boys please! 

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

If he doesn't win on Saturday, he should be out and the international break used to bring in his replacement.

[Aussie Jambo]

56 minutes ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

If he doesn't win on Saturday, he should be out and the international break used to bring in his replacement.

I think inevitably this will be the case. Shame as he is a hearts legend. 

[hmfc_liam06]

2 minutes ago, Aussie Jambo said:

I think inevitably this will be the case. Shame as he is a hearts legend. 

Naismith is a Hearts legend? Away you go 😂

[sac]

4 hours ago, jimbojambo said:

Going to Hampden yesterday nobody expected a Hearts win and we just wanted the players to put in some effort some effort which they certainly did. I am astonished that fans felt we did not do as well as we could against a team with one player who cost more than our whole team with millions of pounds signings in throughout the team and on the bench. Our form has picked up recently and hopefully we'll start picking up points on Saturday. 

When you take into account we have never beaten them at hampden in our history, then it was always unlikely, and our shit referees wouldn’t let it happen anyway.

[the posh bit]

12 minutes ago, Aussie Jambo said:

I think inevitably this will be the case. Shame as he is a hearts legend. 

 

He absolutely isn't. 

[Agentjambo]

4 hours ago, hearts00 said:

Bottom line is he is on notice. Won’t be sacked because lost to the OF. 
 

won 4, drew 1 and lost 1 in last 6 against non OF. He will have to keep that sort of record up from here in the next 6 non OF games or he will inevitably be on his way. 

Shouldn’t performances,work ethic and how competitive we were against the old firm not come into consideration??

[Aussie Jambo]

8 minutes ago, hmfc_liam06 said:

Naismith is a Hearts legend? Away you go 😂

[18Jambo_dave74]

Naismith the "born winner" who wants to play "front foot attacking football". Absolute chancer. 

 

Given the type of player he was it is absolutely galling to see how we're so weak, soft and spineless. Incredible how little this team resembles the characteristics that Naismith was known for as a player. 

 

At the stage now, where we all know it's coming, just a question of when our board will act. Any win just delays the inevitable. 

[hmfc_liam06]

12 minutes ago, Aussie Jambo said:

 

You're at it 😂

Is the bar that low to become a Hearts legend nowadays?

[gordon simpson]

4 hours ago, jimbojambo said:

Going to Hampden yesterday nobody expected a Hearts win and we just wanted the players to put in some effort some effort which they certainly did. I am astonished that fans felt we did not do as well as we could against a team with one player who cost more than our whole team with millions of pounds signings in throughout the team and on the bench. Our form has picked up recently and hopefully we'll start picking up points on Saturday. 

some on here should read this post 

[Agentjambo]

1 minute ago, gordon simpson said:

some on here should read this post 

Na

[Pistol1874]

27 minutes ago, 18Jambo_dave74 said:

Naismith the "born winner" who wants to play "front foot attacking football". Absolute chancer. 

 

Given the type of player he was it is absolutely galling to see how we're so weak, soft and spineless. Incredible how little this team resembles the characteristics that Naismith was known for as a player. 

 

At the stage now, where we all know it's coming, just a question of when our board will act. Any win just delays the inevitable. 

Neilson once said he wouldn’t play young players at the end of a season for the sake of it as being a Hearts player had to be earned.

Call me unreasonable, but that should be a non-negotiable pre-requisite for a Hearts manager too.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Pistol1874

[Pasquale for King]

8 hours ago, Aussie Jambo said:

We have a few good candidates for the job on here. We got to give him till after the Winter window. I think it's the players letting us down TBH. 

We do but I dont trust anyone to choose the right option, cant see him going anywhere unless the next round of fixtures are a disaster. 

[Luckies1874]

1 hour ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

Yip, win 3 or 4 of those games and we'll likley be 3rd and looking ok.

 

Believe it or not but we only play 3 games (Motherwell away, St Johnstone home and Kilmarnock away) before we face Rangers yet again 

 

We then have a run of 5 horrible looking fixtures against what I’d suggest might be the rest of the top 6; 

 

Rangers (H)

Aberdeen (A)

Celtic (A)

St Mirren (H)

Hibs (A)

 

I just can’t see a set of results forthcoming that can keep him in a job. He needs at least 7pts from the next 3. The board will need to tactically use the Dundee home game, which is still to be rescheduled and hope that it can buy time like Livvy last week did. 

[Luckies1874]

1 minute ago, Pasquale for King said:

We do but I dont trust anyone to choose the right option, cant see him going anywhere unless the next round of fixtures are a disaster. 

See above as to the next round of fixtures. Simply can’t see this Hearts setup go on any sort of run. 

[jambogaza]

1 minute ago, Luckies1874 said:

Believe it or not but we only play 3 games (Motherwell away, St Johnstone home and Kilmarnock away) before we face Rangers yet again 

 

We then have a run of 5 horrible looking fixtures against what I’d suggest might be the rest of the top 6; 

 

Rangers (H)

Aberdeen (A)

Celtic (A)

St Mirren (H)

Hibs (A)

 

I just can’t see a set of results forthcoming that can keep him in a job. He needs at least 7pts from the next 3. The board will need to tactically use the Dundee home game, which is still to be rescheduled and hope that it can buy time like Livvy last week did. 

 

I'll be amazed if SN is still in a job by the festive period. This is not going to end well for him.

[Pasquale for King]

4 minutes ago, Luckies1874 said:

See above as to the next round of fixtures. Simply can’t see this Hearts setup go on any sort of run. 

Me neither 

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

54 minutes ago, Aussie Jambo said:

I think inevitably this will be the case. Shame as he is a hearts legend. 

Er what?

 

Much as Naismith was a very good player for us, he's nowhere near a legend.

[jambogaza]

Naismith a legend, deary me.

What has he won with hearts? Nothing. 

 

People wanting to give this more time need a major reality check. It isn't working, period.

[bawheed]

2 hours ago, Hashimoto said:

Do you honestly think so?

Foxy would just join a huge line of sycophants and lickspittles appointed by an incompetent board.  An appointment that would divide and alienate the support even further.

Time to board up the door leading to the corridor permanently. No more ex Levein boot room boys please! 

Totally agree but he’s a far better manager than SN.

I watch the Hearts B team most home games and they play with a football philosophy and style.

By the way there is no chance he’s getting the job the fans won’t have it.

 

[NextGenerationJambo]

I've read multiple posters, on multiple threads criticising other hearts fans for expecting us to beat rangers yesterday (or anytime really). That is total conjecture. Not a single hearts fan expected us to beat them yesterday and that includes the 15,000 fans at Hampden. You can include the team and the manager in that as well, to be honest.

 

Everyone knows about the gulf in budget. Everyone knows about how these fixtures historically play out. All any hearts fan was asking for was to go down with a smidgen of fight. Make it difficult for them ffs. If you let a better team play to their strengths they will annihilate you 100 times out of 100. 

 

This thread was originally started to talk about Naismith's managerial "identity". So let's talk about it. 

 

Yesterday we barely stopped a single cross coming into the box from either side, we allowed Tavenier and Barasic, two of the best crossers in the league, 5/10 yards of space every single time out wide. Not only that, but they normally had a man overload for support and were able to play simple football around us with ease. It was like they had an extra man the entire game, our work ethic is awful and the narrow, zonal defending simply doesn't work. You can blame individual errors all you want, but when you play this way you invite opportunities for these errors to occur in dangerous areas. Sometimes you do need to just hold your hands up and accept you were outpalyed by better, more expensive players but the very least you can do to mitigate the gap in quality is get in their faces, put them under pressure, force them into quicker decisions and make them uncomfortable. We did the complete opposite of this. We allowed them to execute their gameplan with little resistance. 

 

When we had the ball at goalkicks we hoofed it to sibbick and continued to do so most of the game, despite him not winning a single header. 

 

We attempted long throw ins near their box despite not really having a long-throw specialist, most of them landed near the front post where there was one hearts player and multiple rangers players, we then had no one sitting at the edge of the box to pick up the second balls and rangers inevitably counter attacked and we were straight on the backfoot AGAIN. 

 

At 2-0 down in a semi-final, we had every man defending in our box at corners and freekicks. No outlet ball. And once again usuing a zonal marking system which led to us not defending the set piece all that comfortably. 

 

Multiple times in the game Butland was able to roll the ball to a Rangers CM who then proceeded to run 30/40 yards unchallenged straight up the middle of the pitch. Nothing to do with them being worth multiple millions of pounds, just sheer negligence, lack of awareness and effort. 

 

The blame is eqaully on the players and the manager, a proffessional footballer should be able to realise when something isn't working and use some initiative to try something new but I am afraid we have assembled a team of frighteningly one-dimensional players, many of whom are incapable of thinking for themselves and adapting as the game goes on. As for our "identity", well it is certainly not the fast paced, attacking, fearless football we were promised.

 

I will reiterate again, because many on here seem to somehow believe otherwise. No hearts fan expects to beat the old firm. No hearts fan expects to make every game against them hard. The reality is if they are on their game, they win. For the love of **** though, could we maybe once in a while, especially at home and in finals, put a few dents in their armour? Show that we aren't just here to take part and roll over and have our bellies tickled. I, and many others that walked out after the second and third goals are sick of it, we support this team impeccably and are given little in return to be proud of. Right now the identity of this team is cowardly, inglorious and apathetic, and I really am struggling to see how Naismith turns it round. 

[rudi must stay]

5 minutes ago, NextGenerationJambo said:

I've read multiple posters, on multiple threads criticising other hearts fans for expecting us to beat rangers yesterday (or anytime really). That is total conjecture. Not a single hearts fan expected us to beat them yesterday and that includes the 15,000 fans at Hampden. You can include the team and the manager in that as well, to be honest.

 

Everyone knows about the gulf in budget. Everyone knows about how these fixtures historically play out. All any hearts fan was asking for was to go down with a smidgen of fight. Make it difficult for them ffs. If you let a better team play to their strengths they will annihilate you 100 times out of 100. 

 

This thread was originally started to talk about Naismith's managerial "identity". So let's talk about it. 

 

Yesterday we barely stopped a single cross coming into the box from either side, we allowed Tavenier and Barasic, two of the best crossers in the league, 5/10 yards of space every single time out wide. Not only that, but they normally had a man overload for support and were able to play simple football around us with ease. It was like they had an extra man the entire game, our work ethic is awful and the narrow, zonal defending simply doesn't work. You can blame individual errors all you want, but when you play this way you invite opportunities for these errors to occur in dangerous areas. Sometimes you do need to just hold your hands up and accept you were outpalyed by better, more expensive players but the very least you can do to mitigate the gap in quality is get in their faces, put them under pressure, force them into quicker decisions and make them uncomfortable. We did the complete opposite of this. We allowed them to execute their gameplan with little resistance. 

 

When we had the ball at goalkicks we hoofed it to sibbick and continued to do so most of the game, despite him not winning a single header. 

 

We attempted long throw ins near their box despite not really having a long-throw specialist, most of them landed near the front post where there was one hearts player and multiple rangers players, we then had no one sitting at the edge of the box to pick up the second balls and rangers inevitably counter attacked and we were straight on the backfoot AGAIN. 

 

At 2-0 down in a semi-final, we had every man defending in our box at corners and freekicks. No outlet ball. And once again usuing a zonal marking system which led to us not defending the set piece all that comfortably. 

 

Multiple times in the game Butland was able to roll the ball to a Rangers CM who then proceeded to run 30/40 yards unchallenged straight up the middle of the pitch. Nothing to do with them being worth multiple millions of pounds, just sheer negligence, lack of awareness and effort. 

 

The blame is eqaully on the players and the manager, a proffessional footballer should be able to realise when something isn't working and use some initiative to try something new but I am afraid we have assembled a team of frighteningly one-dimensional players, many of whom are incapable of thinking for themselves and adapting as the game goes on. As for our "identity", well it is certainly not the fast paced, attacking, fearless football we were promised.

 

I will reiterate again, because many on here seem to somehow believe otherwise. No hearts fan expects to beat the old firm. No hearts fan expects to make every game against them hard. The reality is if they are on their game, they win. For the love of **** though, could we maybe once in a while, especially at home and in finals, put a few dents in their armour? Show that we aren't just here to take part and roll over and have our bellies tickled. I, and many others that walked out after the second and third goals are sick of it, we support this team impeccably and are given little in return to be proud of. Right now the identity of this team is cowardly, inglorious and apathetic, and I really am struggling to see how Naismith turns it round. 

 

I expected us to beat Rangers. Thought there was more at stake for us than them, they still have weaknesses too. Can't understand why we didn't start Oda

[Luckies1874]

9 minutes ago, NextGenerationJambo said:

I've read multiple posters, on multiple threads criticising other hearts fans for expecting us to beat rangers yesterday (or anytime really). That is total conjecture. Not a single hearts fan expected us to beat them yesterday and that includes the 15,000 fans at Hampden. You can include the team and the manager in that as well, to be honest.

 

Everyone knows about the gulf in budget. Everyone knows about how these fixtures historically play out. All any hearts fan was asking for was to go down with a smidgen of fight. Make it difficult for them ffs. If you let a better team play to their strengths they will annihilate you 100 times out of 100. 

 

This thread was originally started to talk about Naismith's managerial "identity". So let's talk about it. 

 

Yesterday we barely stopped a single cross coming into the box from either side, we allowed Tavenier and Barasic, two of the best crossers in the league, 5/10 yards of space every single time out wide. Not only that, but they normally had a man overload for support and were able to play simple football around us with ease. It was like they had an extra man the entire game, our work ethic is awful and the narrow, zonal defending simply doesn't work. You can blame individual errors all you want, but when you play this way you invite opportunities for these errors to occur in dangerous areas. Sometimes you do need to just hold your hands up and accept you were outpalyed by better, more expensive players but the very least you can do to mitigate the gap in quality is get in their faces, put them under pressure, force them into quicker decisions and make them uncomfortable. We did the complete opposite of this. We allowed them to execute their gameplan with little resistance. 

 

When we had the ball at goalkicks we hoofed it to sibbick and continued to do so most of the game, despite him not winning a single header. 

 

We attempted long throw ins near their box despite not really having a long-throw specialist, most of them landed near the front post where there was one hearts player and multiple rangers players, we then had no one sitting at the edge of the box to pick up the second balls and rangers inevitably counter attacked and we were straight on the backfoot AGAIN. 

 

At 2-0 down in a semi-final, we had every man defending in our box at corners and freekicks. No outlet ball. And once again usuing a zonal marking system which led to us not defending the set piece all that comfortably. 

 

Multiple times in the game Butland was able to roll the ball to a Rangers CM who then proceeded to run 30/40 yards unchallenged straight up the middle of the pitch. Nothing to do with them being worth multiple millions of pounds, just sheer negligence, lack of awareness and effort. 

 

The blame is eqaully on the players and the manager, a proffessional footballer should be able to realise when something isn't working and use some initiative to try something new but I am afraid we have assembled a team of frighteningly one-dimensional players, many of whom are incapable of thinking for themselves and adapting as the game goes on. As for our "identity", well it is certainly not the fast paced, attacking, fearless football we were promised.

 

I will reiterate again, because many on here seem to somehow believe otherwise. No hearts fan expects to beat the old firm. No hearts fan expects to make every game against them hard. The reality is if they are on their game, they win. For the love of **** though, could we maybe once in a while, especially at home and in finals, put a few dents in their armour? Show that we aren't just here to take part and roll over and have our bellies tickled. I, and many others that walked out after the second and third goals are sick of it, we support this team impeccably and are given little in return to be proud of. Right now the identity of this team is cowardly, inglorious and apathetic, and I really am struggling to see how Naismith turns it round. 

 Tremendous post. 
 

Hope Savage and McKinlay are looking in, as they apparently love to do. What a mess they’ve made of this year. It’s actually difficult to make so many bad decisions. Total incompetence. 

[Luckies1874]

Just now, rudi must stay said:

 

I expected us to beat Rangers. Thought there was more at stake for us than them, they still have weaknesses too. Can't understand why we didn't start Oda

What? You expected this shite Hearts team to beat Rangers, at a venue where in our entire 150 year history we’ve beaten them errrr, exactly ZERO times!!  What are you even talking about at this point?!!  
Rangers aren’t winning the league. This was a massive game for them with Celtic out the way. 
By the way if you think Oda is making much of a difference I don’t know what to tell you. If he was any good he’d easily break into this piss poor Hearts side. 

[rudi must stay]

Just now, Luckies1874 said:

What? You expected this shite Hearts team to beat Rangers, at a venue where in our entire 150 year history we’ve beaten them errrr, exactly ZERO times!!  What are you even talking about at this point?!!  
Rangers aren’t winning the league. This was a massive game for them with Celtic out the way. 
By the way if you think Oda is making much of a difference I don’t know what to tell you. If he was any good he’d easily break into this piss poor Hearts side. 

 

I did yes. We matched them at Ibrox. We gave their attackers too much respect

 

Oda is a class act he should start every week 

[Nerja Jambo]

52 minutes ago, jambogaza said:

Naismith a legend, deary me.

What has he won with hearts? Nothing. 

 

People wanting to give this more time need a major reality check. It isn't working, period.

Sadly I don't think it will ever sink in some peoples brain. They are either to blinkered or just plain thick. Either way even if we were bottom of the league it will never sink in.

[BelgeJambo]

If Naismith needs time to give us an identity, then by now, we should be seeing it and progress.  I am seeing Neilsonesque football week in week out.  
Naismith McAvoy, Forrest, Gallagher and  Williams need to be punted.

 

 

[Pasquale for King]

37 minutes ago, NextGenerationJambo said:

I've read multiple posters, on multiple threads criticising other hearts fans for expecting us to beat rangers yesterday (or anytime really). That is total conjecture. Not a single hearts fan expected us to beat them yesterday and that includes the 15,000 fans at Hampden. You can include the team and the manager in that as well, to be honest.

 

Everyone knows about the gulf in budget. Everyone knows about how these fixtures historically play out. All any hearts fan was asking for was to go down with a smidgen of fight. Make it difficult for them ffs. If you let a better team play to their strengths they will annihilate you 100 times out of 100. 

 

This thread was originally started to talk about Naismith's managerial "identity". So let's talk about it. 

 

Yesterday we barely stopped a single cross coming into the box from either side, we allowed Tavenier and Barasic, two of the best crossers in the league, 5/10 yards of space every single time out wide. Not only that, but they normally had a man overload for support and were able to play simple football around us with ease. It was like they had an extra man the entire game, our work ethic is awful and the narrow, zonal defending simply doesn't work. You can blame individual errors all you want, but when you play this way you invite opportunities for these errors to occur in dangerous areas. Sometimes you do need to just hold your hands up and accept you were outpalyed by better, more expensive players but the very least you can do to mitigate the gap in quality is get in their faces, put them under pressure, force them into quicker decisions and make them uncomfortable. We did the complete opposite of this. We allowed them to execute their gameplan with little resistance. 

 

When we had the ball at goalkicks we hoofed it to sibbick and continued to do so most of the game, despite him not winning a single header. 

 

We attempted long throw ins near their box despite not really having a long-throw specialist, most of them landed near the front post where there was one hearts player and multiple rangers players, we then had no one sitting at the edge of the box to pick up the second balls and rangers inevitably counter attacked and we were straight on the backfoot AGAIN. 

 

At 2-0 down in a semi-final, we had every man defending in our box at corners and freekicks. No outlet ball. And once again usuing a zonal marking system which led to us not defending the set piece all that comfortably. 

 

Multiple times in the game Butland was able to roll the ball to a Rangers CM who then proceeded to run 30/40 yards unchallenged straight up the middle of the pitch. Nothing to do with them being worth multiple millions of pounds, just sheer negligence, lack of awareness and effort. 

 

The blame is eqaully on the players and the manager, a proffessional footballer should be able to realise when something isn't working and use some initiative to try something new but I am afraid we have assembled a team of frighteningly one-dimensional players, many of whom are incapable of thinking for themselves and adapting as the game goes on. As for our "identity", well it is certainly not the fast paced, attacking, fearless football we were promised.

 

I will reiterate again, because many on here seem to somehow believe otherwise. No hearts fan expects to beat the old firm. No hearts fan expects to make every game against them hard. The reality is if they are on their game, they win. For the love of **** though, could we maybe once in a while, especially at home and in finals, put a few dents in their armour? Show that we aren't just here to take part and roll over and have our bellies tickled. I, and many others that walked out after the second and third goals are sick of it, we support this team impeccably and are given little in return to be proud of. Right now the identity of this team is cowardly, inglorious and apathetic, and I really am struggling to see how Naismith turns it round. 

Fantastic post 👍🏽👏🏾

[Pasquale for King]

5 minutes ago, BelgeJambo said:

If Naismith needs time to give us an identity, then by now, we should be seeing it and progress.  I am seeing Neilsonesque football week in week out.  
Naismith McAvoy, Forrest, Gallagher and  Williams need to be punted.

 

 

Spot on, Williams joining in the rondo at HT is amateurish. 

[feedthefox]

I've been banging on for over 18mths about the lad Luke McCowan at Dundee, he's 100% what you'd want in your team bit of dig, bit of class and gives it everything.  It's just a shame that Savage would rather over complicate things and try and make himself look like some world font of knowledge when the answers are staring him in the face and prob a lot cheaper too though when he's scores goals like Saturday's and the one against us at Dens  then that price is only going up. Makes me mad that we continually overlook what's in front of us what are the scouts doing ffs?

 

 

[feedthefox]

49 minutes ago, NextGenerationJambo said:

I've read multiple posters, on multiple threads criticising other hearts fans for expecting us to beat rangers yesterday (or anytime really). That is total conjecture. Not a single hearts fan expected us to beat them yesterday and that includes the 15,000 fans at Hampden. You can include the team and the manager in that as well, to be honest.

 

Everyone knows about the gulf in budget. Everyone knows about how these fixtures historically play out. All any hearts fan was asking for was to go down with a smidgen of fight. Make it difficult for them ffs. If you let a better team play to their strengths they will annihilate you 100 times out of 100. 

 

This thread was originally started to talk about Naismith's managerial "identity". So let's talk about it. 

 

Yesterday we barely stopped a single cross coming into the box from either side, we allowed Tavenier and Barasic, two of the best crossers in the league, 5/10 yards of space every single time out wide. Not only that, but they normally had a man overload for support and were able to play simple football around us with ease. It was like they had an extra man the entire game, our work ethic is awful and the narrow, zonal defending simply doesn't work. You can blame individual errors all you want, but when you play this way you invite opportunities for these errors to occur in dangerous areas. Sometimes you do need to just hold your hands up and accept you were outpalyed by better, more expensive players but the very least you can do to mitigate the gap in quality is get in their faces, put them under pressure, force them into quicker decisions and make them uncomfortable. We did the complete opposite of this. We allowed them to execute their gameplan with little resistance. 

 

When we had the ball at goalkicks we hoofed it to sibbick and continued to do so most of the game, despite him not winning a single header. 

 

We attempted long throw ins near their box despite not really having a long-throw specialist, most of them landed near the front post where there was one hearts player and multiple rangers players, we then had no one sitting at the edge of the box to pick up the second balls and rangers inevitably counter attacked and we were straight on the backfoot AGAIN. 

 

At 2-0 down in a semi-final, we had every man defending in our box at corners and freekicks. No outlet ball. And once again usuing a zonal marking system which led to us not defending the set piece all that comfortably. 

 

Multiple times in the game Butland was able to roll the ball to a Rangers CM who then proceeded to run 30/40 yards unchallenged straight up the middle of the pitch. Nothing to do with them being worth multiple millions of pounds, just sheer negligence, lack of awareness and effort. 

 

The blame is eqaully on the players and the manager, a proffessional footballer should be able to realise when something isn't working and use some initiative to try something new but I am afraid we have assembled a team of frighteningly one-dimensional players, many of whom are incapable of thinking for themselves and adapting as the game goes on. As for our "identity", well it is certainly not the fast paced, attacking, fearless football we were promised.

 

I will reiterate again, because many on here seem to somehow believe otherwise. No hearts fan expects to beat the old firm. No hearts fan expects to make every game against them hard. The reality is if they are on their game, they win. For the love of **** though, could we maybe once in a while, especially at home and in finals, put a few dents in their armour? Show that we aren't just here to take part and roll over and have our bellies tickled. I, and many others that walked out after the second and third goals are sick of it, we support this team impeccably and are given little in return to be proud of. Right now the identity of this team is cowardly, inglorious and apathetic, and I really am struggling to see how Naismith turns it round. 

 

Actually I was pretty impressed with Cochran's long throws I felt at last he had some purpose for being in the team.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

12 hours ago, No Idle Talk said:

The team is no better than it was under Robbie Neilson. In fact if anything I would say it is worse. 

 

I'll be surprised if he lasts to the end of the season the way things are going. 

 

It's better than the horrific last 10 weeks of Neilson's reign but there's no question it's worse than most of Robbie's tenure.

 

I don't trust my judgment on Naismith because I simply have never liked him very much (glorious wind ups of Scott Brown notwithstanding). We were historically rotten with him as captain and I confess I still kind of hold that against him.

 

I want to be won over but I haven't been. I really don't want Hearts to be a club with a revolving door at manager but it always seems to be two steps forward, two steps back with Naismith and it's getting old.

[Leveins Battalion]

 We have our very own Shaun Maloney.

[NextGenerationJambo]

47 minutes ago, rudi must stay said:

 

I expected us to beat Rangers. Thought there was more at stake for us than them, they still have weaknesses too. Can't understand why we didn't start Oda

I stand corrected then... everyone bar one 

 

They are use to high stakes, they don't accept anything less than performing under those circumstances. They have bred a mentality of arrogance and elitism, and to be honest, it serves them well on the pitch. 

 

Starting Oda would not have made one iota of difference with our tactical set up. We played right into their hands and you will never beat a superior team doing that. 

[Hectormasson]

4 hours ago, Leveins Battalion said:

I want him and the 2 assistants beside him gone today.

 

I want our Board to actually behave like a professional Football Club and go out and get a manager worthy of HMFC.

its about time, thats for sure.....

[WheatfieldWarrior]

13 hours ago, Pasquale for King said:

Do you trust anyone at the club to make the right decision with who replaces him? 

 

Nope.  I think they'll need 4 or 5 goes at it, which is why we need to start sooner rather than later.

 

This should be easier if we go for an experienced candidate however. 

 

We need a permanent manager lined up to take over on monday morning this time though, not a promoted assistant followed by 3 months of naval-gazing.

[NextGenerationJambo]

14 minutes ago, feedthefox said:

 

Actually I was pretty impressed with Cochran's long throws I felt at last he had some purpose for being in the team.

I agree, I didn't actually realise he could launch the ball that far. However, it still never made it past the front post, where we had one man againts multiple rangers players attempting a flick on. We then had no one on the edge picking up the second balls. It is the most basic of tactics and we still couldn't even fashion half a chance from the numerous throws. My grumble was more with the positioning of the players in and around the box at these opportunities.

[Nookie Bear]

17 minutes ago, NextGenerationJambo said:

 

The blame is eqaully on the players and the manager, a proffessional footballer should be able to realise when something isn't working and use some initiative to try something new but I am afraid we have assembled a team of frighteningly one-dimensional players, many of whom are incapable of thinking for themselves and adapting as the game goes on. As for our "identity", well it is certainly not the fast paced, attacking, fearless football we were promised.

 

 

 

Great post - picking up on this bit, you would be sure that if Naismith was playing in this team he would be going bonkers at the dugout during the match and telling them to sort it.

[Pasquale for King]

40 minutes ago, WheatfieldWarrior said:

 

Nope.  I think they'll need 4 or 5 goes at it, which is why we need to start sooner rather than later.

 

This should be easier if we go for an experienced candidate however. 

 

We need a permanent manager lined up to take over on monday morning this time though, not a promoted assistant followed by 3 months of naval-gazing.

I don’t trust them to choose the right person whoever that is, the next Pep could be interviewed and they wouldn’t have a clue. 
Agree about it not being another Assistant but would anyone be surprised if McAvoy/Fox/Webster are promoted somehow?

[Pasquale for King]

39 minutes ago, NextGenerationJambo said:

I agree, I didn't actually realise he could launch the ball that far. However, it still never made it past the front post, where we had one man againts multiple rangers players attempting a flick on. We then had no one on the edge picking up the second balls. It is the most basic of tactics and we still couldn't even fashion half a chance from the numerous throws. My grumble was more with the positioning of the players in and around the box at these opportunities.

I think everyone was surprised, but having Toby at the front post wasn’t a good idea. Hibs caused them problems with long throws apparently, but got beat 4 nil 🤷🏾‍♂️🤔🤦🏽😂?!?!

[the posh bit]

2 hours ago, jambogaza said:

 

I'll be amazed if SN is still in a job by the festive period. This is not going to end well for him.

 

I don't think he will see December out but I hope I am wrong. 

[Ian Black 8]

I said before he was appointed no matter who was brought in certain fans wouldn’t be happy but the fact Naismith’s time hasn’t went to plan so far it’s gone to get highlighted due to his inexperience. Something has got to give somewhere in the club the now you can start to see a divide developing…