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

[Thomaso]

1 hour ago, TheBigO said:

Mate so much focus on all the penalty Rangers stuff which may be mildly amusing if you're an OF supporter, but if you're actually one of the other 10 teams it's actually a slap in the face.

 

As I always say, the penalties are the ugly obvious bit, but not the bit that actually makes the difference, not really imo anyway.  The ref needs to find a reason to give or not give them.  There'll be grey area and you know they'll go one way at one end of the park and one way at the other.  BUt at the same time, the situations are not that often.  And it can be highlighted.  

 

What really really REALLY gets me more is the stuff that never ever gets aired.  The "wee" fouls we don't get in their final third but they get in ours.  The yellow card we get early in the game but their guy doesn't and in fact gets away with a few similar.

 

These are the things that actually change the course of a game.  The things that allow Rangers and Celitc to stay camped in your half.  So much emphasis put on Rangers' penalty against us.  Soft and shite?  Poor from Haring?  Both!!!  But the fact is that if we'd got the blatant freekick 30 yards out from their goal out on the touchline 90 seconds before they got the corner, none of it happens.  We either keep the ball in the corrner, or we even put it in the box and see if we can make something happen.  Either way, we have territory, possession and the clock ticks down.

 

THESE are the decisions referees up here will continue to shaft us with.  We had the same against Celtic the week before with a blatant foul on Shanks before they ran up and scored.  Nowt said.  Great counterattack I'll bet.

 

I lost my shit at a hun who was in the Hearts end last season when Devlin was sent off.  He had it up on his phone showing me how it was a red etc etc.  Among telling him he needed to £$%^ off out my end of the ground, I was trying to get it through to him that it may technically be a red, but does he think a Rangers player would get more than a yellow for the same - Joe Aribo's two footed lunge for example - they just don't see it.

 

What happens is every "big" moment is looked at in isolation.  So is the Rangers penalty "technically" a penalty.  Well, a lot of the tine, yeah it is.  Has the same been given to every other team who has had a similar offence against them?! No.  Was that Cammy stamp a red?  Well, yeah probs.  But have we seen Rangers players do the same?  Betcha.

 

It sucks.  There are what 40/50 decisions a ref needs to make each game and every one of them affects the flow.  When they ref everyone of them at the very extremes of that grey area in both directions, it isn't the penalties than hurt - the penalties are a result of the rest.  A sum of the parts, I guess.

 

Look at the diving they've got away with just in their last 2 games, Rangers and Celitc - no yellows, so no build up to suspensions.  The whole thing needs looked at but the thing is the "penalty to Rangers" thing actually masks it all imo.

 

Do I have any faith the refs will be under pressure to be less obvious?  No.  Not sure they're capable - the whole issue is they're brought up and through the whole West Coast refs cabal to behave this way.  Seen a stat that 74 of our last 75 games against the OF have had a West Coast ref!!! What!?!?!?!

Fantastic post! You have absolutely nailed the shitfest I have experienced watching Hearts play the OF in the last 50 years!

[Pasquale for King]

21 hours ago, Clerry Jambo said:

Pathetic from the club to be honest, stopping many hearts fans from grabbing an empty seat. 

Its to stop Rangers fans, or even worse our fans buying tickets for them. 

[Pasquale for King]

21 hours ago, David66k said:

Hi! The problem for me is that I can't get him a ticket because the club have set a loyalty points requirement of 15 to buy a ticket and he's sitting below that... 

I'd be happy to work out a way to make it possible to get a ticket, it's all a bit weird because of the 15 point requirement... 

Plenty tickets are still available it's just that problem

The only solution is to buy tickets for other matches. The club are doing their best to keep these stinking ***** out of our end and deserve all the credit in the world for that. 

[We_are_the_Hearts]

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

[GBJambo]

26 minutes ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

Time of the year. Christmas round the corner, people may have other priorities 

[ramrod]

36 minutes ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

Hearts made a mistake not selling more season tickets for the Roseburn stand this year,  I expect them to rectify this next season giving the OF zero chance of more sections in the foreseeable future. 

[Rods]

3 hours ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

This although would be tempted with Devlin or Denholm for Grant as well

 

Denholm for Grant is actually a good shout( from what I seen I think Cammy will be out for a few weeks)

[Sooks]

9 hours ago, Absolute Scenes said:

Because Cochrane is a liability and Kingsley isn’t being played as a left back

Cochrane and Kingsley are both top players for us 

[Sooks]

1 hour ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

It is not going to happen mate 

[Ex member of the SaS]

1 hour ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

Yes we can, I would happily see the home end empty and not one extra ticket sold to those ...... people ( have to be careful eh? ) 

[Bauld]

3 hours ago, TheBigO said:

Mate so much focus on all the penalty Rangers stuff which may be mildly amusing if you're an OF supporter, but if you're actually one of the other 10 teams it's actually a slap in the face.

 

As I always say, the penalties are the ugly obvious bit, but not the bit that actually makes the difference, not really imo anyway.  The ref needs to find a reason to give or not give them.  There'll be grey area and you know they'll go one way at one end of the park and one way at the other.  BUt at the same time, the situations are not that often.  And it can be highlighted.  

 

What really really REALLY gets me more is the stuff that never ever gets aired.  The "wee" fouls we don't get in their final third but they get in ours.  The yellow card we get early in the game but their guy doesn't and in fact gets away with a few similar.

 

These are the things that actually change the course of a game.  The things that allow Rangers and Celitc to stay camped in your half.  So much emphasis put on Rangers' penalty against us.  Soft and shite?  Poor from Haring?  Both!!!  But the fact is that if we'd got the blatant freekick 30 yards out from their goal out on the touchline 90 seconds before they got the corner, none of it happens.  We either keep the ball in the corrner, or we even put it in the box and see if we can make something happen.  Either way, we have territory, possession and the clock ticks down.

 

THESE are the decisions referees up here will continue to shaft us with.  We had the same against Celtic the week before with a blatant foul on Shanks before they ran up and scored.  Nowt said.  Great counterattack I'll bet.

 

I lost my shit at a hun who was in the Hearts end last season when Devlin was sent off.  He had it up on his phone showing me how it was a red etc etc.  Among telling him he needed to £$%^ off out my end of the ground, I was trying to get it through to him that it may technically be a red, but does he think a Rangers player would get more than a yellow for the same - Joe Aribo's two footed lunge for example - they just don't see it.

 

What happens is every "big" moment is looked at in isolation.  So is the Rangers penalty "technically" a penalty.  Well, a lot of the tine, yeah it is.  Has the same been given to every other team who has had a similar offence against them?! No.  Was that Cammy stamp a red?  Well, yeah probs.  But have we seen Rangers players do the same?  Betcha.

 

It sucks.  There are what 40/50 decisions a ref needs to make each game and every one of them affects the flow.  When they ref everyone of them at the very extremes of that grey area in both directions, it isn't the penalties than hurt - the penalties are a result of the rest.  A sum of the parts, I guess.

 

Look at the diving they've got away with just in their last 2 games, Rangers and Celitc - no yellows, so no build up to suspensions.  The whole thing needs looked at but the thing is the "penalty to Rangers" thing actually masks it all imo.

 

Do I have any faith the refs will be under pressure to be less obvious?  No.  Not sure they're capable - the whole issue is they're brought up and through the whole West Coast refs cabal to behave this way.  Seen a stat that 74 of our last 75 games against the OF have had a West Coast ref!!! What!?!?!?!

 

 

[Absolute Scenes]

1 hour ago, Sooks said:

Cochrane and Kingsley are both top players for us 

Never said Kingsley wasn’t just that he hasn’t been used as a left back. Kingsley has been solid and I love him. Cochrane can do so much better and needs to start doing better

[Morgan]

[upgotheheads]

2 hours ago, ramrod said:

Hearts made a mistake not selling more season tickets for the Roseburn stand this year,  I expect them to rectify this next season giving the OF zero chance of more sections in the foreseeable future. 

 

3 hours ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

 

There are a few reasons for that. I live in Ayr, it's a 180-mile round trip, driving at night through the rush hour traffic, £30 for fuel, and too late to get home by train. I don't mind that on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, but a Wednesday night and not getting home until nearly 1 am.  It's a no-brainer. It's on Sky and I'm hoping for a link.

[highlandjambo3]

1 hour ago, Morgan said:

Said it earlier…..if these cheating officials start to feel any pressured of being outed, they’ll start giving penalties against the OF……”look were unbiased” sort of thing but, only in games where winning is all but impossible like 3-0 to one of them with 10 minutes to go.

[kingantti1874]

17 minutes ago, highlandjambo3 said:

Said it earlier…..if these cheating officials start to feel any pressured of being outed, they’ll start giving penalties against the OF……”look were unbiased” sort of thing but, only in games where winning is all but impossible like 3-0 to one of them with 10 minutes to go.

they’ve been doing that for ages mate 

[highlandjambo3]

44 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

they’ve been doing that for ages mate 

I know…….but not for a while and not regularly 

[Hectormasson]

3 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Yes we can, I would happily see the home end empty and not one extra ticket sold to those ...... people ( have to be careful eh? ) 

ditto , if not sold to home fans ,keep them empty,or have a big hearts flag cover them, rather than these tramps in there,,,,,

[RudiSkacelsLeftPeg]

**** the Huns

 

Gorgie forever 🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻

[MattyK82]

5 hours ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

The OF will not get the full stand for league games again. What is much more likely is that more ST’s will be sold in the Roseburn next season.

[AC Mallin_51]

5 hours ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

Are tickets still only available to people with 15+ loyalty points? If so that’s a massive factor I think, I understand we need to try stop their fans getting in our end but feel like there has to be quite a decent amount of our fans that fall short of that who’d be interested in this game. Of course the more obvious conclusion aswell is 8pm kick off midweek, potential bad weather/travel disruption and 3 weeks til Christmas all playing a part.

As you said though, 4 wins on the bounce, wee bit of a feel good factor and belief going into this one, would be really nice to see a full house 

[gordon simpson]

5 hours ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

Wednesday night pish weather ,the main cause of poor sales ps I will be at the game HHGH 

[Pasquale for King]

2 hours ago, upgotheheads said:

 

 

There are a few reasons for that. I live in Ayr, it's a 180-mile round trip, driving at night through the rush hour traffic, £30 for fuel, and too late to get home by train. I don't mind that on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, but a Wednesday night and not getting home until nearly 1 am.  It's a no-brainer. It's on Sky and I'm hoping for a link.

Hats off to you for still making that trek. Most games are on here. 
http://www.fawanews.com/

[Pasquale for King]

6 hours ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

The time of year, the weather and our quite frankly awful performances against them since our demotion would put any sane person off. I will be there though 🤪. 

[David66k]

6 hours ago, Pasquale for King said:

The only solution is to buy tickets for other matches. The club are doing their best to keep these stinking ***** out of our end and deserve all the credit in the world for that. 

Completely with that and buying tickets for other games but 15 seems to be quite high either way for this game and explains why there are so many seats going spare... 

Still hoping for some help though! I can get my ticket but not for my dad who sits on 9 points, any help really appreciated 

[Thomaso]

6 hours ago, ramrod said:

Hearts made a mistake not selling more season tickets for the Roseburn stand this year,  I expect them to rectify this next season giving the OF zero chance of more sections in the foreseeable future. 

Spot on! 👍

[Thomaso]

1 hour ago, MattyK82 said:

The OF will not get the full stand for league games again. What is much more likely is that more ST’s will be sold in the Roseburn next season.

Good news 👍

[Thomaso]

6 hours ago, Rods said:

 

Denholm for Grant is actually a good shout( from what I seen I think Cammy will be out for a few weeks)

Cammy out for weeks???? 😳

[Pasquale for King]

39 minutes ago, David66k said:

Completely with that and buying tickets for other games but 15 seems to be quite high either way for this game and explains why there are so many seats going spare... 

Still hoping for some help though! I can get my ticket but not for my dad who sits on 9 points, any help really appreciated 

Im not sure what the total usually is, I was pestered a few years ago by someone wanting tickets for 6 huns and after realising I wasn’t kidding when I rudely said no another ST holder sorted him out 🤦🏽. 
Good luck anyway. 

[No Idle Talk]

We are long overdue a good performance against this lot at Tynecastle. I think Daniel Stendel was the manager the last time we saw one. That's unacceptable.

 

This Rangers team are actually not that good. They are still trying to find their feet under a new manager and there are players in their team who surely must know they will not be at Rangers much longer. When one of the OF are going through one of those phases, that is the time when you have to go and get a result off them. When they are on form and feeling good about themselves you have no chance.

 

Get in about them, Hearts. They are far from invincible and you are good enough.

[Pasquale for King]

34 minutes ago, No Idle Talk said:

We are long overdue a good performance against this lot at Tynecastle. I think Daniel Stendel was the manager the last time we saw one. That's unacceptable.

 

This Rangers team are actually not that good. They are still trying to find their feet under a new manager and there are players in their team who surely must know they will not be at Rangers much longer. When one of the OF are going through one of those phases, that is the time when you have to go and get a result off them. When they are on form and feeling good about themselves you have no chance.

 

Get in about them, Hearts. They are far from invincible and you are good enough.

Spot on 

[Debut 4]

7 hours ago, No Idle Talk said:

We are long overdue a good performance against this lot at Tynecastle. I think Daniel Stendel was the manager the last time we saw one. That's unacceptable.

 

This Rangers team are actually not that good. They are still trying to find their feet under a new manager and there are players in their team who surely must know they will not be at Rangers much longer. When one of the OF are going through one of those phases, that is the time when you have to go and get a result off them. When they are on form and feeling good about themselves you have no chance.

 

Get in about them, Hearts. They are far from invincible and you are good enough.

Don’t overly rate Aberdeen but in their recent game v Rangers they a set up well and on many occasions  had 4,5 red jerseys pressing Rangers in their own half when they tried to play out from the back. 
 

Rangers have ball players who love to be encouraged to play. We saw that in the semi.  But if you believe in persistence and have the guts to keep pressing and harassing, they don’t like it and don’t deal with it that well.  
 

That much is clear.  

[GorgieFifeLife]

11 hours ago, AC Mallin_51 said:

Are tickets still only available to people with 15+ loyalty points? If so that’s a massive factor I think, I understand we need to try stop their fans getting in our end but feel like there has to be quite a decent amount of our fans that fall short of that who’d be interested in this game. Of course the more obvious conclusion aswell is 8pm kick off midweek, potential bad weather/travel disruption and 3 weeks til Christmas all playing a part.

As you said though, 4 wins on the bounce, wee bit of a feel good factor and belief going into this one, would be really nice to see a full house 

Yeah a lot of factors to consider.  I also think that we shouldn’t overstate any feel good factor.  Yes 4 wins but it has been turgid and we can’t go on performing like this and expected to win.  It catches up with you in the end.

[Sooks]

10 hours ago, Pasquale for King said:

Im not sure what the total usually is, I was pestered a few years ago by someone wanting tickets for 6 huns and after realising I wasn’t kidding when I rudely said no another ST holder sorted him out 🤦🏽. 
Good luck anyway. 

That season ticket holder should have his ticket taken off him . Hope you reported him 

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, Sooks said:

That season ticket holder should have his ticket taken off him . Hope you reported him 

Yeah I really should’ve 🤦🏽

[Pasquale for King]

3 hours ago, Debut 4 said:

Don’t overly rate Aberdeen but in their recent game v Rangers they a set up well and on many occasions  had 4,5 red jerseys pressing Rangers in their own half when they tried to play out from the back. 
 

Rangers have ball players who love to be encouraged to play. We saw that in the semi.  But if you believe in persistence and have the guts to keep pressing and harassing, they don’t like it and don’t deal with it that well.  
 

That much is clear.  

Without wanting starting a debate on previous managers, all our most recent victories over them have been based on pressing and stopping them from getting their rhythm going.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

3 hours ago, Debut 4 said:

Don’t overly rate Aberdeen but in their recent game v Rangers they a set up well and on many occasions  had 4,5 red jerseys pressing Rangers in their own half when they tried to play out from the back. 
 

Rangers have ball players who love to be encouraged to play. We saw that in the semi.  But if you believe in persistence and have the guts to keep pressing and harassing, they don’t like it and don’t deal with it that well.  
 

That much is clear.  

I dont rate Aberdeen either, but they surely must be the fittest team in the league. They do an awful lot of running, which helps deny space and win ball back. And for the amount of running they dont seem to pick up any injuries.

 

Not sure we have the personnel to mimic their method of stopping them, however, they did lose 6 to Celtic, so its hardly a blueprint either.

[gordon simpson]

6 minutes ago, Pasquale for King said:

Without wanting starting a debate on previous managers, all our most recent victories over them have been based on pressing and stopping them from getting their rhythm going.

the only way to play them ,give them time and space they will hurt you ,press them and they will be all over the place 

[haj]

21 hours ago, TheBigO said:

Mate so much focus on all the penalty Rangers stuff which may be mildly amusing if you're an OF supporter, but if you're actually one of the other 10 teams it's actually a slap in the face.

 

As I always say, the penalties are the ugly obvious bit, but not the bit that actually makes the difference, not really imo anyway.  The ref needs to find a reason to give or not give them.  There'll be grey area and you know they'll go one way at one end of the park and one way at the other.  BUt at the same time, the situations are not that often.  And it can be highlighted.  

 

What really really REALLY gets me more is the stuff that never ever gets aired.  The "wee" fouls we don't get in their final third but they get in ours.  The yellow card we get early in the game but their guy doesn't and in fact gets away with a few similar.

 

These are the things that actually change the course of a game.  The things that allow Rangers and Celitc to stay camped in your half.  So much emphasis put on Rangers' penalty against us.  Soft and shite?  Poor from Haring?  Both!!!  But the fact is that if we'd got the blatant freekick 30 yards out from their goal out on the touchline 90 seconds before they got the corner, none of it happens.  We either keep the ball in the corrner, or we even put it in the box and see if we can make something happen.  Either way, we have territory, possession and the clock ticks down.

 

THESE are the decisions referees up here will continue to shaft us with.  We had the same against Celtic the week before with a blatant foul on Shanks before they ran up and scored.  Nowt said.  Great counterattack I'll bet.

 

I lost my shit at a hun who was in the Hearts end last season when Devlin was sent off.  He had it up on his phone showing me how it was a red etc etc.  Among telling him he needed to £$%^ off out my end of the ground, I was trying to get it through to him that it may technically be a red, but does he think a Rangers player would get more than a yellow for the same - Joe Aribo's two footed lunge for example - they just don't see it.

 

What happens is every "big" moment is looked at in isolation.  So is the Rangers penalty "technically" a penalty.  Well, a lot of the tine, yeah it is.  Has the same been given to every other team who has had a similar offence against them?! No.  Was that Cammy stamp a red?  Well, yeah probs.  But have we seen Rangers players do the same?  Betcha.

 

It sucks.  There are what 40/50 decisions a ref needs to make each game and every one of them affects the flow.  When they ref everyone of them at the very extremes of that grey area in both directions, it isn't the penalties than hurt - the penalties are a result of the rest.  A sum of the parts, I guess.

 

Look at the diving they've got away with just in their last 2 games, Rangers and Celitc - no yellows, so no build up to suspensions.  The whole thing needs looked at but the thing is the "penalty to Rangers" thing actually masks it all imo.

 

Do I have any faith the refs will be under pressure to be less obvious?  No.  Not sure they're capable - the whole issue is they're brought up and through the whole West Coast refs cabal to behave this way.  Seen a stat that 74 of our last 75 games against the OF have had a West Coast ref!!! What!?!?!?!

This is 100% correct. Well said.

[boag1874]

I think I’d go

 

Clark

 

Forrest

Kingsley

Kent

Rowles

Cochrane

 

Beni

Devlin

Hof

 

Shankland

Tagawa

 

I don’t think we need a playmaker for this one so I’d drop Grant, we won’t have Enough time on the ball to use him. we’ll need to press hard in the centre & look to counter, we’ll play better against them if we go direct & exploit the high line. Cochrane & Forrest NEED to overlap the midfield as much as possible, we saw in both our games v them so far they can get turned & that defense HATES having to run back so both of them need to get at the fullbacks. Tagawas pace will cause issues especially if they’re preoccupied marking Shankland

[Gorgierools]

11 minutes ago, boag1874 said:

I think I’d go

 

Clark

 

Forrest

Kingsley

Kent

Rowles

Cochrane

 

Beni

Devlin

Hof

 

Shankland

Tagawa

 

I don’t think we need a playmaker for this one so I’d drop Grant, we won’t have Enough time on the ball to use him. we’ll need to press hard in the centre & look to counter, we’ll play better against them if we go direct & exploit the high line. Cochrane & Forrest NEED to overlap the midfield as much as possible, we saw in both our games v them so far they can get turned & that defense HATES having to run back so both of them need to get at the fullbacks. Tagawas pace will cause issues especially if they’re preoccupied marking Shankland

Forest at RB worries me and Devlin looked pretty crocked to me at the end of the Killy game.

[5jambo1]

7 minutes ago, boag1874 said:

I think I’d go

 

Clark

 

Forrest

Kingsley

Kent

Rowles

Cochrane

 

Beni

Devlin

Hof

 

Shankland

Tagawa

 

I don’t think we need a playmaker for this one so I’d drop Grant, we won’t have Enough time on the ball to use him. we’ll need to press hard in the centre & look to counter, we’ll play better against them if we go direct & exploit the high line. Cochrane & Forrest NEED to overlap the midfield as much as possible, we saw in both our games v them so far they can get turned & that defense HATES having to run back so both of them need to get at the fullbacks. Tagawas pace will cause issues especially if they’re preoccupied marking Shankland

I don’t think the team will be far away from this. I suppose there are three positions up for grabs. RWB, CM next to Beni and hoff, and who partners Shankland. 
 

RWB is a tough one as we don’t have a natural one. Sibbick has mainly looked ok here but has also looked lost on a few occasions. Obv Forrest gives us more of a threat going forward if we have quite alot of defensive players on the park.

 

I’d play devlin, his work rate and ability to press is what the whole teams needs to do. Yes he’s not the best in the attacking third but his energy will be a good trigger for others, and also get the crowd going. Needs to not get booked early doors!

 

Lastly Tagawa showed enough in the last half an hour against Killie that he deserves a chance. Him leading the line with Shankland playing off him has potential to be a decent partnership. (On paper anyway) 

[Bauld]

If you want to beat rangers you need to score a minimum of 2 goals. 

 

Negate their inevitable penalty. 

 

Don't just score and park the bus. It won't work.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Bauld

[PapaShango]

8 minutes ago, boag1874 said:

I think I’d go

 

Clark

 

Forrest

Kingsley

Kent

Rowles

Cochrane

 

Beni

Devlin

Hof

 

Shankland

Tagawa

 

I don’t think we need a playmaker for this one so I’d drop Grant, we won’t have Enough time on the ball to use him. we’ll need to press hard in the centre & look to counter, we’ll play better against them if we go direct & exploit the high line. Cochrane & Forrest NEED to overlap the midfield as much as possible, we saw in both our games v them so far they can get turned & that defense HATES having to run back so both of them need to get at the fullbacks. Tagawas pace will cause issues especially if they’re preoccupied marking Shankland

Yeah I think we need to turn their defence and play for second balls to have a chance here. If we stand off them and look to play through them I think they will just pick us off. We are well over due not only a result against them but a performance as well. 

[boag1874]

6 minutes ago, Gorgierools said:

Forest at RB worries me and Devlin looked pretty crocked to me at the end of the Killy game.

RWB is just a problem area in General & Forrest will be more likely to make the runs than Toby, with Beni, Hof & Devlin in the middle plus Kingsley able to get over & cover we should have enough defensive protection. More than anything we're going to need maximum effort, say what you will about him but his effort is never in question. If Devlin is out then it changes things a bit though but we'll see what happens.

[boag1874]

1 minute ago, PapaShango said:

Yeah I think we need to turn their defence and play for second balls to have a chance here. If we stand off them and look to play through them I think they will just pick us off. We are well over due not only a result against them but a performance as well. 

Yeah, all the smaller teams that get a result v the OF do it by hitting on the counter & playing direct, if we try to just stick to our usual gameplan it won't work. It's not pretty or technical but if we try to match them for quality they'll destroy us again. That Rangers team are work shy shitebags we see it every week so take advantage of it & make them uncomfortable!

[boag1874]

15 minutes ago, 5jambo1 said:

I don’t think the team will be far away from this. I suppose there are three positions up for grabs. RWB, CM next to Beni and hoff, and who partners Shankland. 
 

RWB is a tough one as we don’t have a natural one. Sibbick has mainly looked ok here but has also looked lost on a few occasions. Obv Forrest gives us more of a threat going forward if we have quite alot of defensive players on the park.

 

I’d play devlin, his work rate and ability to press is what the whole teams needs to do. Yes he’s not the best in the attacking third but his energy will be a good trigger for others, and also get the crowd going. Needs to not get booked early doors!

 

Lastly Tagawa showed enough in the last half an hour against Killie that he deserves a chance. Him leading the line with Shankland playing off him has potential to be a decent partnership. (On paper anyway) 

Exactly my thoughts.

-Quick striker beside Shankland

-Energy in the middle

-Wingbacks that will run at them

[Debut 4]

1 hour ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

I dont rate Aberdeen either, but they surely must be the fittest team in the league. They do an awful lot of running, which helps deny space and win ball back. And for the amount of running they dont seem to pick up any injuries.

 

Not sure we have the personnel to mimic their method of stopping them, however, they did lose 6 to Celtic, so its hardly a blueprint either.

Fair point about the blueprint but it comes back to the percentages thing.

 

You are still going to lose most of the time v the old firm but how do you increase your chances of sniffing out an odd win more often?  It’s always been hard work and a willingness to basically run yourself ragged.  
 

You just have to look over history at our better moments against them. Of course, I’m not ignoring shape and quality but that’s nothing without hard work and a willingness and presence of mind to always be active and sometimes take that chance to chase a lost cause.  

[OmiyaHearts]

21 hours ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

The ticket sales are pretty poor, 4 wins on the bounce,  a supposed ST waiting list. No one can complain when Hearts give the OF more sections again next season

Everyone knows we won't turn up. Even with 4 wins in a row, we'll get pumped.

[indianajones]

Ticket exchange open for this one?