*** official Celtic v Heart Of Midlothian match thread ***

[heartsfan]

With that lineup this could be a cricket score! 😱

[SM Sheffield]

Time for Beni to step up and put in a performance. Not been at it since he has come back  

[1971fozzy]

Just now, gnasher75 said:

I would have Vargas in the team for his pace on the counter attack. 

 

Would also be starting Scotland's no 1 goalkeeper. 

100%.   Any half decent manager would be playing Craig Gordon. It’s beyond a joke.  And Vargas is definitely the one to go for with pace.

sadly this could be an absolute tanking if we concede early

[Gorgierools]

1 minute ago, gnasher75 said:

I would have Vargas in the team for his pace on the counter attack. 

 

Would also be starting Scotland's no 1 goalkeeper. 

He'll come on when Clark screws his back up, picking the ball out the net. Repetitive strain injury type thing.

[OmiyaHearts]

1 minute ago, heartsfan said:

With that lineup this could be a cricket score! 😱

Any lineup, tbh

[Debut 4]

Chuck the laddie Denholm straight back in….at Parkhead. After weeks of not being involved.  

[HMFC01]

2-2 

 

 

Shankland and Oda. 

[heartsfan]

1 minute ago, OmiyaHearts said:

Any lineup, tbh

You're not wrong tbf.

[The Mercer Takeover]

FFS - Awful team.

 

What on earth has Denholm done to merit a first team slot.

 

Just go Naismith 

 

[OmiyaHearts]

Just now, Debut 4 said:

Chuck the laddie Denholm straight back in….at Parkhead. After weeks of not being involved.  

Thing is, no one is really surprised at this.

 

Then again, this is a manager that thinks Clarke is better than Gordon.

[merrymac]

I suspect Forrest is in the team cos he runs about a lot

can't think of any other reason 

[jambmoz]

A few in that lineup are going to have to have one hell of a game.

Edited December 16, 2023 by jambmoz

[Gordon Ramsay]

Absolute battering coming up.

[savage]

Our midfield is so poor and there isn't anyway of changing it unless we go out and sign someone.  Game over by half time

[McCrae]

Don’t like that starting team. It’s going to be a battle and we have lightweights in the middle and no speed at the back. 

[heartsfan]

1 minute ago, savage said:

Game over by half time

Game over in the first 20 mins I suspect. Although hope not.

[hearts00]

There are always some negative responses to a team line up before a game, but reading down this is without a doubt the mist visceral negative reaction to a team announcement.
 

It is indicative of a very high level of frustration we are all dealing with as Hearts fans.  

[Saint Jambo]

8 minutes ago, lost in space said:

Feel sorry for Denholm - playing in midfield with Beni and Grant.   When playing young players, you should have players around him who can help.

FFS - what a way to treat a young guy.

 

Denholm should be feeling blessed he is playing in games like this. Yet to see anything that suggests Naismith's assessment of him was more accurate than Neilson's.

 

7 minutes ago, Luckies1874 said:

Huge indictment on Savage's recruitment that Forrest is playing ahead of all of Oda, Tagawa and Vargas in December 2023. And this with Lowry out and McKay not yet available. Naismith clearly doesn't believe in any of the 3.

 

And an indictment of Naismith's role in recruitment. I'm beginning to worry that he is not a good judge of players. He has somehow gone from wanting to bomb Grant out the squad in August to having him as a regular starter in December.

 

The team looks dire. There are 4 or 5 players on the bench that would improve the starting 11. Hopefully we can get them fit enough to do so soon.

[David McCaig]

7 minutes ago, heartsfan said:

With that lineup this could be a cricket score! 😱

In which case let's hope Celtic declare at the tea interval!!

[Gorgierools]

-2 and ten men by half time my prediction. Do I stay sitting here in the sun in the pub (Spain) or go home to suffer watching this?🤔

[upgotheheads]

16 minutes ago, kila said:

 

               Shankland          Forrest

 

                                 Grant    

 

Cochrane      Denholm        Beni           Atkinson

 

             Rowles         Kent        Kingsley

 

                                 Clark

 

 

     

Could be but they might line up like this:           

 

 

                 Shankland          Forrest

 

                                 Grant    

 

               Cochrane                Denholm      

 

                                  Beni       

 

        Kingsley            Rowles         Kent             Atkinson

 

                                 Clark

[Absolute Scenes]

Cochrane red card today

[DS98]

9 minutes ago, gnasher75 said:

I would have Vargas in the team for his pace on the counter attack. 

 

Would also be starting Scotland's no 1 goalkeeper. 

Wooowww steady on mate. Playing a significantly superior player who has been fit for weeks instead of a bog standard keeper who’s bag of nerves? Away with your crazy suggestions.

[4marsbars]

2 minutes ago, OmiyaHearts said:

 

Then again, this is a manager that thinks Clarke is better than Gordon.

 

Nobody thinks Clark is better than Gordon at his best.

 

We don't know how sharp Gordon is right now. Clark's been a more than good enough replacement. 

 

 

[The Treasurer]

9 minutes ago, 1971fozzy said:

100%.   Any half decent manager would be playing Craig Gordon. It’s beyond a joke.  And Vargas is definitely the one to go for with pace.

sadly this could be an absolute tanking if we concede early

Regardless of how good he is, I don't think putting Gordon in for his first game in a year would be a good idea in what will be a very hard shift 

[DS98]

1 minute ago, 4marsbars said:

 

Nobody thinks Clark is better than Gordon at his best.

 

We don't know how sharp Gordon is right now. Clark's been a more than good enough replacement. 

 

 

I’m trying hard to think of something that’s less true than that.  . Erm, we’ve got a great chance today!

[David McCaig]

3 minutes ago, upgotheheads said:

     

Could be but they might line up like this:           

 

 

                 Shankland          Forrest

 

                                 Grant    

 

               Cochrane                Denholm      

 

                                  Beni       

 

        Kingsley            Rowles         Kent             Atkinson

 

                                 Clark

I would guess 541 with Grant as a hugely ineffective left sided midfielder.

[OmiyaHearts]

Just now, 4marsbars said:

 

Nobody thinks Clark is better than Gordon at his best.

 

We don't know how sharp Gordon is right now. Clark's been a more than good enough replacement. 

 

 

Yet the manager is happy enough to throw a kid into midfield who hasn't started a game in ages.

[David McCaig]

Just now, The Treasurer said:

Regardless of how good he is, I don't think putting Gordon in for his first game in a year would be a good idea in what will be a very hard shift 

Bring Gordon and Halkett back next week after this afternoon's inevitable humping.

[Topper]

At least he’s not so crazy that he’d play Denholm today.

 

Hang on a minute.

 

 

[May98]

Oh dear.   

[Luckies1874]

5 minutes ago, hearts00 said:

There are always some negative responses to a team line up before a game, but reading down this is without a doubt the mist visceral negative reaction to a team announcement.
 

It is indicative of a very high level of frustration we are all dealing with as Hearts fans.  

 

It's ok mate we are only 3pts off being 3rd (in a truly garbage race for best of the rest), with a home game in hand. All is great in Jambo La La Land. 

[OmiyaHearts]

15 minutes ago, gnasher75 said:

I would have Vargas in the team for his pace on the counter attack. 

 

Would also be starting Scotland's no 1 goalkeeper. 

Vargas is not a good player and his stats back this up. We absolutely should not sign this guy when his loan us up, but we will.

 

Agree about Gordon.

[Boris5115]

1 minute ago, David McCaig said:

I would guess 541 with Grant as a hugely ineffective left sided midfielder.

Grant is hugely ineffective in any position. 

[Robbo-Jambo]

15 minutes ago, No Idle Talk said:

 

I don't blame him. I don't believe in any of those three either. 

Neither do I.

 

The recruitment has been a joke.

[GinRummy]

2 minutes ago, OmiyaHearts said:

Yet the manager is happy enough to throw a kid into midfield who hasn't started a game in ages.

At least he’ll not bottle out of tackles and not bother chasing second balls like his midfield partner. 

Edited December 16, 2023 by GinRummy

[Luckies1874]

1 minute ago, OmiyaHearts said:

Yet the manager is happy enough to throw a kid into midfield who hasn't started a game in ages.

 

 

Got to back the promoting youngsters mantra (despite none being good enough) now and again, so that they can pretend that it's a real narrative at Hearts and not just yet another deflection tactic. 

[HMFC01]

Just now, Jim_Duncan said:

That’s an impressive amount of booze you’ve had by 2pm. 

 

I'm not starting until kickoff 😂 

 

 

[Australis]

Just now, Topper said:

At least he’s not so crazy that he’d play Denholm today.

 

Hang on a minute.

 

 

It's like he couldn't care if he is sacked.

 

Wonder what his Lee Johnson like excuse will be at full time.

 

 

[Robbo-Jambo]

6 minutes ago, 4marsbars said:

 

Nobody thinks Clark is better than Gordon at his best.

 

We don't know how sharp Gordon is right now. Clark's been a more than good enough replacement. 

 

 

Eh no he has not.

 

He is pish

[JJ93]

We will take a surprise lead and then get humped. 

[Boris5115]

1 minute ago, Jim_Duncan said:

Not true. He fills a space on the bench very nicely. 

Not even sure he does that well🤦‍♀️

[Jambo61]

16 minutes ago, 1971fozzy said:

100%.   Any half decent manager would be playing Craig Gordon. It’s beyond a joke.  And Vargas is definitely the one to go for with pace.

sadly this could be an absolute tanking if we concede early

Feel sorry for Clark in that he's obviously not the better of the two and 1 big mistake see's him out, pressure all the time! As for up front......why did we sign 3 supposed whippets then decide to  play slowly? Beats the shite out of me!

[Cruyff]

Oh well. 

 

"be it on your own head Naisy". 

[OmiyaHearts]

Just now, GinRummy said:

At least he’ll not bottle out of tackles and not bothered chasing secind balls like his midfield partner. 

Totally. At least he's not stuck in there with hide n seek champ Niewenhoff.

[DS98]

2 minutes ago, Topper said:

At least he’s not so crazy that he’d play Denholm today.

 

Hang on a minute.

 

 

Regardless of age, the guy just doesn’t have it. He’d currently be warming the bench for someone like East Fife if it wasn’t for Naismith’s intervention in the summer. The fact he’s starting games for us is damning.

[ELITHEDUG]

Hibs went 4-4-2 and got humped

Motherwell went 5-3-2 and got a draw

Aberdeen went 5-4-1 and got demolished.

 

The tactics are hold on as long as possible and subs at 70mins if we are still in it. Which I hope we are but doubt it.

Edited December 16, 2023 by ELITHEDUG

[Australis]

4 minutes ago, David McCaig said:

I would guess 541 with Grant as a hugely ineffective left sided midfielder.

The midfield to sit miles away from the forwards and Forrest to play miles away from Shankland.

Rinse and repeat.

[Debut 4]

1 minute ago, JJ93 said:

We will take a surprise lead and then get humped. 

Come out the tunnel first?

 

[OmiyaHearts]

2 minutes ago, Luckies1874 said:

 

 

Got to back the promoting youngsters mantra (despite none being good enough) now and again, so that they can pretend that it's a real narrative at Hearts and not just yet another deflection tactic. 

Agree. I'm not against Denholm playing but Gordon should be starting. We should play our best players.