*** Official Heart of Midlothian vs Celtic Match day-thread (SKY SPORTS)***

[Gorgieshed]

2 hours ago, neilnunb said:

Shankland took a bad one early on in the derby. If he's out then we are seriously goosed.

 

Will Oda be back?

 

McGregor seemingly missed Celtic training today...think he went off at HT on Wed.  They can probably afford to lose him more than we can Shankland or Kent though.

Oda didn't train today either. Doubt he will be involved. 

[Ex member of the SaS]

If rumours of Shanks being out then TBF this is the perfect game for him to miss. The chances of getting anything from the officials is slim and winning against the rest is far more important than against the bigots. Rather he missed a game where we have little chance of winning than an important decider against Dundee or the like.

[pettigrewsstylist]

Well if nothing else, without Kent we get to see how much more defensive improvement and robustness  the trg ground has managed to develop since last April and cast an eye towards next yrs squad.

It also may allow Tagawa to play a central role on the counter if we can hit his runs.

May actually learn something Sunday.

[davemclaren]

12 minutes ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

If rumours of Shanks being out then TBF this is the perfect game for him to miss. The chances of getting anything from the officials is slim and winning against the rest is far more important than against the bigots. Rather he missed a game where we have little chance of winning than an important decider against Dundee or the like.

I actually agree with this.  😄

[davemclaren]

2 minutes ago, pettigrewsstylist said:

Well if nothing else, without Kent we get to see how much more defensive improvement and robustness  the trg ground has managed to develop since last April and cast an eye towards next yrs squad.

It also may allow Tagawa to play a central role on the counter if we can hit his runs.

May actually learn something Sunday.

That's a fair point as well. 

[Thomaso]

28 minutes ago, Gorgieshed said:

Oda didn't train today either. Doubt he will be involved. 

He’s out 😏

[Ex member of the SaS]

Lets get this game out of the way and get ready for the rest before the split, five games we realistically should be doing well in. Other than the banana skin on the 11th only Killie and St Mirren are on the tricky side, the rest we should breeze through.

[KyleLafferty]

Shankland is fit to play, well just be managing his workload.

 

 

 

[FerryJambo81]

1 hour ago, Pasquale for King said:

I think the rest of the team needs the instruction to pass the ball behind their defence. 

A fair and valid point you make.

 

Sure it was one of the Neville brothers talking on SAF. His mantra was bravery, be brave enough to see things, do them and if you make mistakes so be it. Just be brave enough to try rather than taking the safe option. Needs to be a balance but certainly an area we need to improve.

[Ricardo Quaresma]

May have been posted already 👇

 

[GinRummy]

4 minutes ago, Ricardo Quaresma said:

May have been posted already 👇

 

Don Robertson. Hurray 😟

[merrymac]

4 minutes ago, Ricardo Quaresma said:

May have been posted already 👇

 

Chance of Beaton chucking us a couple of VAR decisions to help his beloved Rangers?

[davemclaren]

Just now, GinRummy said:

Don Robertson. Hurray 😟

Which ref would you prefer? 😄

[Seaside Dave]

3_1 hearts. Shankland to put the sword in them. 576 away fans so 573 seats damaged and toilets smashed up. Get them billed and cut them off down to 300 next time 

[maroonsgotop]

10 minutes ago, Ricardo Quaresma said:

May have been posted already 👇

 

always likely to be him, Collum or Clancy. With Clancy reffing the  derby it was a toss up between the other 2. It's all so predictable. Beaton on VAR to balance it out 

[GinRummy]

11 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

Which ref would you prefer? 😄

Craig Thomson 😀

[Joey J J Jr Shabadoo]

Deleted

Edited March 1 by Joey J J Jr Shabadoo

[Joey J J Jr Shabadoo]

2 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

If rumours of Shanks being out then TBF this is the perfect game for him to miss. The chances of getting anything from the officials is slim and winning against the rest is far more important than against the bigots. Rather he missed a game where we have little chance of winning than an important decider against Dundee or the like.

Plus it winds up the Tims.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

 

                Gordon or Clark, don't care anymore

 

Atkinson Sibbick Rowles Kingsley

   Dex     Hoff       Beni    Cochrane

                   Shanks   Forrest

[GBJambo]

McGregor unlikely to play for them . Which is a boost I suppose. 

[Ricardo Quaresma]

55 minutes ago, Watt-Zeefuik said:

                Gordon or Clark, don't care anymore

 

Atkinson Sibbick Rowles Kingsley

   Dex     Hoff       Beni    Cochrane

                   Shanks   Forrest

 

                    Gordon

      Sibbick Kingsley Rowles

Atkinson                     Cochrane

                Hoff       Beni   

Dex             Shanks   Forrest

 

Spoiler

                               

 

[Debut 4]

I want to see us deal with the ball better than Wednesday.  We lost all imagination and courage in our game we’d witnessed for weeks, maybe months before.  
 

If we play a similar set up to Wednesday we’ll be easily got at.

 

We need a different approach.  We can’t hope to take Celtic on at football by trying to be expansive.  I’d like to see us cramp things up a bit more and be more midfield orientated.   It doesn’t mean we isolate Shanks. We still need threat.  
 

Clark,

 

Lembikisa. Kingsley. Sibbick. Rowles. Cochrane. 
 

Hoff Beni Tait

 

Grant. 
 

Shankland.    
 

I think that’d be a good mix in midfield.  Competitive and not lacking football when we need to build play.  The wing backs NEED to make sure they become part of the attacking play and get their timing right.  We can’t have Shanks isolated. You’re looking at Grant to be a link, Tait has a good brain and can pass, Hoffs an all rounder.  
 

Bring the legs on later. (Vargas, Forrest).  

[upgotheheads]

23 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

I want to see us deal with the ball better than Wednesday.  We lost all imagination and courage in our game we’d witnessed for weeks, maybe months before.  
 

If we play a similar set up to Wednesday we’ll be easily got at.

 

We need a different approach.  We can’t hope to take Celtic on at football by trying to be expansive.  I’d like to see us cramp things up a bit more and be more midfield orientated.   It doesn’t mean we isolate Shanks. We still need threat.  
 

Clark,

 

Lembikisa. Kingsley. Sibbick. Rowles. Cochrane. 
 

Hoff Beni Tait

 

Grant. 
 

Shankland.    
 

I think that’d be a good mix in midfield.  Competitive and not lacking football when we need to build play.  The wing backs NEED to make sure they become part of the attacking play and get their timing right.  We can’t have Shanks isolated. You’re looking at Grant to be a link, Tait has a good brain and can pass, Hoffs an all rounder.  
 

Bring the legs on later. (Vargas, Forrest).  

 

I wouldn't be too unhappy if that was the starting lineup. Bold, but that's maybe what we need.

[Aussie Jambo]

Natty & Devlin no where near the first team. They were honking vs the vermin. I say go for it like we did at darkheed. Nothing to lose as we seemed to have lost already going by some of the posts. 

[Ricardo Quaresma]

3 hours ago, GinRummy said:

Craig Thomson 😀

 

Euan Norris 🤪

[fila]

34 minutes ago, Aussie Jambo said:

Natty & Devlin no where near the first team. They were honking vs the vermin. I say go for it like we did at darkheed. Nothing to lose as we seemed to have lost already going by some of the posts. 

I am with you , Natty is nowhere good enough . I used to like Devlin, however this was mainly due to him running around getting stuck in , which although you do need bite at times, I’m now think he is more a squad player than a straight pick . Both of them will not improve much further IMO.

 

Im also not a fan of KR and it will be interesting to see him be the main man against Celtic. 
 

we really need to get another commanding centre half in the summer 

[Diadora Van Basten]

Time for Sibbick to step up

[zeke1874]

If they turn up and we play our best we probs still lose that's the hard facts. But for God's sake let's not make it easy for them. They have to win, we don't. Let's play on this. Especially if rangers win on Sat, all the pressure is on them. 

Keep it tight, frustrate the life out of them, tactical fouls, break up play, don't let them get in a rhythm. I hope to god naismith and Co have a plan for this match because a repeat of the hibs match and were getting tanked. Get in their faces and make it a physical battle. I always think rangers can outmuscle us but not so much celtic. So make it a dirty physical match and see how they deal with it. This match won't define our season as we are still in a really good place, but let's try and come out of this with some credit.

[Pasquale for King]

6 hours ago, FerryJambo81 said:

A fair and valid point you make.

 

Sure it was one of the Neville brothers talking on SAF. His mantra was bravery, be brave enough to see things, do them and if you make mistakes so be it. Just be brave enough to try rather than taking the safe option. Needs to be a balance but certainly an area we need to improve.

Absolutely, we take the safe option far too often. I would rather see them try stuff than slowly go back and sideways. 

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, zeke1874 said:

If they turn up and we play our best we probs still lose that's the hard facts. But for God's sake let's not make it easy for them. They have to win, we don't. Let's play on this. Especially if rangers win on Sat, all the pressure is on them. 

Keep it tight, frustrate the life out of them, tactical fouls, break up play, don't let them get in a rhythm. I hope to god naismith and Co have a plan for this match because a repeat of the hibs match and were getting tanked. Get in their faces and make it a physical battle. I always think rangers can outmuscle us but not so much celtic. So make it a dirty physical match and see how they deal with it. This match won't define our season as we are still in a really good place, but let's try and come out of this with some credit.

Well said.

[Greedy Jambo]

No Kent = a Thrashing. 

[billybalfour]

Denholm to start.Did well at parkhead.No fear of them. Flood the midfield and we should be ok.

[tiger Rudi]

              Clark 

Sibbick Kingsley Rowles Cochrane

Hoff    Beni  Tait  Grant  Forrest

              Shankland

4.5.1

 

Keep it tight and compact. Look to stifle and get a grip of the match before gradually taking more risks in forward areas. 

A game for Tagawa to get a run with Shanks, after moving to 4.4.2 late on, hopefully when we are still in it. 

A Dundee-esque hammering won't do our confidence any good. A well earned, scrapped for draw, will set us up nicely for the winnable games that follow. 

[Diego10]

3 hours ago, Aussie Jambo said:

Natty & Devlin no where near the first team. They were honking vs the vermin. I say go for it like we did at darkheed. Nothing to lose as we seemed to have lost already going by some of the posts. 

Atkinson played in that win and was excellent

[lmc1]

Hearts win - 1 nil 🙂

[Pingu]

13 hours ago, Debut 4 said:

I want to see us deal with the ball better than Wednesday.  We lost all imagination and courage in our game we’d witnessed for weeks, maybe months before.  
 

If we play a similar set up to Wednesday we’ll be easily got at.

 

We need a different approach.  We can’t hope to take Celtic on at football by trying to be expansive.  I’d like to see us cramp things up a bit more and be more midfield orientated.   It doesn’t mean we isolate Shanks. We still need threat.  
 

Clark,

 

Lembikisa. Kingsley. Sibbick. Rowles. Cochrane. 
 

Hoff Beni Tait

 

Grant. 
 

Shankland.    
 

I think that’d be a good mix in midfield.  Competitive and not lacking football when we need to build play.  The wing backs NEED to make sure they become part of the attacking play and get their timing right.  We can’t have Shanks isolated. You’re looking at Grant to be a link, Tait has a good brain and can pass, Hoffs an all rounder.  
 

Bring the legs on later. (Vargas, Forrest).  

Swap Sibbick and Kingsley positionally, and I'd *probably* go with Forrest ahead of Grant. But otherwise, I think this the right approach.

[Debut 4]

2 minutes ago, Pingu said:

Swap Sibbick and Kingsley positionally, and I'd *probably* go with Forrest ahead of Grant. But otherwise, I think this the right approach.

Reason I’d have Kingsley there is because I’d worry Sibbick and Lembikisa would be a weak defensive combination on the same side.  However, I do get many wouldn’t trust Sibbick slap bang in the centre of the 3. 

The reason I’d be more midfield minded with Grant is because he’d slow it down a bit and look for passes in the last third.  Forrest gets the ball, head down, and runs.  We need a bit craft.  
 

The onus has to be on the players to make sure they get close to Shanks and build wee pieces of play, also the reason why the wing backs need to make sure they are up early enough to be an option wider.  it’s easier said than done v Celtic but there has to be persistence.  If the wing backs lose concentration and end up holding their defensive position, then that’s when Shankland becomes isolated.  

 

[Bazzas right boot]

Celtic don't really pile in the crosses, not sure Kent is a decisive factor in this game, more about the team game and not conceding early.

 

White for Ross County might fancy his chances next time out tho, County will lob the ball in.

 

Keep it tight first 20, don't make silly mistakes or spill possession, then go from there.

 

I would only use  one of Forrest or Vargas, probably Forrest.

Vargas is really effective from the bench,  assuming the game is still winnable,  I'd use him that way.

 

541 for me, growing into a 352/ 3421.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2 by Bazzas right boot

[Gundermann]

9 hours ago, billybalfour said:

Denholm to start.Did well at parkhead.No fear of them. Flood the midfield and we should be ok.

 

Not averse to this. Protect the defence as much as possible. Press them as much as possible.

[John Findlay]

We are the massive underdogs. Everyone expects us to lose. So play with no fear. By all means respect your opponent, but never have any fear of them.

[gregzy2k7]

Would go with 

 

Clark 

Kingsley Sibbick Rowles

Dexter Beni Hoff Cochrane

Grant

Forrest Shanks

 

Get Sibbick in the middle of defence and get him pushing up into midfield driving forward when we have the ball, think it could work well at times and cause the tic some problems.

 

We will most probably still lose but I think we can give them a tough game.

 

[pettigrewsstylist]

Biggest thing for me, with the 12 pt buffer tbh and Kent missing, is to avoid another confidence sapping mauling which leaves our defence bereft of confidence for a very difficult high flying Morton away.

5-4-1 to start and see how Dexter and Sibbick fare initially.

Not happy about it but cant ignore those last 2 headless chicken performances. Need to to steady ship, defensively.

[NextGenerationJambo]

1 hour ago, Bazzas right boot said:

Celtic don't really pile in the crosses, not sure Kent is a decisive factor in this game, more about the team game and not conceding early.

 

 

 

Maybe not frequently throughout the season, but they did score about 5 of their 7 against dundee from crosses, so I am bricking it a bit not having Kent in there to clear our lines.

[Thomaso]

Coming to a vital stage of the season. Kent, Halkett, Oda, Boyce, McKay all out - hope our growing injuries do not scupper our season.

[Heartsfth]

10 of the 11 who started the Parkhead game are available to play, Kent being the exception.  I imagine Sibbick will come in otherwise what are we holding on to him for

[Bazzas right boot]

1 hour ago, NextGenerationJambo said:

Maybe not frequently throughout the season, but they did score about 5 of their 7 against dundee from crosses, so I am bricking it a bit not having Kent in there to clear our lines.

 

If celtuc play well they'll beat us, Kent or no Kent imo.

 

He's a miss, but imo him playing or not doesn't change the dynamic of the game much, if at all.

 

V other teams, If he's out longer- I'm more concerned,  it may result in us dropping  points where he would have made a difference in the result(s).

 

Last season highlighted this, hopefully he's back soon.

 

 

[OmiyaHearts]

Can't see anything other than a defeat. I just hope we avoid a pumping.

[HillmanHearts]

                Clark

    Sibbick, Kingsley, Rowles.

Dexter, Cammy, Beni, Cochrane    

               Hoff

       Shanks, Forrest.

 

 

[kila]

 

             Forrest     Shanks      Vargas

 

Cochrane         Beni        Hoff          Dexter

 

            Rowles      Sibbick     Kingsley         

 

                                Clark

 

 

I'd wager BTTS, probably 3-1 Celtic. But who knows, they are there for the taking right now.

Edited March 2 by kila

[Cruyff]

 

Has to be.