Hearts V Rangers Scottish cup semi final match day thread

[pettigrewsstylist]

5 hours ago, RDSK said:

I sometimes think we worry too much about winning the midfield or stopping their wide players or *insert other worry* that we end up with a back 5 to double up on their wide men, a flat 3 in midfield with Shankland dropping in to win the midfield battle and then we win the ball and think “what do we do now”?

 

The way to win this game is to give them more to worry about. 

Limiting space Cantwell and Tavernier can exploit is key. Game over if we dont.

[pettigrewsstylist]

3 hours ago, jambmoz said:

Rangers have really struggled with County and Dundee’s midfield coming at them, not sure we have that kind of player tho

Thats the issue, we dont, so how do we turn them?

Pace up top that can run and ask their CBs to split is an option.

Can see Shanks playing false 9 here and coming deeper to collect and disrupt CBs.

 

[HopeDiouf]

I've a feeling our starting midfield 3 got a runout to get used to all playing together at the weekend.  Expecting Beni Devlin and Grant

 

Edited April 18 by HopeDiouf

[heatonjambo]

32 minutes ago, HopeDiouf said:

I've a feeling our starting midfield 3 got a runout to get used to all playing together at the weekend.  Expecting Beni Devlin and Grant

 

This.

 

also all 4 goals against livi came from going down our left. Taviner’s  side!

 

 

 

[Bazzas right boot]

4 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Sevco will be a wounded animal, need to have everyone on top of their game. Get stuck in and move the ball quicker. We have shown we can play that way and this game it's a must. Sit in and defend and we will be over run. Allowing the bigot twins defenders to wander into our half and we lose. Get the mids and front men to put tackles in and stop them spraying passes around. Tav is suspect when pressured ( how he didn't get a card last night for the fore arm smash is not unusual but still a mystery.

 

Sometimes the best thing fir a wounded animal is to put it down.

 

Make it happen Hearts.

[gordon simpson]

1 minute ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

Sometimes the best thing fir a wounded animal is to put it down.

 

Make it happen Hearts.

This please 

[Bazzas right boot]

My fear is that we don't handle the situation very well, against Rangers we have a tendency to look a bit startled.

 

Devlin runs about, gives the ball away, guys like Cochrane,  Kinglsey,  Grant seem to lose composure , our defenders have brain farts then our attack becomes almost invisible and our creative players turn to mince.

 

Against Celtic this doesn't happen as much, but v Rangers we often appear too excited /eager /nervous and we fail at the basics.

 

 

[RustyRightPeg]

4 minutes ago, Bazzas right boot said:

My fear is that we don't handle the situation very well, against Rangers we have a tendency to look a bit startled.

 

Devlin runs about, gives the ball away, guys like Cochrane,  Kinglsey,  Grant seem to lose composure , our defenders have brain farts then our attack becomes almost invisible and our creative players turn to mince.

 

Against Celtic this doesn't happen as much, but v Rangers we often appear too excited /eager /nervous and we fail at the basics.

 

 

 

We've had enough practice. Shouldn't be an issue.

[Bazzas right boot]

Just now, RustyRightPeg said:

 

We've had enough practice. Shouldn't be an issue.

 

Aye, you'd think.

 

[soonbe110]

Is Hof back in full training? 

[HopeDiouf]

1 minute ago, soonbe110 said:

Is Hof back in full training? 

unless naisy was at the windup - he said hof wouldn't be ready for this weekend - after the livi game

Edited April 18 by HopeDiouf

[RustyRightPeg]

6 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Is Hof back in full training? 

 

He's training but Naismith said he wouldn't be ready.

[McNelly15]

Just read Naismith's interview on BBC sport 👌🏽 

Legend. 

[Bazzas right boot]

Cracking interview will have the hordes raging, pity he stopped short of saying "penalty rangers".

[karipidis]

14 minutes ago, McNelly15 said:

Just read Naismith's interview on BBC sport 👌🏽 

Legend. 

He is certainly in a bullish mood and he knows what he is doing. From reading that, he certainly thinks we have a good chance and hopefully his team selection and approach matches this. 

[Daveandal]

35 minutes ago, McNelly15 said:

Just read Naismith's interview on BBC sport 👌🏽 

Legend. 

 

Usually I'd be worried about poking a wounded animal but I think he is right.... they are a team of bottle merchants and I think if they try and use this at motivation it will backfire as they aren't the most intelligent bunch of footballers.

[1971fozzy]

2 hours ago, pettigrewsstylist said:

Limiting space Cantwell and Tavernier can exploit is key. Game over if we dont.

pretty much how I see it. Give these 2 space and it’s trouble.  
Im looking forward to this now. As long as we don’t concede early that’s the main thing. It flattens the support. In about them and silence their support.

im thinking Oda and Natty on the right may be the way to go

[1971fozzy]

39 minutes ago, McNelly15 said:

Just read Naismith's interview on BBC sport 👌🏽 

Legend. 

I was like wtf. Sorry but keep that in the dressing room. I like the fact he thinks that but not plastered over the news

[DC_92]

What does bamming up Rangers before the game achieve except giving them fodder for their team talk? Seems an odd choice.

[stotty]

4 minutes ago, 1971fozzy said:

I was like wtf. Sorry but keep that in the dressing room. I like the fact he thinks that but not plastered over the news

Yeah I worry he’s done their team talk for them, that said, he’s clearly said this stuff to the media deliberately. 

[Gorgierools]

1 hour ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

Sometimes the best thing fir a wounded animal is to put it down.

 

Make it happen Hearts.

You Cannae kill a zombie 

[Bongo 1874]

All the pressure is on Rangers 😉. 

 

Nice one Naisy 👍. 

 

We go there and play our game.

Edited April 18 by Bongo 1874

[Bongo 1874]

Key is possession, and getting one vs one situations against the Rangers Rb&Lb.

 

Midfielder runners into box will need to be on point.

[DC_92]

1 minute ago, Bongo 1874 said:

All the pressure is on Rangers 😉. 

 

Nice one Naisy 👍. 

 

“If you believe that losing puts the pressure onto the other team that wins more times, okay, you keep losing. Keep losing and put the pressure onto us.”

[soonbe110]

1 hour ago, HopeDiouf said:

unless naisy was at the windup - he said hof wouldn't be ready for this weekend - after the livi game

Prior to Livi did he not say the only injured players were Halkett and Boyce, even Pollock had been in for a full weeks training? Hopefully he is playing games. 

[ramrod]

24 minutes ago, 1971fozzy said:

I was like wtf. Sorry but keep that in the dressing room. I like the fact he thinks that but not plastered over the news

This, he's basically done Clements team talk for him, I'd rather he'd shut the **** up and we did our talking in the park.

[HopeDiouf]

1 minute ago, soonbe110 said:

Prior to Livi did he not say the only injured players were Halkett and Boyce, even Pollock had been in for a full weeks training? Hopefully he is playing games. 

Not sure but hes confirmed hoff not in squad for this weekend in the pre match interview on bbc just now.

[Stendelnator]

5 minutes ago, ramrod said:

This, he's basically done Clements team talk for him, I'd rather he'd shut the **** up and we did our talking in the park.

Clement won’t give a **** what we say his dressing room is falling apart. 
 

“Lads, you’ve utterly bottled the league from a brilliant position but have a look at what this wee guy said about you”

[briever]

I love him winding them up and he's right - it also means we have to produce on Sunday.

[Bob Loblaw]

Their confidence is low. He's had a wee nibble at them while trying instill a bit belief in his own players. 

 

Will take that over the types of press conference Robbie used to do where he'd pretty much concede defeat before it had started.

[karipidis]

1 minute ago, Bob Loblaw said:

Their confidence is low. He's had a wee nibble at them while trying instill a bit belief in his own players. 

 

Will take that over the types of press conference Robbie used to do where he'd pretty much concede defeat before it had started.

100%. 

[Mdoug79]

                     Gordon

 

            Kent  Rowles  Kingsley

 

Natty                 Beni                Cochrane 

                Devlin.        Grant 

 

               Shanks.     Vargas 

[Bongo 1874]

39 minutes ago, DC_92 said:

 

“If you believe that losing puts the pressure onto the other team that wins more times, okay, you keep losing. Keep losing and put the pressure onto us.”

The Rangers are coming,I can't see them 🤔.

[bistokid]

              Gordon

 

Atkinson Kent Kingsley Cochrane

 

              Devlin Beni

                   Grant

Oda.            Shankland.  Vargas

 

 

[upgotheheads]

TheEEN has just published their team. It's basically form players with Vargas and Shanks as a front two in a 4-4-2, or possibly a 5-3-2, and it seems reasonable to me. The bench will probably have Oda, Mackay, Forrest,Tagawa and Lembikisa as a formidable attacking lineup on its own. 

 

I'm going to be an ultra-optimist and predict that Tagawa will come on in the last fifteen when we're defending a 1 goal lead and terrify their defence with some lightning runs into their box and put the game beyond doubt with a goal.

[Bazzas right boot]

11 minutes ago, Bob Loblaw said:

Their confidence is low. He's had a wee nibble at them while trying instill a bit belief in his own players. 

 

Will take that over the types of press conference Robbie used to do where he'd pretty much concede defeat before it had started.

 

Agreed- it's good to wind up the opposition a bit,  but I don't remember our previous manager conceding defeat in press conferences. 

 

 

[Go for it 1308]

34 minutes ago, ramrod said:

This, he's basically done Clements team talk for him, I'd rather he'd shut the **** up and we did our talking in the park.

What did he say?

[MR INCREDIBLE]

                 Gordon

Natty.  Kent. Rowles. Kingsley

      Devlin. Beni. Cochrane

                Shankland

      Vargas.           Tagawa

                
 

 

[OTT]

15 minutes ago, Mdoug79 said:

                     Gordon

 

            Kent  Rowles  Kingsley

 

Natty                 Beni                Cochrane 

                Devlin.        Grant 

 

               Shanks.     Vargas 

 

Quite like that team TBF

 

Issue for me though is that Rangers are really strong in the wide areas, and if we let them pepper our box with crosses, they will eventually get something, either a goal or "Penalty Rangers" when they chuck themselves at the ground and the Weegie ref buys with zero reservations. 

[Tiro]

3 hours ago, HopeDiouf said:

I've a feeling our starting midfield 3 got a runout to get used to all playing together at the weekend.  Expecting Beni Devlin and Grant

 

Don't necessarily disagree with your view, in terms of who Naismith will go with, but for me that selection does not have the physicality to match the Rangers midfield and they will not be assisted by Oda, Forrest or McKay. . Pushing Cochrane into the midfield, alongside Beni and Grant, may help. That would leave Atkinson and Kingsley as the full backs.

[lmc1]

Start Tagawa and Oda. Really hope Atkinson doesnt play.

[Hook]

3 minutes ago, lmc1 said:

Start Tagawa and Oda. Really hope Atkinson doesnt play.

Atkinson gives me the fear. A major weak link defensively. If he does play he has to put in a massively improved performance to his previous games against them.

Edited April 18 by Hook

[Tiro]

6 minutes ago, Hook said:

Atkinson gives me the fear. A major weak link defensively. If he does play he has to put in a massively improved performance to his previous games against them.

Don't disagree but I am afraid Lembisika, after looking promising, has looked lost in recent weeks. The only other option is Toby but even he doesn't see himself as a right back. 

 

[RDSK]

Just incase we lose its important to say now that Naisy’s comments in the press are 100% not the reason for the loss. 

[Hook]

23 minutes ago, Tiro said:

Don't disagree but I am afraid Lembisika, after looking promising, has looked lost in recent weeks. The only other option is Toby but even he doesn't see himself as a right back. 

 

Agree, it’s hard to choose between them unfortunately. None of them instill me with any confidence in their defensive abilities especially against so called better teams/players.

 

Whoever is right midfield needs to put a shift in to support the RB area.

 

Hopefully we’ve learnt from how other teams have played against them recently that we are able to cause them more problems than having to worry too much about our defensive frailties.

[Carl Fredrickson]

1 hour ago, Go for it 1308 said:

What did he say?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68848177

 

Similar to what a lot of us have thought or said but he has said it in a press conference. I admire SN but I hope this doesnt come back to bite him. 

 

 

[Watt-Zeefuik]

I think we need Cochrane and McKay doing their work together on the left side to either keep Tavernier honest or to exploit the space he leaves behind him.

 

After last week, as long as he doesn't have a knock, I'd give the start to Oda over Vargas (whom I'm a fan of).

 

On paper a back 3 makes the most sense against them but we got absolutely run over the last time we tried that so I feel like we have to go back 4. And that means Atkinson and not Lembikisa.

 

I still worry about Rowles getting bullied in a back 4 though.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

1 hour ago, Tiro said:

Don't necessarily disagree with your view, in terms of who Naismith will go with, but for me that selection does not have the physicality to match the Rangers midfield and they will not be assisted by Oda, Forrest or McKay. . Pushing Cochrane into the midfield, alongside Beni and Grant, may help. That would leave Atkinson and Kingsley as the full backs.

 

I imagine he's going to try to have Cochrane and Atkinson cut in from the fullbacks and instruct McKay and Oda to sag into the space on the wings a bit to help cover. That likely leaves Rowles to have to deal with Tavernier at times if Cochrane gets pulled out of position which makes me a bit nervous but I think Rowles is better at dealing with speedy and skilled players than physical ones.

[Rods]

Really enjoyed Naisy’s interview. Must have had the sycophantic journos in knots. 
 

About time we came out and said we don’t fear the old firm in fact the stats are pointing to us winning or having a chance.

 

Rangers are at a bit of a low it’s time to rub it in not play along and be nice. 

[lmc1]

1 hour ago, Hook said:

Atkinson gives me the fear. A major weak link defensively. If he does play he has to put in a massively improved performance to his previous games against them.

Agreed - he gives me the fear too. He just isnt good enough.