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

[Luckies1874]

Just now, chrissyHMFC said:

If you put Kyzi right who goes left?

 

What I would do until things settle down a bit, we get a couple of players back and/or we bring in someone else before the window closes, is play Kingsley at left back with Milne in front of him. I think that would be a good partnership in the immediate short term and give the team balance. Milne has bags of energy and attacking threat and would get back and help Kingsley. Both naturally left footed. I'd give it a shot at Livvy. My suspicion is Spittal will be there next Saturday. 

[1971fozzy]

Looking fwd to it. Always a good trip and beers with mates. Football hopefully decent and hope to god he starts Braga.  Won’t be easy but I’m going for a 0-2 win with Shankland and Findlay the scorers

Edited August 24, 2025 by 1971fozzy

[1971fozzy]

9 hours ago, Mirror said:

 

I think Hoff is injured so Mcentee instead 😵‍💫

in a game when they will kick the shit out of us I’d have him nowhere near the starting 11.  Sorry, but he was shocking yesterday for me. Sub at best but looks well off it, probably needing time to settle

[5jambo1]

I would play 

 

Clark

Steinwender

Halkett

Findlay

Milne

 

Devlin

Beni

Mcentee

 

Kabore

Braga

Kyzy

 

need to be solid, need to have three players in the middle, and need Braga up top. The front three are the three players who can make something happen and have the ability to cause problems. I’d expect Milne to push on the majority of times with Steinwender tucking in. It would also allow Mcentee to get forward which is supposed to be something he is good at and what we have seen glimpses off. TBH still not sure what shape is best suited to us with the players we have available

 

Don’t have a clue what DM will do as the past two games have thrown up surprises. Funny feeling he might go 4-4-2 with the same back 4 as above. Kyzy wide left. Middle 2 of Mcentee and Devlin, forrest or Spittal wide right and shanks up top with Braga. 

[Badonde]

with the current squad I would choose

Clark

steinwender

halkett

findlay

milne

 

beni

Mcantee 

kabangu

braga

kyzi 

 

kabore 

we really need to sign a right winger and right back though

[MTS1874]

2 hours ago, Mac80 said:

Folk writing Kabore off already 😂 

 

 

Maybe playing him in his natural position would help.

[south morocco]

8 minutes ago, MTS1874 said:

Maybe playing him in his natural position would help.

Would help. Just give him the last 30 if circumstances allow etc. 

[weegie jambo]

I don't care who he plays just play the RIGHT formation.

Last two games he has played the totally wrong formations and been caught out by St Liedown & Motherwll.

Livi usually play a 3 man midfield let's match please.

McInnes is beginning to show himself to be tactically naive.

[Gulf Jambo]

5 hours ago, 1971fozzy said:

in a game when they will kick the shit out of us I’d have him nowhere near the starting 11.  Sorry, but he was shocking yesterday for me. Sub at best but looks well off it, probably needing time to settle

 

He's been one of our best players in the first few games he's had a CM.

Wasn't good against M'Well, but neither were half the team.

 

Folk so keen to write off the new players

[WheatfieldWarrior]

Do Braga or Kiziridis have the fitness to last the 90?

[Jambo dans les Pyrenees]

McFarlane

 

Steinwender

Halkett

Findlay

Milne

 

Beni

Hoff

McEntee

 

Krzyidis

 

Brava

Elton

[1971fozzy]

4 hours ago, Gulf Jambo said:

 

He's been one of our best players in the first few games he's had a CM.

Wasn't good against M'Well, but neither were half the team.

 

Folk so keen to write off the new players

not writing him off, just think he needs some time and not a starter for this game in particular

[chrisyboy7]

9 hours ago, 5jambo1 said:

I would play 

 

Clark

Steinwender

Halkett

Findlay

Milne

 

Devlin

Beni

Mcentee

 

Kabore

Braga

Kyzy

 

need to be solid, need to have three players in the middle, and need Braga up top. The front three are the three players who can make something happen and have the ability to cause problems. I’d expect Milne to push on the majority of times with Steinwender tucking in. It would also allow Mcentee to get forward which is supposed to be something he is good at and what we have seen glimpses off. TBH still not sure what shape is best suited to us with the players we have available

 

Don’t have a clue what DM will do as the past two games have thrown up surprises. Funny feeling he might go 4-4-2 with the same back 4 as above. Kyzy wide left. Middle 2 of Mcentee and Devlin, forrest or Spittal wide right and shanks up top with Braga. 

Clarke has killed that team selection 

[5jambo1]

Just now, chrisyboy7 said:

Clarke has killed that team selection 

TBH I wouldn’t be against McFarlane getting a chance

[pettigrewsstylist]

17 hours ago, GBJambo said:

Writing off players that have only played a few minutes. Ffs this place is a joke 

44mins for Hearts, signed on JTA data, and then deciding he cant displace Alan Forrest and you've seen enough. 😳 Glorious 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Martin B]

Zero chance Shankland doesn’t start so half the predicted lineups are wrong straight away.

[iantjambo]

The amount of people dropping Devlin but keeping McEntee in

 

 McFarlane (Give the boy a chance)

 

Forrester (unpopular choice, I know. But he’ll do better than Steinwender there)

Findlay

Halkett

Milne

 

Beni

Devlin

Kyziridis

Kerjota

 

Kabore (let’s see him in his natural position. But it’ll be Shanks anyway)

Braga

Edited August 25, 2025 by iantjambo

[Gershwin]

Vargas always scores against Livi. Give him a start 

[RudiSkacelsLeftPeg]

Just get the 3 points Hearts.

[Radio-Braga]

9 hours ago, MTS1874 said:

Maybe playing him in his natural position would help.

What’s his natural position?

 

Transfer Market says he has played anywhere across the front three during his career so far. 

[Nichhgh]

Anyone know what time the bus roughly arrives at away games? We live five minutes away from the stadium so my boys want to go cheer the players before we go to the game 😂❤️

[Luckies1874]

31 minutes ago, Gershwin said:

Vargas always scores against Livi. Give him a start 

Not available till after international break. 

[TexasAndy]

They will make it a battle in midfield so we need Beni in there to put his foot on ball.

[bobby bombscare]

This is a McInnes game through and through. A pitch and a team that will do anything to avoid playing football. 

 

He will set us up with a strong, physical midfield and possibly a back 3 and we will win from a couple of set pieces. 

 

Never fancied McInnes as the 'fast, free flowing football' type. But knows how to get a grip on a physical game. 

[Locky]

4-3-3

 

Would like to see McFarlane get a shot but if its Clark, so be it.

 

Forrester

Halkett

Findlay

Milne

 

Beni

Devlin

McEntee

 

Braga

Shankland

Kyziridis

[Hømme]

With the Old Firm match being played this weekend coming, its a great incentive to claw points back on Celtic or pull away from Rangers ahead of going to Ibrox. Just win Hearts.

[Hømme]

33 minutes ago, Nichhgh said:

Anyone know what time the bus roughly arrives at away games? We live five minutes away from the stadium so my boys want to go cheer the players before we go to the game 😂❤️

 

I'd be interested to know this too. Will be the wee man's first game of the season.

[Boab Mugabe]

Need to have Beni and Braga on from the start. 
 

No matter what lineup or formation it’s going to be a difficult game through there purely because that Livi team works their socks off.

[Robbo-Jambo]

On 24/08/2025 at 06:38, PapaShango said:

Why folk chucking Kabore in? Boy looks honking from what I’ve seen. Even if he is better suited in the middle his touch and control was dreadful yesterday and yet again looked way out his depth. He needs integrated from the bench we can’t play him from the start again until he finds his feet.

Exactly, plus the fact start Kerjota when he wasn't even on the bench on Saturday.

 

He must be honking in training.

[Martin B]

15 minutes ago, bobby bombscare said:

A pitch and a team that will do anything to avoid playing football. 

Not this season. Both the pitch and team are very different. That’s why they were so open against Hibs because they were trying to play more fluent passing football.

[Robbo-Jambo]

13 hours ago, Luckies1874 said:

 

What I would do until things settle down a bit, we get a couple of players back and/or we bring in someone else before the window closes, is play Kingsley at left back with Milne in front of him. I think that would be a good partnership in the immediate short term and give the team balance. Milne has bags of energy and attacking threat and would get back and help Kingsley. Both naturally left footed. I'd give it a shot at Livvy. My suspicion is Spittal will be there next Saturday. 

Wouldn't mind that, seeing Milne further forward, he would definitely be a big threat and Kingsley would be solid against Livvy.

[MTS1874]

44 minutes ago, Mac80 said:

What’s his natural position?

 

Transfer Market says he has played anywhere across the front three during his career so far. 

Striker or Number 10 in my opinion.  Could be a good partner for Braga

[Niemi’s gloves]

28 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

Exactly, plus the fact start Kerjota when he wasn't even on the bench on Saturday.

 

He must be honking in training.

To my mind, Kerjota should be given the chance to show what he can do tomorrow night as an over-age player in the challenge cup game away to Dumbarton. But sadly the mind-set seems to be that the (revamped) challenge cup games are simply further B team games. 

[Absolute Scenes]

11 hours ago, Badonde said:

with the current squad I would choose

Clark

steinwender

halkett

findlay

milne

 

beni

Mcantee 

kabangu

braga

kyzi 

 

kabore 

we really need to sign a right winger and right back though

I like this team

[Firefox]

1 hour ago, iantjambo said:

The amount of people dropping Devlin but keeping McEntee in

 

 McFarlane (Give the boy a chance)

 

Forrester (unpopular choice, I know. But he’ll do better than Steinwender there)

Findlay

Halkett

Milne

 

Beni

Devlin

Kyziridis

Kerjota

 

Kabore (let’s see him in his natural position. But it’ll be Shanks anyway)

Braga

Still trying to workout why we brought Forrester back after Borch got injured but still play Steinwender at RB.

No chance of Shankland being dropped.

[gregzy2k7]

Im getting a bit concerned with our poor first halfs, if we chuck in another dire first half again, then we might be up against it here.

 

Braga and Kyzi must start this game, also Forrester at RB until borch is fit.

 

The team owe us a good start for once,

 

Prediction 2-2.

 

Hope im wrong and we go out and blitz them.

[Luckies1874]

1 minute ago, gregzy2k7 said:

Im getting a bit concerned with our poor first halfs, if we chuck in another dire first half again, then we might be up against it here.

 

Braga and Kyzi must start this game, also Forrester at RB until borch is fit.

 

The team owe us a good start for once,

 

Prediction 2-2.

 

Hope im wrong and we go out and blitz them.

 

We played well against Aberdeen in the first half and were unlucky not to be 2 up and for spells very well in the game at Tannadice in the first half only to see Clark throw 2 goals in. 

[Gulf Jambo]

1 minute ago, gregzy2k7 said:

Im getting a bit concerned with our poor first halfs, if we chuck in another dire first half again, then we might be up against it here.

 

Braga and Kyzi must start this game, also Forrester at RB until borch is fit.

 

The team owe us a good start for once,

 

Prediction 2-2.

 

Hope im wrong and we go out and blitz them.

 

The last 2 games we've been off it first half.

The previous 5 games we scored inside the first 20 minutes.

 

I get people are annoyed after a couple bad results, but it's not like it's been going on for months like last season

[gregzy2k7]

6 minutes ago, Gulf Jambo said:

 

The last 2 games we've been off it first half.

The previous 5 games we scored inside the first 20 minutes.

 

I get people are annoyed after a couple bad results, but it's not like it's been going on for months like last season

I would argue we've been poor in the first half for the last 3 games.

 

Poor first half against Dundee United, St Mirren and Motherwell.

 

We were good admittedly against Aberdeen and in the league cup games but the reactive and slow starts are just getting a little concerning for me is all, I feel there's not enough taking the game by the scruff of the neck and taking it to the opposition, too much reacting to things for me and setting up to counter the opposition imo.

 

We need to blitz livi from the start,  hit them hard and fast and don't let them breath until we are a couple of goals to the good.

 

Are we good enough to do that? Well that remains to be seen imo.

 

Hopefully we do it this weekend.

 

[PapaShango]

12 hours ago, south morocco said:

Would help. Just give him the last 30 if circumstances allow etc. 

Yeah can't be starting him again, needs minutes from the bench for his sake and ours. He's looked lost the first 2 games and needs to get up to speed from the bench IMO. Everyone chucking him into their team from the start, no idea what they are basing putting him in ahead of the player that has been our top scorer for the last 3 seasons. I know Shanks isn't exactly on fire but no chance I'm leaving him out for someone who is unproven and frankly has looked lost the 2 games he has played. 

[Pasquale for King]

3 hours ago, bobby bombscare said:

This is a McInnes game through and through. A pitch and a team that will do anything to avoid playing football. 

 

He will set us up with a strong, physical midfield and possibly a back 3 and we will win from a couple of set pieces. 

 

Never fancied McInnes as the 'fast, free flowing football' type. But knows how to get a grip on a physical game. 

Yeah, didn’t seem to do that in Paisley?

[Gulf Jambo]

1 hour ago, gregzy2k7 said:

I would argue we've been poor in the first half for the last 3 games.

 

Poor first half against Dundee United, St Mirren and Motherwell.

 

We were good admittedly against Aberdeen and in the league cup games but the reactive and slow starts are just getting a little concerning for me is all, I feel there's not enough taking the game by the scruff of the neck and taking it to the opposition, too much reacting to things for me and setting up to counter the opposition imo.

 

We need to blitz livi from the start,  hit them hard and fast and don't let them breath until we are a couple of goals to the good.

 

Are we good enough to do that? Well that remains to be seen imo.

 

Hopefully we do it this weekend.

 

 

I think part of it is that McInnes is being cautious.

 

New club, new players. Lots of players new to country as well, at least the ones who've been here a while he'll know them more (positives & faults).

And we've only had 4 proper competitive games where they are under proper pressure against decent opposition. And I'm sure he'll have learned more in this month than the 3 before it about the players.

 

Once he knows them and how to get the best out of them individually & as a group then I think we'll see the shackles come off a bit and us be a lot less concerned about opposition and more about how we play.

 

In the meantime points on the board are points on the board..

[Debut 4]

1 hour ago, gregzy2k7 said:

I would argue we've been poor in the first half for the last 3 games.

 

Poor first half against Dundee United, St Mirren and Motherwell.

 

We were good admittedly against Aberdeen and in the league cup games but the reactive and slow starts are just getting a little concerning for me is all, I feel there's not enough taking the game by the scruff of the neck and taking it to the opposition, too much reacting to things for me and setting up to counter the opposition imo.

 

We need to blitz livi from the start,  hit them hard and fast and don't let them breath until we are a couple of goals to the good.

 

Are we good enough to do that? Well that remains to be seen imo.

 

Hopefully we do it this weekend.

 

I agree in essence but a blitzing start means taking a chance. I’m actually for it. I think it’s when Hearts are at their best.  
 

Just see Saturday past.  
 

It was all or nothing at 0-3. We had to throw caution to the wind but what that calls on is hard running from the players, almost non stop and no time for a breath.  
 

My concern is that was reactionary.  It needs to be inherent from the start. 

Im sure we all get links tovideos through social media and the one i saw last week was the opener v Aberdeen from 1997-98.  
 

You just have to watch that and see how hard players worked, how the game was in constant motion for most part.  I felt Saturday 2nd half was a wee bit similar. 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2025 by Debut 4

[Nichhgh]

3 hours ago, Hømme said:

 

I'd be interested to know this too. Will be the wee man's first game of the season.

When I took the kids to Hamden it was about an hour and a half before kick off but wasn’t sure if it would be around the same

[One five]

2 hours ago, gregzy2k7 said:

I would argue we've been poor in the first half for the last 3 games.

 

Poor first half against Dundee United, St Mirren and Motherwell.

 

We were good admittedly against Aberdeen and in the league cup games but the reactive and slow starts are just getting a little concerning for me is all, I feel there's not enough taking the game by the scruff of the neck and taking it to the opposition, too much reacting to things for me and setting up to counter the opposition imo.

 

We need to blitz livi from the start,  hit them hard and fast and don't let them breath until we are a couple of goals to the good.

 

Are we good enough to do that? Well that remains to be seen imo.

 

Hopefully we do it this weekend.

 

Agree 👍 

[Hømme]

16 minutes ago, Nichhgh said:

When I took the kids to Hamden it was about an hour and a half before kick off but wasn’t sure if it would be around the same

 

Thanks. Will see what the weather is like first

[iantjambo]

2 hours ago, gregzy2k7 said:

Im getting a bit concerned with our poor first halfs, if we chuck in another dire first half again, then we might be up against it here.

 

Braga and Kyzi must start this game, also Forrester at RB until borch is fit.

 

The team owe us a good start for once,

 

Prediction 2-2.

 

Hope im wrong and we go out and blitz them.

 I think that’s more down to DM and his constant changing of the team selection. The sooner he decides on a settled XI the better.

[upgotheheads]

3 hours ago, Locky said:

4-3-3

 

Would like to see McFarlane get a shot but if its Clark, so be it.

 

Forrester

Halkett

Findlay

Milne

 

Beni

Devlin

McEntee

 

Braga

Shankland

Kyziridis

 

That would be a decent outfield lineup, but give me one reason why you think a 19-year-old  recalled from a loan to Alloa would be better than a Goalkeeper who has had one bad game this season and played well last Saturday.

[Swanny17]

Clark

 

Forrester  Halkett  Findlay  Milne

 

Spittal  Hoff  Beni  Kyzi

Shanks  Braga

[Turkishcap]

Lesson for all, depending on time left 3 0 is not safe.