Target 80 pts. Maroon and white ribbons on the trophy

[hmfc_liam06]

I said the other day, even 4 points next two games puts us on 42 after the first half of the season.

If we repeat that again next 19 we'll win the league.

[Pingu]

9 hours ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

Based on where things are now, another 42 points should get us across the line. That's 14 more wins / 2 points per game.

 

Eminently achievable.

 

I know this season is different. I'm watching it unfold with my own eyes. But decades of conditioning make it hard for me to be confident 80 points will be enough. I can't help but feel one of the cheeks will put a run in that takes them past the 80 point mark.

 

The other chaos factor in all this is that the post split fixtures can be a bit of a crapshoot, especially if several teams are still in the title race. Anyone could easily blow a chunky lead.

 

But if we could get to more than 70 points going into the split, I expect us to at least be in with a chance, and 75 would likely put us in a brilliant position.  

[pettigrewsstylist]

14 minutes ago, Hearts1975 said:

It ain't boom or bust this season .... even if we don't do it.

Dream, yes, ... it's impossible not to. 

But if we don't do it it doesn't change that it's just the very beginning.

Bloom said within 10 years and there is a valid reason for him saying that. 

Del needs to (and he will) keep the players grounded.

 

"Our battle is with wurselves" - I feel like this is being banded about at times like it's a bit of a pisstake or speech slang from the gaffer. 

He knows exactly what he is doing. He needs to keep the squad focussed on what's immediately in front of them and not what comes after. He is essentially correct. One game at a time.

No more no less. 

 

The OP is spot on re mentality. And the stats are interesting. We haven't had to deal with this kind of pressure before. It's relentless and it hangs like an anchor day in day out, because of how well we are doing 

 

Whilst it distracts the support it can't distract the players and I believe it's how we deal with that mental battle that could literally define the outcome at the end of this season.

 

This is where I genuinely genuinely believe that we have the best man at the helm to lead our team through this pressure. He was there before and the wheels came off. He will know what to do and how to deal with it this time round. That experience could be vital in the long run. 

 

 

 

 

Bringing in younger, fearless, hungry guys, who can change games is the key. They dont have the fear hanging round them. They dont give a ****

 

[Robbo-Jambo]

One game at a time for me.

 

If I start thinking that far ahead, it would blow my mind.

 

Being at Dens in 86 has taught me to never count my chickens.

[Craig_]

11 minutes ago, Pingu said:

 

I know this season is different. I'm watching it unfold with my own eyes. But decades of conditioning make it hard for me to be confident 80 points will be enough. I can't help but feel one of the cheeks will put a run in that takes them past the 80 point mark.

 

The other chaos factor in all this is that the post split fixtures can be a bit of a crapshoot, especially if several teams are still in the title race. Anyone could easily blow a chunky lead.

 

But if we could get to more than 70 points going into the split, I expect us to at least be in with a chance, and 75 would likely put us in a brilliant position.  

 

37 points in 16 games? 2.3 points per game? No bother!

 

[Pingu]

8 minutes ago, Craig_ said:

 

37 points in 16 games? 2.3 points per game? No bother!

 

 

[Hearts1975]

23 minutes ago, pettigrewsstylist said:

Bringing in younger, fearless, hungry guys, who can change games is the key. They dont have the fear hanging round them. They dont give a ****

 

Form is temporary. Class is permanent. I don't think the players we are bringing in have any fear but the likes of Kyzi and bragas form dipped recently.

That's what pressure and thinking about things too much can do.

I'm not saying it was that but the players need to be focussed in the moment and not after. 

 

[Craig_]

4 minutes ago, Hearts1975 said:

Form is temporary. Class is permanent. I don't think the players we are bringing in have any fear but the likes of Kyzi and bragas form dipped recently.

That's what pressure and thinking about things too much can do.

I'm not saying it was that but the players need to be focussed in the moment and not after. 

 

 

Defenders have just got wiser to them. There's invariably two defenders on Kyzi at any given time, Braga still among the goals. Once we've got a better threat on the right too the opposition won't stand a chance.

[Penrices left boot]

6 minutes ago, Hearts1975 said:

Form is temporary. Class is permanent. I don't think the players we are bringing in have any fear but the likes of Kyzi and bragas form dipped recently.

That's what pressure and thinking about things too much can do.

I'm not saying it was that but the players need to be focussed in the moment and not after. 

 

 

 

Defenders get wiser and form can level out ( ups and downs), just depends on what it levels out to and what we have in depth to change and refresh things.

 

 

[Pingu]

20 minutes ago, Craig_ said:

 

37 points in 16 games? 2.3 points per game? No bother!

 

Win four out of the next five games. That'll give us 50 points after two full rounds of fixtures. 29 from the first round, 21 from the second. Split the difference in the third round (with our January reinforcements) and get 25 in the third round. That's the path to 75! 

 

It's a massive ask, of course. Winning on Sunday would be a very good place to start!
 

[Penrices left boot]

9 hours ago, Victorian said:

It's not impossible but maybe a few more than 80.   18/19,  17/18 & 15/16 were in and around the same ballpark.

 

Rangers having lost just the once is the key though.   Although they have more draws than wins.   The league is very strange looking.   Motherwell have only lost 2.   But again 9 draws to 6 wins.   Celtic have already lost more matches (4) than they tend to in a full season when they romp the league.   Dundee have only lost 5.

 

It's totally messed up and unpredictable.   But if it 80 points,  surely it's going to be a blanket finish of 3 or more teams.

 

 

Which although immaterial to the result, given our circumstances it's incredible some on here wanted a rangers win on Monday.

 

I now want the OF to drop as many points as possible in every game, that will only help us in any challenge.

 

It may be very small margins.

Almost every game seems decided by small margins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hmfc1984]

All that matters right now is beating Rangers. 

[poultry]

3 minutes ago, Penrices left boot said:

 

 

Which although immaterial to the result, given our circumstances it's incredible some on here wanted a rangers win on Monday.

 

I now want the OF to drop as many points as possible in every game, that will only help us in any challenge.

 

It may be very small margins.

Almost every game seems decided by small margins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totally agree.

[Hearts1975]

4 minutes ago, Craig_ said:

 

Defenders have just got wiser to them. There's invariably two defenders on Kyzi at any given time, Braga still among the goals. Once we've got a better threat on the right too the opposition won't stand a chance.

 

2 minutes ago, Penrices left boot said:

 

 

Defenders get wiser and form can level out ( ups and downs), just depends on what it levels out to and what we have in depth to change and refresh things.

 

 

Good points made and can't really argue this hasn't had an impact where the form is concerned. 

 

[Doc Rob]

I think the important difference this season is that the ugly sisters both look beatable - not just to us, to everyone. Most years they get a load of cheap, unearned wins against teams who are beaten in their heads before kick-off. Not this year- everyone fancies their chances, and that’s why we’re in such a good place.

[JudyJudyJudy]

9 hours ago, EIEIO said:

Most of our goals were conceded with Clarke in goals since Schwolow (spelling) came in we've conceded car less.

Yep . He’s been a great addition . 

[JudyJudyJudy]

We should try concentrate on winning our games and forget the white noise around other teams . Do that and we will be fine . No use hoping on Lady Luck with other matches etc chewing our nails down 

[TheBigO]

10 hours ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

Based on where things are now, another 42 points should get us across the line. That's 14 more wins / 2 points per game.

 

Eminently achievable.

Was thinking this last night Geoff.  2pts per game we'll be close.  I had 85/86 as needed, I'll reduce that now to perhaps 82 now. 

 

For Celtic or Rangers to get to 82, they're gettin close to 2.5pts per game which is unbelievable form.  One more loss for either of them in the coming games (hopefully this Sunday), gives them quite the battle to get into the 80s.

 

I still say for us to get 82 points though is a loooooong way off and would be an incredible achievement.  If we get 4 or  6 from the next 2, shit gets real!

[...andFulton'sBaggio]

Beat Rangers, that's it. Think of nothing else

[kingantti1874]

5 minutes ago, ...andFulton'sBaggio said:

Beat Rangers, that's it. Think of nothing else

this will be a hard game, they aren’t the Huns of old.  But they are pragmatic and are finding ways to get results. 

[kingantti1874]

I refuse to entertain notions of titles. Been hurt too often. Just focus on these 2 games 

[Hearts1975]

9 minutes ago, ...andFulton'sBaggio said:

Beat Rangers, that's it. Think of nothing else

Your absolutely spot on.

Hard as f... not to drift and plan it all out but how many times have teams took their eye off the ball and blew the opportunity they had in the moment. 

It wouldnt be unique to us.

I'm flogging a dead horse repeating myself here but it's imperative we have nothing less that 100 percent focus on each game and play each game like it's a cup final.

We can't get ahead of ourselves regardless of the positive outlook 

We are shooting ourselves in the foot to suggest otherwise

 

The orcs are going to come to us with the attitude that it is win or bust. Let's just make sure it's the latter and give them our full attention. 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2025 by Hearts1975

[mr fox]

9 hours ago, Victorian said:

 

Yeah we've had the poor run that everyone knew would come.   Crucially we stopped it with a huge win and backed it up.   We'll surely have another poor run.   Or more than one.   I suppose the entire shooting match hinges on how bad a run(s).

We will 100% but so will the ugly sisters 

They ain’t great now even spending in January it’s not easy to get the players up and running.

We need 2-3 better players and one is already in 

[Heartsofgold]

My thoughts started at 'no we will not really challenge for the league'.  They are slowly coming round to 'hmmmm, maybe....'.  Win the next 2 and they will change to 'Jesus we are really in the mix for this!!'.

 

I'm trying my best to keep my focus on the next game in front of us, rather than skipping to the next 4 games!! In that way lies madness and disappointment as far as I'm concerned.

 

Let's just beat this lot on Sunday then get properly set up for the other Edinburgh lot a week on Saturday.  6 points from these would give me a great Christmas present.

[DG_HMFC]

10 hours ago, Penrices left boot said:

80 ish points  does seem like it will win it and it is possible.

 

The next two games, although by no way decisive, would be massive, massive wins.

 

 

 

It would be a massive psychological boost for everyone if we won our next 2 games.

[JimmyCant]

1 hour ago, jambo89 said:

Personally think we will need around 88 points to win it. 

 

My thinking is that if we beat Rangers then Hibs, that puts us on 44 points with half the games played. It means repeating our first half of the season, which is completely doable. 

 

88 points would've been enough to win the league in 3 of the past 10 years, I think however, this will be the target points needed from now on.

 

Whilst 88 wasn't enough to win the league in 7 of the other 10 seasons, those league campaigns didn't have a "third challenger" i.e. was only a 2 horse race. The fact that we are now up there means that the Old Firm are likely to drop more points, more often and the required points total reduces. 

 

Looking at the EPL, the average points needed is 88 points. It all points down to the next 2 games being massive though.  

You need to take account of the fact that Celtic were romping the leagues most years in the last 10. Very few close things and generally wrapped up by January. So theyd maybe take 95 points when 82 would have been enough for them to win it. Essentially you need to look at who was second, how many points they had and add on 1 point to give you the total required to have won it. 
 

We’re not looking to win this by 10-15 points as nice as that would be. one more point than them will do it. 80 points might be enough. 85 almost certainly wins it, especially in a 3 horse race with so many draws flying about 

[Taffin]

1 hour ago, Pingu said:

 

I know this season is different. I'm watching it unfold with my own eyes. But decades of conditioning make it hard for me to be confident 80 points will be enough. I can't help but feel one of the cheeks will put a run in that takes them past the 80 point mark.

 

The other chaos factor in all this is that the post split fixtures can be a bit of a crapshoot, especially if several teams are still in the title race. Anyone could easily blow a chunky lead.

 

That's what stopping me really believing, even if we get through the next couple of games with wins which should really make us firm, firm favourites.

 

We've never really seen the advantage that the split can give the OF as they've not needed it. The pressure on a challenger will be immense and playing all the top teams favours those who've been there before.

 

 

1 hour ago, Pingu said:

But if we could get to more than 70 points going into the split, I expect us to at least be in with a chance, and 75 would likely put us in a brilliant position.  

 

[hmfc1984]

If we're top by end of January I may start believing. I'd hate it to go to the last few games though! I'd have bitten your hand off at the start of the season to be in the mix but just not sure my heart can take it! If we win I want it done before the split 🤣

[JimmyCant]

38 minutes ago, JudyJudyJudy said:

We should try concentrate on winning our games and forget the white noise around other teams . Do that and we will be fine . No use hoping on Lady Luck with other matches etc chewing our nails down 

I think that’s exactly what we’re doing internally. Nothing we can do about other teams results until we play them

 

Wur Fight is Wae Wursels

 

Never seen a truer football cliche than that

 

But it’s okay and understandable for the fans to get excited and look at what everyone else is doing through a microscope. I watched Celtics game last night on the edge of my seat for the last 15 minutes 

[Robbo-Jambo]

Got to remember that the old firm will probably spend big in the transfer window and for once if they get their recruitment right they will come out of the window stronger.

 

On the other hand Del hinted that we were hoping to get one or two bits of business done. Who knows what that might be ?, plus hopefully 🤞 Beni, Ague and Chesnekov are available.

 

Going to be a very interesting January window.

[JimmyCant]

4 minutes ago, hmfc1984 said:

If we're top by end of January I may start believing. I'd hate it to go to the last few games though! I'd have bitten your hand off at the start of the season to be in the mix but just not sure my heart can take it! If we win I want it done before the split 🤣

This. I’m bad enough now going through all the possibilities. I’ll be a basket case if we go into the split needing 3 wins for the title

[Robbo-Jambo]

1 minute ago, JimmyCant said:

I think that’s exactly what we’re doing internally. Nothing we can do about other teams results until we play them

 

Wur Fight is Wae Wursels

 

Never seen a truer football cliche than that

 

But it’s okay and understandable for the fans to get excited and look at what everyone else is doing through a microscope. I watched Celtics game last night on the edge of my seat for the last 15 minutes 

When Maeda missed that chance with the header I comfortably sat back in my chair.

 

They were never going to score.

[TheBigO]

21 minutes ago, Heartsofgold said:

My thoughts started at 'no we will not really challenge for the league'.  They are slowly coming round to 'hmmmm, maybe....'.  Win the next 2 and they will change to 'Jesus we are really in the mix for this!!'.

 

I'm trying my best to keep my focus on the next game in front of us, rather than skipping to the next 4 games!! In that way lies madness and disappointment as far as I'm concerned.

 

Let's just beat this lot on Sunday then get properly set up for the other Edinburgh lot a week on Saturday.  6 points from these would give me a great Christmas present.

Your first para is exactly my journey too!!!

 

But your second para is far too difficult, but I've always been one for ppg and what we need to do what etc.  Just need to tell myself it's not what I THINK we'll do, it's what we WOULD NEED to do.

[Chairman of the Bored]

36 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

I refuse to entertain notions of titles. Been hurt too often. Just focus on these 2 games 

[JimmyCant]

11 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Your first para is exactly my journey too!!!

 

But your second para is far too difficult, but I've always been one for ppg and what we need to do what etc.  Just need to tell myself it's not what I THINK we'll do, it's what we WOULD NEED to do.

Correct. I’ve got all the fixtures in my head and run through them constantly playing the ‘best case, worst case’ game

 

Then catch phrases to assure myself like ‘They’ll be more worried about us than we are about them’ creep in And what sort of gap and when will make us safe

 

Ive not taken ‘one game at a time’ for about 3 months now, so I’m well set up for a huge deflating disappointment if the wheels come off 😂 so be it. I can’t do it any other way so I’ve given into it 

Edited December 18, 2025 by JimmyCant

[JimmyCant]

45 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

I refuse to entertain notions of titles. Been hurt too often. Just focus on these 2 games 

There can’t be many left who aren’t at least ‘entertaining the notion’ I just hope that if we’re not going to do it, we fade away gently and soon rather than a massive stab in the heart at the end

[casper]

49 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

I refuse to entertain notions of titles. Been hurt too often. Just focus on these 2 games 

You must be made of stone.😗

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

80 wont win it, at least another 5

[No Idle Talk]

At the moment we have played 17 games and won 11 of them. That's a win rate of around two thirds. We have only lost one match so far.

 

We have twenty one league games to go. If we maintain our present win rate, which seems feasible, that is fourteen more wins. I'll err on the side of caution and give us twelve wins, just for arguments sake. That's another thirty six points which takes us to seventy four in total. 

 

There are still nine games unaccounted for. If we take just six points out of those twenty seven points, that puts us on 80pts.

 

It's totally doable. Will 80pts be enough to win the league? Who can say. But we for sure won't be far away with that points total. 

[casper]

The head to head against the uglies will likely be the difference.

[TheBigO]

33 minutes ago, JimmyCant said:

Correct. I’ve got all the fixtures in my head and run through them constantly playing the ‘best case, worst case’ game

 

Then catch phrases to assure myself like ‘They’ll be more worried about us than we are about them’ creep in And what sort of gap and when will make us safe

 

Ive not taken ‘one game at a time’ for about 3 months now, so I’m well set up for a huge deflating disappointment if the wheels come off 😂 so be it. I can’t do it any other way so I’ve given into it 

Haha.  Eerily similar!

 

One you haven't mentioned is "even if this year doesn't come off, this is the worst Hearts team we'll see for a generation - we're only going to get better".

 

And I do believe it.  Lots being made of Celtic and Rangers at an all-time low (which is bullshit, there have been other seasons but just with no one around to make it looks worse). 

 

Add 6 points to Celtic they'd normally have got against us and all of a sudden they're on 2.3ppg game and heading on trend for 90 points.  This awful form and collapse is largely rhetoric and what WE have done to them.  Just no one is used to it!

 

Don't get me wrong, they're not good.  But looking at bear stats, we're top of the league while Celtic and - to a lesser extent - are doing not overly far below their usual, other than their games v us.

 

So yeah, thats all the stuff I'm telling myself!!

 

Oh and: even being top at this stage is a huge achievement, that crept in this morning when speaking to a colleague!

[pettigrewsstylist]

1 hour ago, Hearts1975 said:

Form is temporary. Class is permanent. I don't think the players we are bringing in have any fear but the likes of Kyzi and bragas form dipped recently.

That's what pressure and thinking about things too much can do.

I'm not saying it was that but the players need to be focussed in the moment and not after. 

 

Plenty truth there, but i would like to see Kyzi benefit from more space, with someone else doing damage on the right simultaneously. Whenever he gets the ball opposition swarm him regularly at mo.

[Victorian]

3 hours ago, Midloth_Iain said:

 

Dundee Utd have lost 5

Dundee have lost 10

 

Other than that you are spot on, a totally fu**ed up season

 

 

 

Yes,  sorry.   Not sure why I typed Dundee.  

[Midloth_Iain]

1 hour ago, ...andFulton'sBaggio said:

Beat Rangers, that's it. Think of nothing else

 

I am sure that will be McInnes' mantra and the team will be ready.

 

As fans we can live slightly differently ...... 

[pettigrewsstylist]

1 hour ago, TheBigO said:

Was thinking this last night Geoff.  2pts per game we'll be close.  I had 85/86 as needed, I'll reduce that now to perhaps 82 now. 

 

For Celtic or Rangers to get to 82, they're gettin close to 2.5pts per game which is unbelievable form.  One more loss for either of them in the coming games (hopefully this Sunday), gives them quite the battle to get into the 80s.

 

I still say for us to get 82 points though is a loooooong way off and would be an incredible achievement.  If we get 4 or  6 from the next 2, shit gets real!

Where my neanderthal maths gets me too also. Next few weeks could see "the ask" revised again. Historical figures aint really my focus. What the uglies can realistically achieve is the only question in this crazy season. Its gonna be low winning total. 

[Victorian]

38 minutes ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

80 wont win it, at least another 5

 

More or less my initial thought.   But 80 is possible.   But if it is 80 or so,  I still can't get away from the inevitability that it would have to be a mental fight between 3 or conceivably as many as 5 challengers.

 

It would probably require the likes of Motherwell and Aberdeen (or even Hibs) to take a decent amount of points from the OF.   Which probably means they're sustaining really good seasons and maybe taking points from us as well.

 

For my money,  80 points will mean a 33 match split table with 3-5 teams going for the title.   It's hard to get the head around.   If it's only OF & Hearts in it,  I think it must require 85 to 88 points.

[mikey51]

2 hours ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

One game at a time for me.

 

If I start thinking that far ahead, it would blow my mind.

 

Being at Dens in 86 has taught me to never count my chickens.

I'm with you Robbo. Both back then and the thinking now. 

[El Prez]

I said to a group of learned chums(one, not so much, tbh) at the start of the season, if we get 75 points it'll be a great achievement and should guarantee us second. 

 

I think after everything that's gone on up until now, that's becoming more a reality. 

 

85/86 points should probably be the title. For whomever.

 

85/86 for a title win, eh...🤔👀

Edited December 18, 2025 by El Prez

[Victorian]

2005/06 might be a much better guide if it's a 3 way contest.

 

Same number of matches.   Nobody involved outside of the OF & Hearts.   Celtic 91,  Hearts 74,  Rangers 73.   Celtic have already lost more matches than 05/06.   The signs are that they're not going to get to 91pts.   So if Hearts & Rangers collect more points from matches vs Celtic,  the gap surely can't be anywhere near 17.   We're looking at more like 1st place 84,  2nd place 80,  3rd place 78.   Others may be there for a while before falling back to finish with roughly 65-70 or thereabouts.

[TheBigO]

15 minutes ago, pettigrewsstylist said:

Where my neanderthal maths gets me too also. Next few weeks could see "the ask" revised again. Historical figures aint really my focus. What the uglies can realistically achieve is the only question in this crazy season. Its gonna be low winning total. 

Yup, I see no way either of them get to 2.5ppg which would be 87 for Celtic and 84 for Rangers.

 

For context, 2.5ppg would be a 95 point season.  Neither of them can hit that form.  BOTH of them definitely can't.  If we're in the 80s, we're in with a great shout.

 

Or to put it differently... (my god, one game at a time bigO I know!!)

 

On Feb 14 we play Rangers at Ibrox, and then have 6 games until the split, none of which include the OF or Hibs.  It's a great wee run until split.  So after game 27 on 14th Feb, I feel if we're on 56 points, we're right in it.  It would mean needing 16 points from the next  6 pre-split to get to 72 and then its sprint to the finish playing against the other top 5 and 9 points in 5 maybe wins the league.

 

That means 18 points from our next 10 games to without a doubt still have a massive chance, albeit probably 2nd in league by then.  6 wins in 10 but the fixtures include Rangers twice, Hibs twice and Celtic.  We'd need to up our wins against the "others".  I only include Hibs as, good as our record is, derbies are still derbies.

 

That's the breakdown as far as I'm concerned.  I'm wanting to count down 18 points required til mid-Feb.

 

Now, the above is almost definitely one of these posts you look back on and say "sheesh" remember when I thought we needed xyz and laid out how we'll win the league type things after we get 1 point in our next 6!!!!!  But all I'm saying here is this is what I think we need if the dream gets scarily real.  If if if.  If my auntie had baws, she'd be my favourite, all that stuff.

 

Finally... the one bit I will say that makes me excited beyond just being a points counter is the fact I really do think we should get better.  Our new lads have a good number of games in them now, we have guys coming back from injury, Ageu hopefully included.  We have Chesny who I think we're all excited by and JTA may well just pull a couple of rabbits.  I don't think the club will be shy in January.  And I don't think Scottish football quite realises that.