'This season or bust?'

[Auld Reekin']

8 minutes ago, JJ1984 said:

What was our best chance, Burley?

 

Answer to the question, I'm not sure. 

 

I think what MtS meant that this season won't be our best chance, given what we all hope will happen as our partnership with Bloom and JTA progresses, rather than comparing this season with ones in the past. That's the way I read it anyway... 

 

[XB52]

We will improve while the OF continue without any CL money (likely) so this is not our best chance ever.

[Seaside Dave]

This is our best chance of winning the league to date. Ill take winning the league this season and finish 3rd next season right now. If you wanna cry about it then cry into your match day program of real Madrid vs hearts uefa champions league 😎😎

[tiger Rudi]

Firstly, this is us with JTA "newly installed". It will only get better. 

We might have JTA, but it's not been a smooth transition. Look how long it has taken to bed players into the team? Kyziridis spent some time on the bench. We now have Mato, Altena and Chesnokov doing the very same. 

Add the injury to Ageu and whatever was wrong with Borch. We will be even better next season, and the season after that.

 

Can you really be so certain that the OF will suddenly be able to attract better players? This is the new "norm" for them. The days of them spending big bucks on the likes of Gascoigne, Laudrup, Larsson, Sutton and Hartson are gone, never to return. The finances in the EPL have created a chasm that even the OF can't compete with. 

 

Rangers new striker is 3rd division Bundesliga, I think. Basically they are fishing in the same pond as we are, but can afford to pay more in wages and are splurging money they can't afford. They are taking risks. 

We may be bargain hunting but players signed are as good as the OF signings and proper use of JTA reduces the risk that we sign duds.  

[Rudy T]

The only team that’s weaker is Celtic, it’s just lazy throwing in the old firm as one. Rangers only two defeats of the season have been dished out by us, any other recent season I’d say they’re on par. Rangers have stood still and we’ve got better.
 

We also have a reasonably strong top 6 for once Motherwell and Falkirk both performing way above expectations and then a Hibs team who finished last season strongly and are a bit inconsistent but can be decent on their day. 
 

If we continue to improve the way we have and remain clever in our recruitment we can challenge again. 
 

 

 

[Arfur]

I don’t think it’s a question of whether we challenge again or not - we will.
The erse cheeks have had their issues this season which have no doubt helped us out and they will undoubtedly improve next season. I think if we win the league this season we improve right along side them and challenge right away for the foreseeable future. If we don’t win the league this season - could be it takes a few years to put in a challenge again or we challenge but from a dark horse position or we are close but know there is a monkey on our back. Long story short lose we continue to improve but win and we have a new normal.

[N Lincs Jambo]

30 minutes ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

I'd argue 97/98 was. Probably our best quality team, Rangers were coming down, Celtic had not reached peak, the winning total was low, 74 points from 36 games, and we did lose that title because we couldn't beat either of them, ironically until the Cup Final.

97-98 was definitely a great chance but I’d argue we lost that due to Mickey Cameron being injured for a while and we didn’t have the strength in depth more than results against the OF.

 

We threw away 14 points from winning positions in the second half of the season starting with the 2-2 draw with Hibs on NYD from being 2-0 up after about 10 minutes. We only picked up 1 point from a losing position, the 1-1 with Celtic when Quitongo scored in the last minute. There was also the Albertz equaliser for Rangers (RIP) at Ibrox in another 2-2. All speculation of course but this season is still all to play for. We haven’t been in this good a position since 85-86.

[Sydneys Rack]

2 hours ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

Rangers and Celtic will get better, so will we. 

 

This season is really a fairy tale, yet we are really only 3 months out now from the end, completing 6 months of league football.

 

There is an opportunity to hurt at least one of them, make their life harder. The difficulty in our minds, highlighted by the mad response since Tuesday, is the length of time we have led this league, people have put our own team on a pedestal and now expect to win the league, when really that should only ever have been hope.

 

We can do this, of course we can, it is hard though, very hard to lead a league and play well for 9 months. We couldn't expect either to take it lying down and they are not.

 

I would not have expected to challenge this season or next, we are though, its an opportunity gained unexpectedly.

 

Leading a 3 horse race mid February, who would not have taken that the first week of August, regardless of how it ends, this season has been a success.

 

 

Long time reader of the site. Excellent post in my view. Have been fairly staggered by the responses and negativity, on this fan board and elsewhere on social media over the last few days so thought I might as well, at last, post my tuppence worth. 

 

The reality is that this has been an outstanding league campaign, so far, from Hearts. How anyone could enjoy the high of Saturday's rampant result and evening in general in Dundee and then, regardless of the disappointment of Tuesday, feel the need to criticise the way some are, is beyond me. Everyone should be fully behind McInnes, his staff and the squad, pulling in the same direction as they all clearly are. We have a group giving everything, despite some limitations and we are at the beginning of an exciting period for the club. 

 

Hopefully we can beat Hibs on Tuesday to regain forward momentum and personally I believe we can go to Ibrox and hurt Rangers but even if that went badly we then go into run of games that are definitely winnable. We are very capable of taking 16-18 points from Falkirk (H), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A) and Motherwell (H), on fact we took 16 first time around! Given the fixtures our opponents have, including against each other, my prediction is that we will be top entering the split. 

 

The fact is we are now involved in a 13 game shoot out for our first title in 66 years! Not 38 games, just 13. An incredible position to have put ourselves in. Whatever has gone before, the hugely enjoyable big wins, and the disappointing dropped points doesn't matter. It's what happens now and every Hearts fan would surely have been overjoyed to be in this situation back in July. I think people need to embrace it and enjoy it. Put all pessimism and defeatism aside and just get right behind them. The support on Saturday at Tannadice was magnificent and needs replicated at all 13 matches. 

[RS86]

This season is a statement for me. Win or lose the OF now know we're serious. After the ridicule Tony Bloom got for having the audacity to claim Hearts could challenge the OF strangehold I think people's eyes have been opened. And we will get stronger, this is just the beginning!

[Chillidigits]

2 hours ago, EH11 2NL said:

We're in a process which has been proven else where. Even if we don't win it this season, a points record, followed up by another huge points total over the next few seasons would see us win it eventually. Probably the only guaranteed you can get right now, is that this is the weakest Hearts team for the foreseeable. 

another guarantee surely is that we never find ourselves scrapping for survival at the lower end of the league ever again

[Jamhammer]

I really don’t understand the

”OF won’t be this weak again” narrative. As if they’ll improve but we can’t/wont

Look at how far we’ve come in one season 

[InternationalJambo]

2 hours ago, Locky said:

I get the narrative that Celtic and Rangers have had their problems and this could be a missed opportunity, but that's also quite a short sighted view on the matter.

 

Said it on here a million times this year, we are still at the very beginning of what promises to be a new era for Heart of Midlothian. If the promise materialises, we will win multiple cups and titles over the coming years. If this year isn't our year, then so be it. What's for us won't go by us etc.

 

I don't want to just be a flash in the pan that nabs a title off a shite Celtic or Rangers team. I want this to be the beginning of dominance. An era where the legacy of Celtic and Rangers is trampled and spat on in front of their very eyes. 

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

It is a big chance but I just think it's going to be too early in the Jamestown journey, hope I am massively wrong and I am on a lot of things. Apart from Braga and Kyzi on their day the players we have signed are maybe a rung or two down from champion material but that will change as we trade up in the seasons to come and then we will be in with the best chance of all, here's hoping!

[Sow Easy]

[DalryJambo]

3 hours ago, NottsJambo said:

I know what it's like on here, but I'll take my chance by saying what I'm thinking.

 

There seems to be too much pressure on this season, which cannot be good for the long term. There is a discussion in the thread on the new Aberdeen manager over the preference for winning a cup or 'being in the running' for the league this season. The point seems to be that if we don't win this season, it's worth nothing.

 

We'll all be gutted if we don't win, but I don't want to see not winning it as an albatross round our necks. We didn't go overboard to get a striker in this during January because this is a process. The first step was to get as close as we can to the OF this season, and we've done that and more. Hibs and Aberdeen fans will give us grief for 'bottling it' but that's just what fans do. Deep down, they'll be jealous because this wasn't a one off. This is the new normal.

 

This season is a good opportunity, but it's really just the start. If anything, it's served to prove that JTA can find players that thrive in Scottish football.  

 

Once the squad is filled with JTA players and the proper controlled process is in place (buy a player,  give them 6 months to a year to settle in and when a first team player is sold they are ready to step up) I think we'll slowly but surely close the gap on the Old Firm through organic growth. 

 

This season has been a pleasant blip... hopefully we can achieve the unthinkable!! 

[KariHMFC]

1 hour ago, Seaside Dave said:

This is our best chance of winning the league to date. Ill take winning the league this season and finish 3rd next season right now. If you wanna cry about it then cry into your match day program of real Madrid vs hearts uefa champions league 😎😎

I would take winning the league and finishing 10th next season!

 

I was angry after Tuesday but it has quickly subsided, these players and the manager have given us as fans so much joy this season and whilst majority of us deep down probably think it wont happen, we have been given a chance to dream, and that dream is no where near over yet! As unlikely as some people may think it is, win the next 2 games and we are firm favourites for this title. We HAVE to back the team from now until the split and lets see where they are. St Mirren at home felt special, and I can see us winning every home game from now until the split if we keep the faith and the connection with the players. 

[pettigrewsstylist]

3 hours ago, NottsJambo said:

I know what it's like on here, but I'll take my chance by saying what I'm thinking.

 

There seems to be too much pressure on this season, which cannot be good for the long term. There is a discussion in the thread on the new Aberdeen manager over the preference for winning a cup or 'being in the running' for the league this season. The point seems to be that if we don't win this season, it's worth nothing.

 

We'll all be gutted if we don't win, but I don't want to see not winning it as an albatross round our necks. We didn't go overboard to get a striker in this during January because this is a process. The first step was to get as close as we can to the OF this season, and we've done that and more. Hibs and Aberdeen fans will give us grief for 'bottling it' but that's just what fans do. Deep down, they'll be jealous because this wasn't a one off. This is the new normal.

It has evolved due to Sevco mgr being literally run out of town, and Septic going thro 4 appointments in a season. That wont happen again, in the same season. We may be better ( only time will tell), but both of them, wont be as bad, at same time, surely. Champions points total for this season will surely bear this out.

Its still there for us, but we need to grab it by the throat.

[db211833]

Unfortunately top level analytics will become more common over the next 5 - 10 years. I think we have a few years of advantage then the window will close.

[tiger Rudi]

43 minutes ago, Sydneys Rack said:

 

 

Long time reader of the site. Excellent post in my view. Have been fairly staggered by the responses and negativity, on this fan board and elsewhere on social media over the last few days so thought I might as well, at last, post my tuppence worth. 

 

The reality is that this has been an outstanding league campaign, so far, from Hearts. How anyone could enjoy the high of Saturday's rampant result and evening in general in Dundee and then, regardless of the disappointment of Tuesday, feel the need to criticise the way some are, is beyond me. Everyone should be fully behind McInnes, his staff and the squad, pulling in the same direction as they all clearly are. We have a group giving everything, despite some limitations and we are at the beginning of an exciting period for the club. 

 

Hopefully we can beat Hibs on Tuesday to regain forward momentum and personally I believe we can go to Ibrox and hurt Rangers but even if that went badly we then go into run of games that are definitely winnable. We are very capable of taking 16-18 points from Falkirk (H), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A) and Motherwell (H), on fact we took 16 first time around! Given the fixtures our opponents have, including against each other, my prediction is that we will be top entering the split. 

 

The fact is we are now involved in a 13 game shoot out for our first title in 66 years! Not 38 games, just 13. An incredible position to have put ourselves in. Whatever has gone before, the hugely enjoyable big wins, and the disappointing dropped points doesn't matter. It's what happens now and every Hearts fan would surely have been overjoyed to be in this situation back in July. I think people need to embrace it and enjoy it. Put all pessimism and defeatism aside and just get right behind them. The support on Saturday at Tannadice was magnificent and needs replicated at all 13 matches. 

Great post 👍 

[Heres Rixxy]

1 minute ago, db211833 said:

Unfortunately top level analytics will become more common over the next 5 - 10 years. I think we have a few years of advantage then the window will close.

 

This is also a critical point not often mentioned here, at least that I've seen. The playing field on analytics will most definitely start to level out, and way sooner than 10 years. The 'JTA Advantage' will generally lessen season over season, IMO. The target should be to maximize benefits as quickly as possible.

[Takeshi kovac]

1 hour ago, boag1874 said:

I said this in another thread - a big part of the reason for the OF (in particular Celtic) being on less points, less PPG etc than normal is a direct result of us being stronger & being able to challenge them. We're taking points off them that they would normally have got & it's why we're top atm, lose those 5 games & this is the table.

 

Rangers - P25 - Pts 57

Celtic - P24 - Pts 56

Motherwell - P24 - Pts 43

Hearts P25 - Pts 40

Hibs P25 - Pts 39

 

That's the difference between them finishing around the low 80s mark & the high 80s/90s, probably a good 20 points ahead of the nearest challengers come the end of the season. If we keep challenging them in h2h games then that points total remains lower & thus more achievable & I think we'll hold our own in that regard.

This is a brilliant observation and worth keeping in mind ⬆️

This is our best chance to win the league in the last 30 to 40 years , that can't be argued but it certainly won't be our last chance in the next 10 years.

The arse cheeks will get stronger but so will we, this is version 1 Hearts, I can't wait to see V3 or V4

[tian447]

I don't think it's this season or bust for us. 

 

What I would like to see happening long term with the JTA signings is that we improve year on year on a tactic that remains the same. Our worst results of the season have come when we have stopped playing our game and have changed tactics to stifle or counter a bunch of ****ing hammer throwers and divers, like Hibs and St Mirren. 

 

Long term, we need to work on a "philosophy" that is the Hearts way of playing, and stick to it. Continually improve in positions, and let them worry about how we play, instead of the other way around.  Strong enough to play opponents off the park, but resilient enough to be solid at the back. 

 

We are way ahead of schedule this season, and none of us would have actually expected us to be in the position we are in given the horror show we were in 12 months ago.  The league position is a bonus, and proof that strong recruitment is the most important thing in this league. 

[EH11 2NL]

34 minutes ago, Jamhammer said:

I really don’t understand the

”OF won’t be this weak again” narrative. As if they’ll improve but we can’t/wont

Look at how far we’ve come in one season 

Agreed. Rangers are also having a normal season, their points total about a month ago was the same as last year's at that stage, nothing abnormal this season for them. Celtic have a way to go to get back to the team they were with Kyogo etc all firing. They'll both fling money at it, but Rangers have done that this season, more than £40m in the last 2 windows.

[lisburnjambo]

I mean when Celtic can go sign Chamberlain and Rangers can spend a fortune too, it’s gonna be really tough to do anything with “buy to sell”

[Boab Mugabe]

Whether we manage to do it or not this season, I am extremely confident we will improve year over year and will have other chances to win the league.

[kingantti1874]

1 minute ago, lisburnjambo said:

I mean when Celtic can go sign Chamberlain and Rangers can spend a fortune too, it’s gonna be really tough to do anything with “buy to sell”

not really.  USG are a smaller club than hearts by far, started from a lower base than hearts by far and in the last 3 seasons have spent circa €45m.
 

When you acknowledge that Jamestown clubs  simply find better players for less money that’s a hell of a spend for non Jamestown clubs necessary to compete.  

[InternationalJambo]

41 minutes ago, db211833 said:

Unfortunately top level analytics will become more common over the next 5 - 10 years. I think we have a few years of advantage then the window will close.

Could you not argue that although this may be the case, that the world leading football analytics system already knows this and will have measures and practices in place to stay ahead of the curve? 
 

Any company can create a business to rival opposition. Google has been the largest search engine in the world for decades now. Trillions of searches, decades of refining algorithms and a structure in place to use the intelligence they’ve gathered to monetise. Yet no other search engine comes close…. Why?

Edited February 5 by InternationalJambo

[mikey51]

4 hours ago, NottsJambo said:

I know what it's like on here, but I'll take my chance by saying what I'm thinking.

 

There seems to be too much pressure on this season, which cannot be good for the long term. There is a discussion in the thread on the new Aberdeen manager over the preference for winning a cup or 'being in the running' for the league this season. The point seems to be that if we don't win this season, it's worth nothing.

 

We'll all be gutted if we don't win, but I don't want to see not winning it as an albatross round our necks. We didn't go overboard to get a striker in this during January because this is a process. The first step was to get as close as we can to the OF this season, and we've done that and more. Hibs and Aberdeen fans will give us grief for 'bottling it' but that's just what fans do. Deep down, they'll be jealous because this wasn't a one off. This is the new normal.

Absolutely, even the thread asking “are we enjoying this season?” is a bonkers question. Put it into perspective… this has been an unbelievable season regardless of where it finishes.
Ask any of us at the start of the season if we’d take being top in February, we’d probably have laughed. We are way beyond expectations.
Of course it would be amazing to finish as champions. But if not, we go again next season and keep building on the progress... 

Edited February 5 by mikey51

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

1 hour ago, Sydneys Rack said:

 

 

Long time reader of the site. Excellent post in my view. Have been fairly staggered by the responses and negativity, on this fan board and elsewhere on social media over the last few days so thought I might as well, at last, post my tuppence worth. 

 

The reality is that this has been an outstanding league campaign, so far, from Hearts. How anyone could enjoy the high of Saturday's rampant result and evening in general in Dundee and then, regardless of the disappointment of Tuesday, feel the need to criticise the way some are, is beyond me. Everyone should be fully behind McInnes, his staff and the squad, pulling in the same direction as they all clearly are. We have a group giving everything, despite some limitations and we are at the beginning of an exciting period for the club. 

 

Hopefully we can beat Hibs on Tuesday to regain forward momentum and personally I believe we can go to Ibrox and hurt Rangers but even if that went badly we then go into run of games that are definitely winnable. We are very capable of taking 16-18 points from Falkirk (H), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A) and Motherwell (H), on fact we took 16 first time around! Given the fixtures our opponents have, including against each other, my prediction is that we will be top entering the split. 

 

The fact is we are now involved in a 13 game shoot out for our first title in 66 years! Not 38 games, just 13. An incredible position to have put ourselves in. Whatever has gone before, the hugely enjoyable big wins, and the disappointing dropped points doesn't matter. It's what happens now and every Hearts fan would surely have been overjoyed to be in this situation back in July. I think people need to embrace it and enjoy it. Put all pessimism and defeatism aside and just get right behind them. The support on Saturday at Tannadice was magnificent and needs replicated at all 13 matches. 

Pleasure to see others get it

[InternationalJambo]

1 hour ago, Sydneys Rack said:

 

 

Long time reader of the site. Excellent post in my view. Have been fairly staggered by the responses and negativity, on this fan board and elsewhere on social media over the last few days so thought I might as well, at last, post my tuppence worth. 

 

The reality is that this has been an outstanding league campaign, so far, from Hearts. How anyone could enjoy the high of Saturday's rampant result and evening in general in Dundee and then, regardless of the disappointment of Tuesday, feel the need to criticise the way some are, is beyond me. Everyone should be fully behind McInnes, his staff and the squad, pulling in the same direction as they all clearly are. We have a group giving everything, despite some limitations and we are at the beginning of an exciting period for the club. 

 

Hopefully we can beat Hibs on Tuesday to regain forward momentum and personally I believe we can go to Ibrox and hurt Rangers but even if that went badly we then go into run of games that are definitely winnable. We are very capable of taking 16-18 points from Falkirk (H), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A) and Motherwell (H), on fact we took 16 first time around! Given the fixtures our opponents have, including against each other, my prediction is that we will be top entering the split. 

 

The fact is we are now involved in a 13 game shoot out for our first title in 66 years! Not 38 games, just 13. An incredible position to have put ourselves in. Whatever has gone before, the hugely enjoyable big wins, and the disappointing dropped points doesn't matter. It's what happens now and every Hearts fan would surely have been overjoyed to be in this situation back in July. I think people need to embrace it and enjoy it. Put all pessimism and defeatism aside and just get right behind them. The support on Saturday at Tannadice was magnificent and needs replicated at all 13 matches. 

What a beautiful rack you have, Sydney. Best post I’ve read on here all season.
 

[siegementality]

I liken where we are headed to the period of success Aberdeen and Dundee Utd had in the 80's. Despite the Old Firms greater finances both Aberdeen and United produced teams that were successful and won leagues and cups (We almost did the same in 85/86).

 

Those teams, put together by two very good managers, also competed at a high level in Europe. 

 

What both clubs lacked was the ability to replace players who left with an equal or better standard of player. As a result, Old Firm spending power won the day and Aberdeen and United returned to their 'place' in Scottish football.

 

Now, the massive difference from then and now is that we have JTA. That is a game changer. Once we build the team that will be competing with the Old Firm, the JTA model means we will be able to replace each player with equal or better quality, and at a price that negates a lot of the Old Firms financial advantage. 
 

By having a successful player trading model we will reduce the financial gap. By competing in Europe season after season we will reduce the financial gap. By the very nature that the Old Firm will have to spend more to try to maintain their position (we saw that this January window alone) we will reduce the financial gap. 

 

We are becoming the very definition of "don't work harder work smarter". 

 

This is not a "this season or bust". This is the disruption of Scottish football going forward.

[Philfigo]

So so many supporters of other clubs and the vast majority in the media have this all wrong! Yes Rangers and Celtic are weak this season and will improve but that exactly what we are going to do. You could say that this may be the weakest Hearts team we will see in the next ten years. Bloom didn’t base his comments on winning the league based on the weakness of the Old Firm it was based on Hearts continued improvement with JTA! This is only the beginning so let’s enjoy the ride.

Edited February 5 by Philfigo

[Philfigo]

2 hours ago, Sydneys Rack said:

 

 

Long time reader of the site. Excellent post in my view. Have been fairly staggered by the responses and negativity, on this fan board and elsewhere on social media over the last few days so thought I might as well, at last, post my tuppence worth. 

 

The reality is that this has been an outstanding league campaign, so far, from Hearts. How anyone could enjoy the high of Saturday's rampant result and evening in general in Dundee and then, regardless of the disappointment of Tuesday, feel the need to criticise the way some are, is beyond me. Everyone should be fully behind McInnes, his staff and the squad, pulling in the same direction as they all clearly are. We have a group giving everything, despite some limitations and we are at the beginning of an exciting period for the club. 

 

Hopefully we can beat Hibs on Tuesday to regain forward momentum and personally I believe we can go to Ibrox and hurt Rangers but even if that went badly we then go into run of games that are definitely winnable. We are very capable of taking 16-18 points from Falkirk (H), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A) and Motherwell (H), on fact we took 16 first time around! Given the fixtures our opponents have, including against each other, my prediction is that we will be top entering the split. 

 

The fact is we are now involved in a 13 game shoot out for our first title in 66 years! Not 38 games, just 13. An incredible position to have put ourselves in. Whatever has gone before, the hugely enjoyable big wins, and the disappointing dropped points doesn't matter. It's what happens now and every Hearts fan would surely have been overjoyed to be in this situation back in July. I think people need to embrace it and enjoy it. Put all pessimism and defeatism aside and just get right behind them. The support on Saturday at Tannadice was magnificent and needs replicated at all 13 matches. 

Tremendous post! 13 game shoot out love that terminology, hope the players and staff see it like that as well.

[The Treasurer]

1 hour ago, Heres Rixxy said:

 

This is also a critical point not often mentioned here, at least that I've seen. The playing field on analytics will most definitely start to level out, and way sooner than 10 years. The 'JTA Advantage' will generally lessen season over season, IMO. The target should be to maximize benefits as quickly as possible.

Others may get better with analytics, but we have the best there is and there's no reason to think JTA won't continue to be the leader in the field 

[The Treasurer]

1 hour ago, lisburnjambo said:

I mean when Celtic can go sign Chamberlain and Rangers can spend a fortune too, it’s gonna be really tough to do anything with “buy to sell”

Without the carrot of "guaranteed" CL football, which has been the case for most seasons, the OF will not be able to attract players of the calibre of previous years.

Yes they will still attract good players but as we've seen already that they are nowhere near previous standards 

Edited February 5 by The Treasurer

[Ricardo Quaresma]

5 hours ago, NottsJambo said:

I know what it's like on here, but I'll take my chance by saying what I'm thinking.

 

There seems to be too much pressure on this season, which cannot be good for the long term. There is a discussion in the thread on the new Aberdeen manager over the preference for winning a cup or 'being in the running' for the league this season. The point seems to be that if we don't win this season, it's worth nothing.

 

We'll all be gutted if we don't win, but I don't want to see not winning it as an albatross round our necks. We didn't go overboard to get a striker in this during January because this is a process. The first step was to get as close as we can to the OF this season, and we've done that and more. Hibs and Aberdeen fans will give us grief for 'bottling it' but that's just what fans do. Deep down, they'll be jealous because this wasn't a one off. This is the new normal.

 

[Hectormasson]

2 hours ago, KariHMFC said:

I would take winning the league and finishing 10th next season!

 

I was angry after Tuesday but it has quickly subsided, these players and the manager have given us as fans so much joy this season and whilst majority of us deep down probably think it wont happen, we have been given a chance to dream, and that dream is no where near over yet! As unlikely as some people may think it is, win the next 2 games and we are firm favourites for this title. We HAVE to back the team from now until the split and lets see where they are. St Mirren at home felt special, and I can see us winning every home game from now until the split if we keep the faith and the connection with the players. 

🫶👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻

[Seymour M Hersh]

This is just the start of the journey. 

[Hømme]

Someone says yesterday on here that this season is the weakest we will be.

 

That to me is hugely exciting. I have no doubt whatsoever we will be champions in the near future if not this season.

 

 

[pettigrewsstylist]

3 hours ago, Sydneys Rack said:

 

 

Long time reader of the site. Excellent post in my view. Have been fairly staggered by the responses and negativity, on this fan board and elsewhere on social media over the last few days so thought I might as well, at last, post my tuppence worth. 

 

The reality is that this has been an outstanding league campaign, so far, from Hearts. How anyone could enjoy the high of Saturday's rampant result and evening in general in Dundee and then, regardless of the disappointment of Tuesday, feel the need to criticise the way some are, is beyond me. Everyone should be fully behind McInnes, his staff and the squad, pulling in the same direction as they all clearly are. We have a group giving everything, despite some limitations and we are at the beginning of an exciting period for the club. 

 

Hopefully we can beat Hibs on Tuesday to regain forward momentum and personally I believe we can go to Ibrox and hurt Rangers but even if that went badly we then go into run of games that are definitely winnable. We are very capable of taking 16-18 points from Falkirk (H), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A) and Motherwell (H), on fact we took 16 first time around! Given the fixtures our opponents have, including against each other, my prediction is that we will be top entering the split. 

 

The fact is we are now involved in a 13 game shoot out for our first title in 66 years! Not 38 games, just 13. An incredible position to have put ourselves in. Whatever has gone before, the hugely enjoyable big wins, and the disappointing dropped points doesn't matter. It's what happens now and every Hearts fan would surely have been overjoyed to be in this situation back in July. I think people need to embrace it and enjoy it. Put all pessimism and defeatism aside and just get right behind them. The support on Saturday at Tannadice was magnificent and needs replicated at all 13 matches. 

The next 2 games are about taking what we can to lead into a much preferrable set of fuxtures till split 👍 We need to stay calm and realise we can gather more points in those, than those two,  if on our game.

If we can come away from Ibrox still top, even on GD,  it will get really interesting.

[Sydneys Rack]

14 minutes ago, pettigrewsstylist said:

The next 2 games are about taking what we can to lead into a much preferrable set of fuxtures till split 👍 We need to stay calm and realise we can gather more points in those, than those two,  if on our game.

If we can come away from Ibrox still top, even on GD,  it will get really interesting.

 

Totally agree with you. 

 

If we can beat Hibs then it will put pressure on Rangers, specifically, on Wednesday at Fir Park, which will be far from easy for them. Anything we get, and I do believe we have a decent chance, at Ibrox, would then be a bonus. People will write us off, immediately, if we lose that match but that's pure ignorance given we then have the fixtures we do pre split plus the 4th game against Rangers is at Tynecastle. Staying right in it during this tricky spell is key. Then going on a run we are more than capable of, with some fresh attacking impetus and a few key players available elsewhere again. 

[Psychedelicropcircle]

JTA is outperforming teams with bigger budgets in Belgium, no reason that can’t happen here. We will improve beyond this season so no need for it to be all about this season. 

[By The Light..]

Next season we will have European games and that will hold us back in the league so let's just do it this season!

[indianajones]

14 minutes ago, Psychedelicropcircle said:

JTA is outperforming teams with bigger budgets in Belgium, no reason that can’t happen here. We will improve beyond this season so no need for it to be all about this season. 

 

This. 

 

Unfortunately for the arse cheeks, we aren't going away.

[DG_HMFC]

We will continue to grow and get better season on season. Rangers and Celtic are likely not going to be as bad so it'll be tough to win the league.

 

We will be a lot closer to them in the seasons to come though and I don't think they will be as dominant. 

 

 

[N Lincs Jambo]

9 minutes ago, By The Light.. said:

Next season we will have European games and that will hold us back in the league so let's just do it this season!

There’s no reason it should. USG 4 points clear at the top of the Belgian league despite having played in the Champions League this season.

 

Totally agree we want to win it this season though!

[soonbe110]

7 hours ago, Lord Beni of Gorgie said:

Rangers and Celtic will get better, so will we. 

 

This season is really a fairy tale, yet we are really only 3 months out now from the end, completing 6 months of league football.

 

There is an opportunity to hurt at least one of them, make their life harder. The difficulty in our minds, highlighted by the mad response since Tuesday, is the length of time we have led this league, people have put our own team on a pedestal and now expect to win the league, when really that should only ever have been hope.

 

We can do this, of course we can, it is hard though, very hard to lead a league and play well for 9 months. We couldn't expect either to take it lying down and they are not.

 

I would not have expected to challenge this season or next, we are though, its an opportunity gained unexpectedly.

 

Leading a 3 horse race mid February, who would not have taken that the first week of August, regardless of how it ends, this season has been a success.

Yes, us finishing second this season would be a huge financial blow to whoever finishes third. 

[skinnybob72]

Winning this season would have so many upsides. We would have a team of 'winners' - players who know how to get the job done - how often have we heard that when Celtic have been winning big games towards the end of the season? It would likely make recruitment easier being the 'champions'!

 

On a similar vein how many players do Rangers have with the experience of winning the title? Can't be many left from Slippy Gs side. What has Danny Rohl won as a manager? Less pressure when you are chasing, we don't know how they will cope if they sneak ahead of us.  

[the posh bit]

7 hours ago, Malinga the Swinga said:

This year is definitely out first chance for almost 30 years. I do not believe it is our best chance nor our last chance 

 

Neither do I.

 

Hibs wanting Rangers to beat them will become the natural order of things. 

[Cade]

This is just Year One.

This is the launchpad.

Yes, Sellick and Zombies will probably never be this weak again for the foreseeable future and this is a golden opportunity but this is NOT a flash in the pan.

This is just the start.