Deflated

[Professor.Arturo]

Yup, its happened again. Things were looking good and going in the right direction....then BANG! Mad Vlad does it again (I have defended him in the past but no more). Stevie Banks, a great and loyal servant to our club since he arrived, has now joined 'Mad Vlads' growing list of victims with a knife between their shoulder blades.

 

There have been a stack of threads over the last couple of years asking "when will be your breaking point?"

 

Well, today is mine, Romanov can GTF, And the worst case scenario of starting again in Div 3 appeals to me very much now. This lunatic is not here for the good of Heart of Midlothian, he is here for his own good! and God help anyone who gets in his way. I even think back to the days of the Pieman, and that is preferable to what we have now, maybe sharing a stadium with no glory hunters and 10 or 12 thousand fans cheering the side and feeling good about the future.

 

I know I'm not alone in this thinking, I have heard it from more than you'd think! I went to Tynie for the first time in 1969, it seems like a million years ago.

 

If you disagree then fine, but dont bother with the abuse from the usual suspects....coz you can blow me! Like I said, there are a lot of genuine Hearts fans now share my view.

 

Rant over....for now.

[WagonWheel]

I was about to post virtually the same sentiments, so you've summed it up perfectly for me.

 

'Together'!? I've never felt further apart from Heart of Midlothian in 30 years.

 

Success at any price over respect and decency? No thanks. In fact, not much flamin' success anyway.

 

Shameless.

[Pilmuir]

Respect and decency are long gone in the Hearts hierarchy. I really hoped that things had changed when Csaba took over but he is powerless to stop the mad one.

 

I think we all know who can't be trusted, and it's not Steve Banks.

[Eckauskas]

maybe sharing a stadium with no glory hunters and 10 or 12 thousand fans cheering the side and feeling good about the future.

 

Talk about selective memory.

 

Try thinking back a bit harder.

 

There was no ****ing way we would have had 12,000 watching us week in, week out with half a team and a debt we could never get out of.

 

Not a chance in hell.

[jamienick]

Yes, I know that Owners are entitled to their say and do what they think fit with or without the managers opinion.............and to a point thats probably O.K. ..I would see that plain and clear if I was an Owner BUT KEEP THE HELL OUT OF THE DRESSING ROOM!!!! now youve crossed the line for me..thats the Managers territory.

I'm not a Vlad sheep or a Vlad hater..I suppose I should just take what I get in that case but sometmes he is just WRONG.

[Professor.Arturo]

Talk about selective memory.

 

Try thinking back a bit harder.

 

There was no ****ing way we would have had 12,000 watching us week in, week out with half a team and a debt we could never get out of.

 

Not a chance in hell.

You know that for a fact? no, you don't

[Spellczech]

I agree that the the latest Banks story when it came out made my heart sink - the man seems to want to do more harm than good, whether he comes to Scotland or stays at home in Kaunas...I've come to the conclusion that he is really quite stupid and arrogant to boot, a dangerous combination.

 

However, I did get the feeling recently that Csaba was not happy having Banks as No1. I suspect he asked Vlad's man for another GK and Vlad delivered Kello. I personally think Banks is a bit wee to be a top level GK and he neither dominates his area or instilled particular confidence in me - and yes I know we were spoiled by having the likes of Rousset, Niemi and Gordon in the last 12 years...I have no particular attachment to any players so mistreatment of another well-paid footballer doesn't really bother me that much, but I do wish Vlad would stop shooting Hearts and himself in the foot with his rotten man-management skills.

[Eckauskas]

You know that for a fact? no, you don't

 

Common sense tells me that.

 

Selling your only tangible asset for ?20m to pay off a ?28m debt? You don't need to be a mathmatical genius to work out that it doesn't quite add up. Then you've got the added cost of renting Murrayfield for every home game. Losing more and more money.

 

12,000 watching MacFarlane, Weir and Wyness? Are you joking? Hartley was on the verge of leaving before Vlad came in. Gordon was subject to a ?1m bid by Rangers that summer, a bid we would have had to accept with an ?8m debt, which was still growing. '05/06 would have more than likely became a relegation battle instead of a European one.

 

We would have suffered MASSIVELY without Vlad coming in. I'd rather an underachieving team than no team at all. What would have happened 5 years down the road, when the debt had gone up to say, ?15m? Then what do we do? Sell Graham Weir to Juventus for ?8m?

 

Have a word.

[Drylaw Hearts]

Common sense tells me that.

 

Selling your only tangible asset for ?20m to pay off a ?28m debt? You don't need to be a mathmatical genius to work out that it doesn't quite add up. Then you've got the added cost of renting Murrayfield for every home game. Losing more and more money.

 

12,000 watching MacFarlane, Weir and Wyness? Are you joking? Hartley was on the verge of leaving before Vlad came in. Gordon was subject to a ?1m bid by Rangers that summer, a bid we would have had to accept with an ?8m debt, which was still growing.

 

We would have suffered MASSIVELY without Vlad coming in. I'd rather an underachieving team than no team at all.

 

Have a word.

 

We were never as much as ?28million in debt prior to Romanov arriving.

[WagonWheel]

 

There was no ****ing way we would have had 12,000 watching us week in, week out with half a team and a debt we could never get out of.

 

 

Maybe, but we've had less than half that watching us week in, week out and came back from it all the better. (Eventually.)

[Eckauskas]

We were never as much as ?28million in debt prior to Romanov arriving.

 

Whatever the debt was, the ?20m would not have cleared it.

 

Maybe, but we've had less than half that watching us week in, week out and came back from it all the better. (Eventually.)

 

Different set of circumstances.

 

Under Pieman, Hearts were headed for closure.

[Nucky Thompson]

Is it only me that finds it odd that people who have been registered for years and only have a handful of posts are out in force when there is Negative news:cool: Where have they been for the last few weeks:confused:

[Ron Burgundy]

Is it only me that finds it odd that people who have been registered for years and only have a handful of posts are out in force when there is Negative news:cool: Where have they been for the last few weeks:confused:

 

 

 

The "sleeper cells" are being activated.

[Guest jambomickey]

i'm keeping my opinion to myself until i see some quotes from either hearts or banks! but if the story in the een is correct then there's a problem

[Cardiac Rucksack]

Having just watched the first half on Rangers tv, I think we have many positives going forward for this season, we were knocking the ball around nicely without some of the luck you need in the last third. Its not all doom and gloom.

[Sherlock]

Is it only me that finds it odd that people who have been registered for years and only have a handful of posts are out in force when there is Negative news:cool: Where have they been for the last few weeks:confused:

 

You're right, i've always been suspicious of Drylaw Hearts and his handful of 10,004 posts.

[sjh1874]

We were never as much as ?28million in debt prior to Romanov arriving.

 

Maybe not but it was of such as size that CR was willing to sell the family jewel to service the debt!!!

 

FFS it was obvious that had we gone down that route with CR in charge the chances are we would be playing Gretna next week-end.

 

HMFC part of Gorgie......still is.............

[Saint Jambo]

Mad Vlad does it again (I have defended him in the past but no more). Stevie Banks, a great and loyal servant to our club since he arrived, has now joined 'Mad Vlads' growing list of victims with a knife between their shoulder blades.

 

You know that for a fact? no, you don't

[WagonWheel]

Is it only me that finds it odd that people who have been registered for years and only have a handful of posts are out in force when there is Negative news:cool: Where have they been for the last few weeks:confused:

 

Can't speak for anyone else chief, but my answer to that would be that much as I enjoy kickback (read it virtually every 10 minutes at work -don't tell the boss;)) I don't feel the need to boost a post count with "I agree" and "LOL" type responses.

 

The fact that I don't post regularly indicates to me just how p'd off I am with the way in which my club has deteriorated that I've bothered to post now.

[Nucky Thompson]

You're right, i've always been suspicious of Drylaw Hearts and his handful of 10,004 posts.

You know I'm not talking about Drylaw Hearts or the rest of the secret seven:)

[footieman]

i'm keeping my opinion to myself until i see some quotes from either hearts or banks! but if the story in the een is correct then there's a problem

 

Don't you think the proof is in Hearts silence on the matter? You only need to go back a few weeks where the Hearts website were quick out the blocks to quash an article published in the EEN, yet today nothing.

 

It says it all to me.

[Sherlock]

You know I'm not talking about Drylaw Hearts or the rest of the secret seven:)

 

Who is the secret seven?

[Nucky Thompson]

Don't you think the proof is in Hearts silence on the matter? You only need to go back a few weeks where the Hearts website were quick out the blocks to quash an article published in the EEN, yet today nothing.

 

It says it all to me.

Because they're treating the comment with the contempt it deserves. You'll probably find Banderson banned from Tynie any time soon.

[Guest jambomickey]

Don't you think the proof is in Hearts silence on the matter? You only need to go back a few weeks where the Hearts website were quick out the blocks to quash an article published in the EEN, yet today nothing.

 

It says it all to me.

 

time will tell mate! it's got to be cleared up though.

[Nucky Thompson]

Who is the secret seven?

You know I'm not allowed to name names without getting an infraction:) Anyway it's a secret;)

[Buffalo Bill]

I don?t know the ins and out of the Steve Banks situation so I can?t really comment or even hazard a guess as to what?s going on there.

 

My opinion of Banks is that he seems to be a hell of a nice guy.

 

As a goalkeeper, he?s solid but not in the class of Niemi or Gordon.

 

It could be that for some reason, he?s had a bit of a bum deal from Vlad.

 

I don?t know.

 

But I do think that Vlad plays some immoderate ?loyalty? card on people from time to time.

 

Perhaps, what with dealing with footballers of varying moral codes, Vlad is maybe in the wrong business. Or maybe he is happy playing human Chess.

 

Either way, I know only this:

 

Vladimir Romanov owns Heart of Midlothian FC lock, stock and barrel. It is his club. He will run it his way. It?s not a democracy.

 

That?s just the way it is.

 

I?m sorry for Steve Banks. But in all honesty, I only care about winning the next game.

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

[Nucky Thompson]

I don?t know the ins and out of the Steve Banks situation so I can?t really comment or even hazard a guess as to what?s going on there.

 

My opinion of Banks is that he seems to be a hell of a nice guy.

 

As a goalkeeper, he?s solid but not in the class of Niemi or Gordon.

 

It could be that for some reason, he?s had a bit of a bum deal from Vlad.

 

I don?t know.

 

But I do think that Vlad plays some immoderate ?loyalty? card on people from time to time.

 

Perhaps, what with dealing with footballers of varying moral codes, Vlad is maybe in the wrong business. Or maybe he is happy playing human Chess.

 

Either way, I know only this:

 

Vladimir Romanov owns Heart of Midlothian FC lock, stock and barrel. It is his club. He will run it his way. It?s not a democracy.

 

That?s just the way it is.

 

I?m sorry for Steve Banks. But in all honesty, I only care about winning the next game.

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

In a nutshell.

[Drylaw Hearts]

 

I?m sorry for Steve Banks. But in all honesty, I only care about winning the next game.

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

 

I recall similar comments from several members when Pressley was shafted.

 

There is a bigger picture BB.

 

It appears we haven't learned from the above 'incident'.

[footieman]

 

Vladimir Romanov owns Heart of Midlothian FC lock, stock and barrel. It is his club. He will run it his way. It?s not a democracy.

 

That?s just the way it is.

 

I?m sorry for Steve Banks. But in all honesty, I only care about winning the next game.

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

 

I totally agree, Saturdays game could be very interesting.

[footieman]

I recall similar comments from several members when Pressley was shafted.

 

There is a bigger picture BB.

 

It appears we haven't learned from the above 'incident'.

 

Two of these are just unfortunate passengers in the whole thing and the other I can't see every learning from it.

[Saint Jambo]

I recall similar comments from several members when Pressley was shafted.

 

There is a bigger picture BB.

 

It appears we haven't learned from the above 'incident'.

 

What I find hard to believe is if Vlad has decided Banks is not to be trusted then why has he given him a job in the coaching set-up? If Banks wanted to carry on playing football more than coaching then why hasn't he asked for a transfer? Presumably Hearts would have given him a free transfer. Was Banks at the Academy today? If Vlad really stormed into the dressing room and started mouthing off about how untrust worthy Banks was, I'd expect Banks to have quit as soon as he heard.

 

For all these reasons the story seems a bit strange and is different to Pressley. If Banks walks out tomorrow then I'll begin to worry.

[Buffalo Bill]

 

There is a bigger picture BB.

 

 

I tried to have a stab at that myself in the last few lines of my previous post, DH.

 

It's just my take on the situaton; I don't know what else to say.

 

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

[Nucky Thompson]

What I find hard to believe is if Vlad has decided Banks is not to be trusted then why has he given him a job in the coaching set-up? If Banks wanted to carry on playing football more than coaching then why hasn't he asked for a transfer? Presumably Hearts would have given him a free transfer. Was Banks at the Academy today? If Vlad really stormed into the dressing room and started mouthing off about how untrust worthy Banks was, I'd expect Banks to have quit as soon as he heard.

 

For all these reasons the story seems a bit strange and is different to Pressley. If Banks walks out tomorrow then I'll begin to worry.

You're right mate, it's all speculation.

[Coco1874]

What I find hard to believe is if Vlad has decided Banks is not to be trusted then why has he given him a job in the coaching set-up? If Banks wanted to carry on playing football more than coaching then why hasn't he asked for a transfer? Presumably Hearts would have given him a free transfer. Was Banks at the Academy today? If Vlad really stormed into the dressing room and started mouthing off about how untrust worthy Banks was, I'd expect Banks to have quit as soon as he heard.

 

For all these reasons the story seems a bit strange and is different to Pressley. If Banks walks out tomorrow then I'll begin to worry.

 

 

 

 

 

A Job in the youth coaching set up! Some in the footballing world may see this as a humiliating demotion! Although, you are right, you can't always trust what you read in the papers!

[Orkneyjambo]

Ratcatcher - can you tell us about your first Hearts game ?

 

Tell us about your first experience of Easter Road victories as well

 

That will cheer us up more than your public willingness to stop " supporting " us

[hearts00]

When Rangers came in for Banks a while back, I guarantee Banks told Vlad he wanted to leave. Vlad because he hates to sell player to the OF if he can avoid it probably offered SB far too much money for a 36 year old.

 

So 1) Vlad wants him out, you'll notice virtually every big earner has been sold or booted over the last two seasons and 2) Vlad will forever remember that Banks wanted to go to Rangers and because Vlad is so paranoid (communist mafia in Russia chasing him etc etc blah blah blah) he believes he can't trust him.

 

Vlad is mental, pure and simple and I do not agree with the way he has treated many players. However, there are hardly any of Burley's and Rix's signings left now, so hopefully Vlad will pipe down, and give Csaba at least 95% control of the team.

[ecosse]

didnt they try to get banks to quit playing before his latest contract signing and offered him a coaching job then too ?

 

TBH i dont rate him as a great keeper and hopefully we have got our hands on a better one.

[winchester 73]

If Banks has been given a role in the youth team set up, who is our first team

goalkeeping coach? Or don't we need one? Every other club seems to have one.

[marshallschunkychicken]

didnt they try to get banks to quit playing before his latest contract signing and offered him a coaching job then too ?

 

TBH i dont rate him as a great keeper and hopefully we have got our hands on a better one.

 

There was a rumour at the time that Vlad was quite happy for Banks to go until he found out who it was that he was potentially going to.

[J.T.F.Robertson]

 

Perhaps, what with dealing with footballers of varying moral codes, Vlad is maybe in the wrong business. Or maybe he is happy playing human Chess.

 

Either way, I know only this:

 

Vladimir Romanov owns Heart of Midlothian FC lock, stock and barrel. It is his club. He will run it his way. It?s not a democracy.

 

That?s just the way it is.

 

I?m sorry for Steve Banks. But in all honesty, I only care about winning the next game.

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

 

That's still my priority also. However, as we all can attest, his modus operandi has a direct and debilitating effect on the whole set-up at Hearts, fans, players, coaches, the works. If in this instance, he's up to his old tricks again, it just proves he's learned nothing.

A bit of civility and respect costs nowt, yet it would seem his preferred method is still (completely unnecessary) intimidation and humiliation.

I doubt the guy ever even considers he could be in the wrong.

[ToYouToMe]

Respect the views of the OP but personally could not give a monkeys about Steve Banks. Average goalkeeper at best. A good result on Saturday and it will be yesterday's news.....

[Buffalo Bill]

However, as we all can attest, his modus operandi has a direct and debilitating effect on the whole set-up at Hearts, fans, players, coaches, the works.

 

But it's a double edge sword.

 

 

You could argue that Vlad saved Tynecastle, and Hearts as we know it. You could also say he's a nut job with a massive ego and little sense of decency.

 

 

Every bad thing that's happened in the last three years has been his fault.

 

 

But every good thing that's happened is down to him also.

 

 

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

[J.T.F.Robertson]

But it's a double edge sword.

 

 

You could argue that Vlad saved Tynecastle, and Hearts as we know it. You could also say he's a nut job with a massive ego and little sense of decency.

 

 

Every bad thing that's happened in the last three years has been his fault.

 

 

But every good thing that's happened is down to him also.

 

 

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

 

And I still do, but saved us for what?

Anyway, this may all be a total fabrication. If not, it would be totally out of character.

[davemclaren]

But it's a double edge sword.

 

 

You could argue that Vlad saved Tynecastle, and Hearts as we know it. You could also say he's a nut job with a massive ego and little sense of decency.

 

 

Every bad thing that's happened in the last three years has been his fault.

 

 

But every good thing that's happened is down to him also.

 

 

 

Buffalo Bill

 

.

 

We were stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. Despite my efforts ( ) it seemed that a lot of Hearts fans would not follow the club to Murrayfield and thus we had no option but to accept the man from the East with money. I welcomed him though some was a bit cautious over his motives.

 

The whole Banks situation is worrying but I'd rather wait until more info leaks out or Banks speaks, or acts, himself. Regardless, we still look better than last season.

[Jam Tarts 1874]

I have to say that there are too many people on this thread claiming to be in the know but not prepared to be open about where their information came from. It is very easy for anyone to claim they have a source to further their own arguments/agendas.

 

I think it is worth pointing out that Banks has not been "de-moted" as he was never officially in the position of full-time coach for the 1st team squad keepers anyway. If I were Korobotcha/Romanov/Csaba, I would have my doubts about giving Banks the job full-time, he needs to show what he is capable of and now he has been given the chance to do so.

 

Banks doesn't strike me as some shrinking violet, if there was any truth in Anderson's rumour I am 100% certain Banks would have had something to say about it by now. And before anyone says it - confidentiality clauses mean nothing. If any employee has a grievance they can go to court for their money just like Rix did (and others were to frightened to - I wonder why!).

[paulah]

It does'nt bother me that Banks has been demoted,what bothers me is Mad Vlad yet again saying he does'nt trust him,why si he always like this with the Scottish/British players,we never heard him say any of these things when Bednar,Skacel etc left

[adayinmay]

Have to say the unfolding of todays rumour has depressed me severely.

I had a two week spell of guarded optimism in which positivity and hope were creeping back into my emotions only for VR to (allegedly) ****** it up.

I thought the feel good factor would at least run until christmas, not just a week of the new season.

 

For this to be true VR has to be possibly the bluntest tool in the box - no-one can be that stupid - and there-in lies my last hope!

[adayinmay]

I agree that the the latest Banks story when it came out made my heart sink - the man seems to want to do more harm than good, whether he comes to Scotland or stays at home in Kaunas...I've come to the conclusion that he is really quite stupid and arrogant to boot, a dangerous combination.

 

However, I did get the feeling recently that Csaba was not happy having Banks as No1. I suspect he asked Vlad's man for another GK and Vlad delivered Kello. I personally think Banks is a bit wee to be a top level GK and he neither dominates his area or instilled particular confidence in me - and yes I know we were spoiled by having the likes of Rousset, Niemi and Gordon in the last 12 years...I have no particular attachment to any players so mistreatment of another well-paid footballer doesn't really bother me that much, but I do wish Vlad would stop shooting Hearts and himself in the foot with his rotten man-management skills.

 

I picked up on one of your posts on another thread about this topic, but you've made yourself a bit clearer here. Generally I agree with what you are saying but its not the individual (in this case Banks) that concerns me, it the effect of how an individual is treated that concerns me. Things like this will divide/depress/anger/scare/confuse a dressing room and therefore unravel any good work CL has done in an instant in the restoration job of the teams confidence and "Togetherness".

[JaMbO JoE]

Does anyone know for certain that Romanov entered the dressing room on saturday? NO

 

It's all doom and gloom on this forum nowadays.

 

I wonder if half of you ever contemplate smiling.

[siegementality]

Is it only me that finds it odd that people who have been registered for years and only have a handful of posts are out in force when there is Negative news:cool: Where have they been for the last few weeks:confused:

 

 

So you're saying people who have been registered for years only come on to post when there is negative news?, well how come they only have a "handful"of posts then?

 

Close but no cigar.