Stop talking about No.26

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Just forget about him. He's gone. What was on the park tonight is what we have to work with. It's a waste of time pining for a guy who doesn't want to play for HMFC and isn't particularly good anyway. We miss Wallace a hell of a lot more.

[Beats]

Just forget about him. He's gone. What was on the park tonight is what we have to work with. It's a waste of time pining for a guy who doesn't want to play for HMFC and isn't particularly good anyway. We miss Wallace a hell of a lot more.

 

 

Correct.Have some rep.

[Victorian]

not particularly good. lordy. better then barr the way he's started out.

 

how blind do you have to be not to see how important zali is? if there's any chance we can get him back then FFS we could do with him.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

if there's any chance we can get him back then FFS we could do with him.

 

There is NO chance.

 

And he's getting better each day he isn't playing. It's the Kickback way.

[Carl Weathers]

Zaliukas is a prick. And not even very good.

 

I'm confident Barr will improve.

[Victorian]

There is NO chance.

 

And he's getting better each day he isn't playing. It's the Kickback way.

 

hopefully not no chance. we differ but if there's any chance then we need him big time. he's still free to play for us for now. it would be like another free agent signing.

 

getting better while not playing? maybe for you... not for me. i've always rated him quite highly.

 

if bouzid and barr continue in this vein then we may have severe grief.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Barr will come good eventually. He's been competent enough to win a call up to the Scotland squad in the past. Some of our best ever players had a very slow start to their Hearts careers. He needs a bit of time.

 

Bouzid ... not sure. He played very well against Dundee Utd I thought. In my eyes the management team have to take a bit of responsibility as well. How bad are we for set pieces? That's sorted on the training pitch.

[Victorian]

Barr will come good eventually. He's been competent enough to win a call up to the Scotland squad in the past. Some of our best ever players had a very slow start to their Hearts careers. He needs a bit of time.

 

Bouzid ... not sure. He played very well against Dundee Utd I thought. In my eyes the management team have to take a bit of responsibility as well. How bad are we for set pieces? That's sorted on the training pitch.

 

bouzid just seems inconsistent. up and down like a yo-yo.

 

i hope you're right about barr.

 

the worst thing is that you can rarely just flick a switch and a player comes good. the more poor games he has the more fragile his confidence will be. hopefully he's a strong character and can give himself a real boot up the ass 'cos it doesn't always work coming from someone else.

 

c'mon man.

[marshallschunkychicken]

I just have this feeling that some players that look like they have the potential don't make the step up when they move to a bigger club. I think that Black is one, and Barr is going to prove to be another.

[Das Root]

Zaliukas is pish. He loses it regularly and we lose a goal. Happy to see him go tbh. Give McGowan a game.

[Drylaw Hearts]

If only VR had given JJ the time to bring in another CH.

 

But no.......he thought it would be better leaving re-signing talks to only a few days prior to the TW closing ensuring if things didn't go well we would be unable to sign another CH.

 

 

Well done.

[portobellojambo1]

Just forget about him. He's gone. What was on the park tonight is what we have to work with. It's a waste of time pining for a guy who doesn't want to play for HMFC and isn't particularly good anyway. We miss Wallace a hell of a lot more.

 

 

Agree totally. I thought Barr and Bouzid were poor tonight, however I have confidence they will improve. Zaliukas is old news, doesn't want to play for Hearts, so give him his wish, send him back to Kaunas to rot.

[neave]

It looks less and less likely Zal will play for us again, but Darren Barr's performance tonight shows two things: firstly, that DB himself should be nowhere near that first team, and secondly, how much we need Zal back.

 

Yes, he isn't the greatest, but his positioning, heading, tackling and general reading of the game are all galaxies ahead of Barr's.

[fc1874]

He is not looking very good the way I see it. I can't see him as a Hearts man.

[The Rev]

If Darren Barr gets another game for us in the near future I will be fecking speechless. Truly awful defender, I said it when we were rumored to be signing him, when we signed him, and now, and I've seen absolutely feck all to make me change my mind.

 

If Big Zal isn't going to get a game, it's time for Ryan McGowan to be given a chance ahead of this complete and utter imposter.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

It looks less and less likely Zal will play for us again, but Darren Barr's performance tonight shows two things: firstly, that DB himself should be nowhere near that first team, and secondly, how much we need Zal back.

 

Yes, he isn't the greatest, but his positioning, heading, tackling and general reading of the game are all galaxies ahead of Barr's.

 

How bad was he at the start of his Hearts career though, Neave? About three times as bad as Barr currently is. We've been unbelievably unlucky to lose Wallace and it's resulted in Barr being hung out to dry a wee bit. Absolutely no pace at the back so we are being exposed big time.

 

The only other option seems to be McGowan but it wouldn't be wise to chuck him in that defence with his lack of experience. I don't think JJ really fancies him yet either.

 

Mrowiec has to sit in front of the defence on Saturday I think even if it means either Kyle or Elliot lose out.

[neave]

How bad was he at the start of his Hearts career though, Neave? About three times as bad as Barr currently is. We've been unbelievably unlucky to lose Wallace and it's resulted in Barr being hung out to dry a wee bit. Absolutely no pace at the back so we are being exposed big time.

 

The only other option seems to be McGowan but it wouldn't be wise to chuck him in that defence with his lack of experience. I don't think JJ really fancies him yet either.

The difference being Zal was poor in a bad, bad Hearts team and progressed. Barr (and Palazuelos, it could be argued, but that's for a different thread) is quite literally the weak link in what was a very strong, promising line-up tonight, and has been since he signed.

[hmu99425]

I think its time to give Ryan McGowan a chance. He has to be pitched in at some point, and Barr should get a rest on Saturday after a dodgy performance tonight.

[cosanostra]

We need big Zal back because Barr is an absolute nightmare.

His performance tonight was one of the poorest I've ever seen from a Hearts player.

The 2nd goal was just embarrassing and Barr looked like a pub league player.

Looks to me like our best option would be to reach a decent compromise with Zal and give Barr a try at right back because Barr was just pathetic tonight.

[scott_jambo]

Lets put this myth to bed.

 

1) Zal is a good player. An SPL standard defender and has been consistently for 2 years at least.

 

2) Zal also has also made it clear he is not interested in Hearts and is leaving in 2-3 months. Forget him - prepare for the future.

[The Rev]

We need big Zal back because Barr is an absolute nightmare.

His performance tonight was one of the poorest I've ever seen from a Hearts player.

The 2nd goal was just embarrassing and Barr looked like a pub league player.

Looks to me like our best option would be to reach a decent compromise with Zal and give Barr a try at right back because Barr was just pathetic tonight.

 

Agree with all of this apart from the last 13 words. Darren Barr should never have been allowed to wear the jersey in the first place, and most definitely should never be allowed to wear it again.

[CJGJ]

Unlike our 'supportive' fans I am willing to give Barr a chance -- there have been a few players who have not started well and come through to be stalwarts -- he is also coming into a team that has lost its 2 best defenders so is bound to be weaker -- too soon to write off.

 

No one seems to be blaming our esteemed owner -- if Zal was going why not offer the contract in june /july and sell him if no agreement -- just stupid to wait until the window closes.

[rossthejambo]

Lets put this myth to bed.

 

1) Zal is a good player. An SPL standard defender and has been consistently for 2 years at least.

 

2) Zal also has also made it clear he is not interested in Hearts and is leaving in 2-3 months. Forget him - prepare for the future.

 

Good post.

 

Thread closed now I reckon

[Drylaw Hearts]

Unlike our 'supportive' fans I am willing to give Barr a chance -- there have been a few players who have not started well and come through to be stalwarts -- he is also coming into a team that has lost its 2 best defenders so is bound to be weaker -- too soon to write off.

 

No one seems to be blaming our esteemed owner -- if Zal was going why not offer the contract in june /july and sell him if no agreement -- just stupid to wait until the window closes.

 

Cough.

[Captain Canada]

We can't afford to give Barr time to improve - he's costing us goals and isn't up to the task at centre half. I would much rather see him at right back as he look composed there the times I've seen him play that position for Falkirk.

 

If Zal's Hearts career is over then we should be bringing in a free agent replacement now - someone with a bit of pace would be nice as it's sadly lacking at the moment.

[Guest Bilel Mohsni]

not particularly good. lordy. better then barr the way he's started out.

 

how blind do you have to be not to see how important zali is? if there's any chance we can get him back then FFS we could do with him.

 

Have some rep, spot on, anyone who continually denies Zali's attributes is really doing noone any favours with their churlishness, we miss him big-time... A prick he may be but he is so far ahead of Barr right now it is scary.

 

Barr will come good eventually. He's been competent enough to win a call up to the Scotland squad in the past. Some of our best ever players had a very slow start to their Hearts careers. He needs a bit of time.

 

Bouzid ... not sure. He played very well against Dundee Utd I thought. In my eyes the management team have to take a bit of responsibility as well. How bad are we for set pieces? That's sorted on the training pitch.

 

 

Jefferies will be gutted that we have lost our best CB and I know he has been disappointed in Barr since he came in... Perhaps he thinks "Falkirk was about his level"... Bouzid and Zal are about the best two Hearts employees that can play that position right now.

 

Funny how Zal's far less frequent blunders are pounced upon, earning him the bomb-scare tag while Barr seems to be able to put in one good performance since the start of the season but... He will improve.

 

Gutted that Zal is as much of a prick as he is but... Boy do we miss him.

[Guest vanbasten1874]

Just forget about him. He's gone. What was on the park tonight is what we have to work with. It's a waste of time pining for a guy who doesn't want to play for HMFC and isn't particularly good anyway. We miss Wallace a hell of a lot more.

 

If wallace wasnt injured it would be easy to forget about him at this precise moment in time we need Zal he has 12 weeks remaining on his contract wallace is out for 12 weeks injured it is a no brainer Zal should be playing !

[deejtee]

Funny how we look like overkill upfront and left mid and very short at the back except three goalies! Don't rate any of our full backs except Wallace and without Zal sadly eggert is as good a centre back as we have. I would therefore buck the JJ and Vlad trend and play Zal until the January window. Do we have a choice? Bet Aberdeen are glad they missed out on Barr and got Seve!

[The Treasurer]

If only VR had given JJ the time to bring in another CH.

 

But no.......he thought it would be better leaving re-signing talks to only a few days prior to the TW closing ensuring if things didn't go well we would be unable to sign another CH.

 

 

Well done.

 

At no time prior to talks did Zal give any indication that he wouldn't re-sign. Quite the opposite in fact.

As there didn't seem to be any problem then the club, rightly saw no reason to start talks early at a time when most attention was focused on bringing other new players into the club.

It was only at the end of the transfer window that this situation arose.

Add in the loss of Wallace, which no-one could have foreseen and the poor form of Barr then the situation is highlighted even more.

I know it doesn't suit your usual "lets blame VR for everything" stance but in this instance the board are not to blame.

[H J Simpson]

I'd put Morevic at centre back alongside Boozie. He played there against Utd a couple of years ago and was immense.

 

Powerful, strong tackler and can't be anyworse than whats been tried thus far.

[Guest vanbasten1874]

I'd put Morevic at centre back alongside Boozie. He played there against Utd a couple of years ago and was immense.

 

Powerful, strong tackler and can't be anyworse than whats been tried thus far.

 

 

Worth a try id go along with that ..

[The Mighty Thor]

How bad was he at the start of his Hearts career though, Neave? About three times as bad as Barr currently is. We've been unbelievably unlucky to lose Wallace and it's resulted in Barr being hung out to dry a wee bit. Absolutely no pace at the back so we are being exposed big time.

 

The only other option seems to be McGowan but it wouldn't be wise to chuck him in that defence with his lack of experience. I don't think JJ really fancies him yet either.

 

Mrowiec has to sit in front of the defence on Saturday I think even if it means either Kyle or Elliot lose out.

 

I know we are very soft through the centre of the pitch but i genuinely cannot see how sitting Mrowiec in there will make any difference. We did that against Dundee Utd (we actually had two there at the end of the game Mrowiec & Black) and Utd were attacking in waves.

 

Some of our defending this year has been schoolboy stuff. Positionally Bouzid is naive and he lacks pace. Barr is not showing any better and with Wallace out we are toiling at left & right back.

 

I genuinely fear sticking a guy like Mrowiec right in front of the centre backs will cause more chaos rather than protecting them.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

I know we are very soft through the centre of the pitch but i genuinely cannot see how sitting Mrowiec in there will make any difference. We did that against Dundee Utd (we actually had two there at the end of the game Mrowiec & Black) and Utd were attacking in waves.

 

Some of our defending this year has been schoolboy stuff. Positionally Bouzid is naive and he lacks pace. Barr is not showing any better and with Wallace out we are toiling at left & right back.

 

I genuinely fear sticking a guy like Mrowiec right in front of the centre backs will cause more chaos rather than protecting them.

 

Just feel like the defence needs a bit of protection. We started to drop deep against Dundee Utd but that's not the fault of the midfield, Bouzid should really have been dragging everyone up the park. As I've said, if we can keep it extremely tight for a few games then confidence rises and the defensive worries are a thing of the past. Football changes so quickly and so much is down to confidence.

 

It may be worth dropping Eggy in to RB and having him tuck in and support the two centre halfs. They definitely need more protection one way or another. Doubt we'll see Barr on Saturday though.

[The Mighty Thor]

Just feel like the defence needs a bit of protection. We started to drop deep against Dundee Utd but that's not the fault of the midfield, Bouzid should really have been dragging everyone up the park. As I've said, if we can keep it extremely tight for a few games then confidence rises and the defensive worries are a thing of the past. Football changes so quickly and so much is down to confidence.

 

It may be worth dropping Eggy in to RB and having him tuck in and support the two centre halfs. They definitely need more protection one way or another. Doubt we'll see Barr on Saturday though.

 

There's a bit of truth in that lot AP.

 

Since the Shabba days when we got our noses in front you could guarantee that in the second half we would go further and further backwards towards our own goals regardless of the opposition to the point where we would have 8 outfield players on the edge of our box. It happened so many times and has been the same this season.

 

We should have got turned over by Dundee Utd and all it took was 1 change from them to unlock the whole game. It was that obvious. That's a worry to me.

 

We seem to be in a position where our central midfield pair (3 sometimes) are in the unique position where they aren't particularly great going forward and they're fecking terrifying going backwards. All it takes is an opposition midfielder that drives at the defence and we're vulnerable, moreso when the midfield is right on top of the back 4 , there's nowhere for them to go and we end up losing scrappy goals with a penalty box full of bodies.

 

I think we'll see Barr on Saturday but we might see a different CH pairing.

[Drylaw Hearts]

At no time prior to talks did Zal give any indication that he wouldn't re-sign. Quite the opposite in fact.

As there didn't seem to be any problem then the club, rightly saw no reason to start talks early at a time when most attention was focused on bringing other new players into the club.

It was only at the end of the transfer window that this situation arose.

Add in the loss of Wallace, which no-one could have foreseen and the poor form of Barr then the situation is highlighted even more.

I know it doesn't suit your usual "lets blame VR for everything" stance but in this instance the board are not to blame.

 

I've been saying for a year Zal wouldn't re-sign.

 

If I knew.....they must have known.

 

 

The Board are 100% to blame in this case.

 

They know what they do with players who don't agree new deals so by starting talks only a few days prior to the closure of the TW they once again they played took an unnecessary risk and it's left us short.

 

 

The current situation is evidence that they made the wrong decision in starting talks when they did.

 

 

How you can even attempt to deny or defend that is absolutely bizarre.

[IMA MAROON]

Zal should be playing. I understand where JJ and Vlad are coming from but if we are going to continue freezing out players that do not sign new contracts then 3 year contracts are only worth 2 1/2 years first team football and 6 months in the stands with full pay.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

I've been saying for a year Zal wouldn't re-sign.

 

If I knew.....they must have known.

 

 

The Board are 100% to blame in this case.

 

They know what they do with players who don't agree new deals so by starting talks only a few days prior to the closure of the TW they once again they played took an unnecessary risk and it's left us short.

 

 

The current situation is evidence that they made the wrong decision in starting talks when they did.

 

 

How you can even attempt to deny or defend that is absolutely bizarre.

 

Who could have predicted Wallace would be out for half a season and Barr would be this bad so far? For all we know, he was ready to sign but changed his mind. It's complete guesswork and the club can't be held responsible unless we know all the facts. Making him club captain suggests to me they thought he would be staying.

[Drylaw Hearts]

Zal should be playing. I understand where JJ and Vlad are coming from but if we are going to continue freezing out players that do not sign new contracts then 3 year contracts are only worth 2 1/2 years first team football and 6 months in the stands with full pay.

 

Yep.

 

It's madness.

 

The same happened with Goncalves just prior to last year LC semi-final.

 

We ended up giving him probably around ?100,000 for doing nowt.

 

 

Talks should begin right straight after season 2 of a 3 year deal and if they don't want to stay then we should make them available for transfer asap.

 

This is a bullshit system that has once again cost us.

[Johanes de Silentio]

He's dead to me!

[Hilary Briss]

I heard yesterday that Zal will be playing again soon, possibly the weekend.

 

Apparently wee JC is his agent now and he is hopeful of getting something sorted out.

[Guest vanbasten1874]

I heard yesterday that Zal will be playing again soon, possibly the weekend.

 

Apparently wee JC is his agent now and he is hopeful of getting something sorted out.

 

 

Fantastic news if true please be an ITK poster ..

[deejtee]

Good.