topcat(The most tip top) Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 The second, and hopefully penultimate, SPL game at Murrayfield sees Hearts entertain a Saint Johnstone side who started the season at a rate of knots but have since spluttered. Whether this is because they hit their trickier fixtures, lost form or ran short on luck is hard to tell from here but they no longer appear as intimidating a proposition in October as they did at the end of August. Hearts season so far has almost been a mirror image. We started the season as a laughing stock but have since begun to steady the ship and could overtake our visitors on Saturday. In essence both teams appear decent neither are really good. It’s the kind of meeting where all three results seem like distinct possibilities but Hearts have a little bit more momentum and home advantage of a sort so are probably favourites This should be the biggest attendance for a meeting of the two clubs since at least 1954 when 21,000 turned out for the second leg of a league cup quarter final to see Hearts score twice and secure a 7-0 aggregate win. One can only imagine how many more would have bothered attending if the tie was in the balance. In more recent history Saints are going for a ninth consecutive unbeaten game against Hearts but a first away win in three visits since Murray Davidson’s early brace in March 2016 set up a 3-0 win and effectively secured Saints in the Top 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 We've been absolutely holocaustal against Dundee and Aberdeen, Rangers game was a return to form despite the scoreline. We've been missing O'Halloran lately aswell, so he should come straight back in.No Ricky Foster or Steven Anderson means at least two youth players in defence. Aaron Comrie will be at right back, and he seems to be settling well at this level, suspect Liam Gordon will meet his old club aswell.No idea how Hearts have looked under Levein, suspect they'll be far more structured than Cathros, with simple things like midfield runners and full backs providing crosses being the order of the day once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree house tam Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I think Tommy will go with gilchrist in defence, citing his physical presence as a major factor in his decision. We will win this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieThomas Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said: No idea how Hearts have looked under Levein Pretty much the same as Hitzfeld's Dortmund, but with more Prince Buaben. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 Pretty much the same as Hitzfeld's Dortmund, but with more Prince Buaben. Hitzfeld had previously described his Dortmund as "Like Craig Levein's Hearts but with less Jean-Louis Valois" Note that I only did first year German at university so I might have missed some nuance in that translation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieThomas Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 There are many parallels between Hearts and Dortmund as football clubs, not least of which is thinking that Liam Craig sniffs bike saddles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 There are many parallels between Hearts and Dortmund as football clubs, not least of which is thinking that Liam Craig sniffs bike saddles. But being German the Rhinelanders are less shocked by that kind of Düsseldorfer behaviour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radford Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 Running with just four experienced defenders was always liable to cause problems for Saints this season, with the hope being I guess that we'd never be missing more than one at a time. So obvious concerns about us defensively for this game. There was an assumption before the European games that Gordon would play and the same is arguably happening here but going with the left-sided Gilchrist would maybe bring a better balance, with Shaughnessy playing between the two youngsters. I don't think he's as strong a leader or organiser as Anderson but he'll need to step up to the plate here. After that I guess it'll be whether it's Cummins or Wotherspoon that O'Halloran comes in for, and whether Paton or Millar gets the nod. Obviously looking forward to the trip to Murrayfield, first time I'll have been there in well over 20 years. Not sure it would even have been fully redeveloped at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree house tam Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 I think Gordon is a better player than Gilchrist and I'd have him in my team every week. I'm not Tommy though so I don't know who rims the best. Both should be good enough to cope with Hearts IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share Posted October 17, 2017 Running with just four experienced defenders was always liable to cause problems for Saints this season, with the hope being I guess that we'd never be missing more than one at a time. So obvious concerns about us defensively for this game. There was an assumption before the European games that Gordon would play and the same is arguably happening here but going with the left-sided Gilchrist would maybe bring a better balance, with Shaughnessy playing between the two youngsters. I don't think he's as strong a leader or organiser as Anderson but he'll need to step up to the plate here. After that I guess it'll be whether it's Cummins or Wotherspoon that O'Halloran comes in for, and whether Paton or Millar gets the nod. Obviously looking forward to the trip to Murrayfield, first time I'll have been there in well over 20 years. Not sure it would even have been fully redeveloped at the time. The redevelopment was 1991-94It was floated on the wave of optimism after the 1990 grand slam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O-Bizzle Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 Looking forward to welcoming citizens of #Perthshire to the Capital once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 The one time that I'll get to see saints play at Murrayfield, which is the closest stadium to my house and a 10 minute trip and I'm in Fife, fucking Fife for a wedding!! I jest of course, I'm not really that bothered given how shite we are right now, but for the novelty factor I'd imagine a decent saints following will attend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share Posted October 17, 2017 57 minutes ago, Widge said: The one time that I'll get to see saints play at Murrayfield, which is the closest stadium to my house and a 10 minute trip and I'm in Fife, fucking Fife for a wedding!! I jest of course, I'm not really that bothered given how shite we are right now, but for the novelty factor I'd imagine a decent saints following will attend. Are they opening up the top deck for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree house tam Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 Just now, topcat(The most tip top) said: Are they opening up the top deck for you? He's at a wedding you daft c**t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 Are they opening up the top deck for you? We'll bring 200 fans and you'll be delighted as it'll give you something to mock us over once we pump you 6-0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 He's at a wedding you daft c**t. Bride and groom are saying "I Do" as Wotherspoon bends in a free kick, can catch the bouquet in celebration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share Posted October 17, 2017 He's at a wedding you daft c**t. I meant “you” plural I wasn’t envisaging a few thousand Saintees in the lower deck and widge being put in the top deck on his own Unless he’s really, really unpopular amongst his fellow supporters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 I meant “you” plural I wasn’t envisaging a few thousand Saintees in the lower deck and widge being put in the top deck on his own Unless he’s really, really unpopular amongst his fellow supporters Being culturally superior by being from Edinburgh, it wouldn't surprise me if I was unpopular. Well I guess that'd be more to do with jealousy more than anything. Being ostracised from an already small support would take some doing though I'd imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 Being ostracised from an already small support would take some doing though I'd imagine. Pretty easy tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernJambo Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 The fermers seem pretty confident. I hope Levein masterminds an absolutely dugshit 2-0 win over them. That’d be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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