Heart of Midlothian 2014-

[NJ2]

Not a fan of Preston, but there’s not a lot wrong with what he has said here.
1. Man City academy - I presume his point is that we are borrowing and developing their youngsters? We are. Okay , Meshino is not from their academy, but he is their young player. Maybe he meant Utd - Pereira and Demi?
2. Wighton - A a player that has hardly kicked a ball all year and last played as a sub last season. Meets my idea of “coming in from nowhere”. Thought that smacked of a “look how clever I am” selection. In place of Uche ffs. In a semi final. Against Rangers. Where the ball HAD to stick up front.
3. Academy products -he quotes Paterson, Walker and Leonard. Paterson was in the team pre Levein/McPhee. And we didn’t really manage to “sell” him did we? He ran down his contract and walked and we got a development fee and a generous tip from Colin. Walker was also in the team pre Levein/McPhee. Did we get anything for him? Leonard walked before he was old enough to play and we got a wee development fee. 
4. Malaury Martin. Sigh. Okay, I’ll believe you. But when Levein selected him for a 2nd and 3rd time, you could at least have threatened to set fire to yourself in protest.
Sorry, Austin, but I would give that particular fight to Preston on points. And if you that’s your best defence for your time at Levein’s side, then thanks, but no thanks.

I don’t understand why loaning players from some of the worlds biggest clubs is a bad thing? If we have better players then they won’t play, if we don’t they’ll play and improve the side. Demi Mitchell added to the side in his first spell?
Wighton came in from out of nowhere because he was injured, not because Levein was choosing not to play him. I completely agree re Uche being on the bench at Hampden.
It was biscuits that brought up Paterson as the last player to be sold from the academy to better things. MacPhee offered two examples proving this wasn’t the case - agree re figures but that’s not the point Preston made.
Every single person that was employed at the club while we paid Martin should have offered some sort of protest. Dunfermline should be removed from the league for being gullible enough to take him on loan.

[LIVIFOREVER]

14 hours ago, NJ2 said:

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/latest-hearts-news/hearts-interim-boss-austin-macphee-highlights-four-lies-told-allan-preston-1320434
Sportsound could be interesting tomorrow.

'bbc voice of Hearts'. Nah mate, he's the voice of Livi, biscuits just loves Livi, always banging on about how great we are.

[Pet Jeden]

1 hour ago, NJ2 said:

I don’t understand why loaning players from some of the worlds biggest clubs is a bad thing? If we have better players then they won’t play, if we don’t they’ll play and improve the side. Demi Mitchell added to the side in his first spell?
Wighton came in from out of nowhere because he was injured, not because Levein was choosing not to play him. I completely agree re Uche being on the bench at Hampden.
It was biscuits that brought up Paterson as the last player to be sold from the academy to better things. MacPhee offered two examples proving this wasn’t the case - agree re figures but that’s not the point Preston made. 
Every single person that was employed at the club while we paid Martin should have offered some sort of protest. Dunfermline should be removed from the league for being gullible enough to take him on loan.

No bad thing taking good players from top clubs. But better still to develop your own. Bottom line is that developing and selling for decent fees was meant to be part of their plan. No success in 5 1/2 years.

Wighton - and there might be a player in there - just could not be match sharp for a game at that level

Edited November 23, 2019 by Pet Jeden

[topcat(The most tip top)]

Austin McPhee trying to present the facts in a way that makes Austin McPhee look good is the lesser sin here.

If anybody is allowed to display bias on the question of whether Austin McPhee is an arsehole it’s surely Austin McPhee

[NJ2]

No bad thing taking good players from top clubs. But better still to develop your own. Bottom line is that developing and selling for decent fees was meant to be part of their plan. No success in 5 1/2 years.
Wighton - and there might be a player in there - just could not be match sharp for a game at that level

Totally agree I’d rather we developed our own players. Admin certainly had an impact on that but let’s hope Hickey, Cochrane, McDonald, Keena, Irving can all progress and become assets. In the meantime if we can borrow players who can improve the team I don’t see it as a stick to beat MacPhee with tbh.
I’m not defending the selection of Wighton, just pointing out Biscuits point about him being picked solely as an up yours to Levein or whatever is pish, as Levein picked him when he was available.
This is all a bit level headed and reasonable for P&B, Ruel St and we’ll bring MacPhee’s maw?

[Romeo]

Still "injuries" then?

[Pet Jeden]

1 hour ago, Romeo said:

Still "injuries" then?

Yes. Best central defence pairing of Halkett and Souttar missing. Best holding mid Haring  and also Washington missing. Walker back but not match sharp.

But main problem is hollowed out confidence and poor management. 

[craigkillie]

Don't forget dreadful players.

[JamieThomas]

Absolutely reject the idea that Hearts have a bad squad tbh. Smith, Souttar, Washington, Whelan, Naismith are all international players. Halkett, Haring, Walker and Ikpeazu would start regularly for the vast majority of teams in the league. There are some players that range from bang average to utter dugmeat (all three keepers, Bozanic, White, Wighton) but there are clearly more than enough good to very good players at this level to be a top four threat in what is, let's be honest, an absolute backwater league. 

[itzdrk]

7 minutes ago, JamieThomas said:

Absolutely reject the idea that Hearts have a bad squad tbh. Smith, Souttar, Washington, Whelan, Naismith are all international players. Halkett, Haring, Walker and Ikpeazu would start regularly for the vast majority of teams in the league. There are some players that range from bang average to utter dugmeat (all three keepers, Bozanic, White, Wighton) but there are clearly more than enough good to very good players at this level to be a top four threat in what is, let's be honest, an absolute backwater league. 

You all hate to hear it for some reason but he's fucking rank. 

[craigkillie]

2 hours ago, JamieThomas said:

Absolutely reject the idea that Hearts have a bad squad tbh. Smith, Souttar, Washington, Whelan, Naismith are all international players. Halkett, Haring, Walker and Ikpeazu would start regularly for the vast majority of teams in the league. There are some players that range from bang average to utter dugmeat (all three keepers, Bozanic, White, Wighton) but there are clearly more than enough good to very good players at this level to be a top four threat in what is, let's be honest, an absolute backwater league. 

Smith and Washington are mediocre and Whelan looked absolutely finished today - our midfield ran rings around him. Ikpeazu is big and strong and can be a handful as a result, but he's painfully slow and has next to no actual ability. Walker was a ghost today - forgot he was even playing.

The only Hearts player who started today who I'd consider putting into our team was Naismith, and even he has his fitness issues which mean he sometimes completely fails to influence games (such as today's). Even with the injured players, Halkett,  Souttar and Haring are all very good players at this level, but would struggle to dislodge their opposite numbers in our team.

Edited November 24, 2019 by craigkillie

[AberdeenHibee]

2 hours ago, JamieThomas said:

Absolutely reject the idea that Hearts have a bad squad tbh. Smith, Souttar, Washington, Whelan, Naismith are all international players. Halkett, Haring, Walker and Ikpeazu would start regularly for the vast majority of teams in the league. There are some players that range from bang average to utter dugmeat (all three keepers, Bozanic, White, Wighton) but there are clearly more than enough good to very good players at this level to be a top four threat in what is, let's be honest, an absolute backwater league. 

Drag me out into my backyard and shoot me straight in the head if I ever truly believe Uche Ikpeazu is good enough to start at Hibs.

[Guest JTS98]

7 hours ago, craigkillie said:

Smith and Washington are mediocre and Whelan looked absolutely finished today - our midfield ran rings around him. Ikpeazu is big and strong and can be a handful as a result, but he's painfully slow and has next to no actual ability. Walker was a ghost today - forgot he was even playing.

The only Hearts player who started today who I'd consider putting into our team was Naismith, and even he has his fitness issues which mean he sometimes completely fails to influence games (such as today's). Even with the injured players, Halkett,  Souttar and Haring are all very good players at this level, but would struggle to dislodge their opposite numbers in our team.

It's a bit lazy to call a player 'finished' when someone in his 30s has a bad game.

Whelan has had good games this season. Yesterday he had a bad game. A bit sensationalist to suddenly go baws deep on 'finished'.

What if he plays well again next week. Is he 'unfinished'?

I agree with the point other posters have made about our squad not being nearly as bad as is made out. People like to ridicule talk of injuries, but it's beyond dispute that we've been badly weakened by them so far this season. That aside, what we have available should be nowhere near the bottom of this league.

There's a real malaise around the club that needs shaken out of the system. We're badly under-performing. I don't know why, and nobody who isn't on the inside knows why. But we're not where we should be for the squad we have.

[RandomGuy.]

Whelan was shite against us aswell, tbf, he seems to think he can get away with passing to defenders the full game, and not tracking markers.

Best way to counter the claims Uche is any good is that he couldnt create a chance against Saints defence, when it was Wallace Duffy marking him.

[Guest JTS98]

2 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Whelan was shite against us aswell, tbf, he seems to think he can get away with passing to defenders the full game, and not tracking markers.

Best way to counter the claims Uche is any good is that he couldnt create a chance against Saints defence, when it was Wallace Duffy marking him.

Don't dispute that he's had some bad games. But so has almost everybody in our team.

I'm struggling to think of a reliable performer. Maybe Naismith, but I think he gets a lot of leeway from the Hearts crowd.

Uche isn't Messi, but used in the right way he can be a real game-changer. Our win against Aberdeen last season and his performances against Hibs at Easter Road last season and this are clear evidence of that.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, JTS98 said:

Don't dispute that he's had some bad games. But so has almost everybody in our team.

I'm struggling to think of a reliable performer. Maybe Naismith, but I think he gets a lot of leeway from the Hearts crowd.

Uche isn't Messi, but used in the right way he can be a real game-changer. Our win against Aberdeen last season and his performances against Hibs at Easter Road last season and this are clear evidence of that.

I think that's the point folk are making though. Uche is nothing more than an option you have in your squad, rather than a standout first choice for a top half side.

[Guest JTS98]

2 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I think that's the point folk are making though. Uche is nothing more than an option you have in your squad, rather than a standout first choice for a top half side.

I don't see why he shouldn't be.

With the best will in the world, you don't have to be a world-beater to play for a top-half Scottish Premiership side. Uche is a very useful player when used in an area where we can get the most out of him being strong and direct. There's no reason for that not to be used by a top-half side.

Problem is that he's not the most versatile laddie in the world, and his technique is quite unorthodox so when he's having a bad game it looks awful.

He's contributed more than enough in his time in our league to justify inclusion. There are plenty worse.

[Green Day]

29 minutes ago, JTS98 said:

He's contributed more than enough in his time in our league to justify inclusion. There are plenty worse.

Outside of the odd derby goal I am unclear just what his contribution is.

He has scored 5 league goals since he joined you 18 months ago - thats a poor return for a striker.

The much maligned Christian Doidge has 4 league goals in two matches..........................

[Guest JTS98]

1 minute ago, Green Day said:

Outside of the odd derby goal I am unclear just what his contribution is.

He has scored 5 league goals since he joined you 18 months ago - thats a poor return for a striker.

The much maligned Christian Doidge has 4 league goals in two matches..........................

Let's be honest, how often do you actually watch Hearts play 90 minutes?

[itzdrk]

Yer man White is absolutely minging.