Heart of Midlothian v Motherwell - 2 October 2021

[Desp]

This has the potential to be a cracker.  The winner of this will end the day top of the Scottish Premiership.

Discuss.

[Phillips455]

Title should have been Unstoppable force vs Immovable object.

 

Anyway. I think we will be able to sneak out another win here. 2-1 motherwell with only 2 shot on target for the whole game. Less than 25 % possession as well.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Phillips455

[Swello]

Tough one as Hearts are going really well but it seems to be the sort of game that this 'Well team is set up for. We haven't been conceding many (I think only Hibs have scored more than once against us in the league and that was before we bought our culturally Scandinavian defence) and have been really clinical at the other end - so I'm hopeful we can make this a close game.

We probably need some Hearts supporters to do a St Johnstone and remind us how shite/what a wage thief Tony Watt really is

 

[Duffy_]

Really looking forward to it, which is quite a novelty in itself based on Hearts performances in recent years. 

We look a lot more solid playing with 3 CBs so hopefully stick with that, and assuming no injuries I don't see the need for us to change anything from the team that started the game last weekend. 

[sairyinthat]

2 minutes ago, Phillips455 said:

Title should have been Unstoppable force vs Immovable object.

 

Anyway. I think we will be able to sneak out another win here. 2-1 motherwell with only 2 shot on target for the whole game. Less than 25 % possession as well.

Aw come on,you won't be playing Aberdeen think your team will really struggle against Hearts who have a team of thoroughbreds,as well as you are playing at the moment I cant see you getting a goal against them.

[ropy]

11 minutes ago, Duffy_ said:

Really looking forward to it, which is quite a novelty in itself based on Hearts performances in recent years. 

We look a lot more solid playing with 3 CBs so hopefully stick with that, and assuming no injuries I don't see the need for us to change anything from the team that started the game last weekend. 

If you start with 3 what is the highest number you have got to before the end of a match?

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

19 minutes ago, Swello said:

Tough one as Hearts are going really well but it seems to be the sort of game that this 'Well team is set up for. We haven't been conceding many (I think only Hibs have scored more than once against us in the league and that was before we bought our culturally Scandinavian defence) and have been really clinical at the other end - so I'm hopeful we can make this a close game.

We probably need some Hearts supporters to do a St Johnstone and remind us how shite/what a wage thief Tony Watt really is

 

Can't see Watt taking much stick, he was quite popular really.  

Should be a cracker, actually looking forward to watching us play every week at the minute, which is progress from the last few years

[Austin McCann]

The two surprise performers this season. Both were predicted to struggle at the start so for one of them to be top after 8 games would be an achievement. 
We need to win our home games if we want to challenge for a European place so it feels like a big game. Motherwell continue to be Scottish footballs most consistent overachievers so.it will be tight.

[Phillips455]

25 minutes ago, sairyinthat said:

Aw come on,you won't be playing Aberdeen think your team will really struggle against Hearts who have a team of thoroughbreds,as well as you are playing at the moment I cant see you getting a goal against them.

I think the way we are set out will counter teams like Hearts. If they can make any meaningful shots it will result in more frantic passing and attempts which can lead to counter attacks. We have proven this season to only needing a few chances at most to score, even against teams like Rangers. It's games where we have more possession  that we actually struggle a bit (see the Ross County game).

[Archie McSquackle]

This has the potential to be a cracker.  The winner of this will end the day top of the Scottish Premiership.
Discuss.

If it's a 0-0 draw, do Hearts go top on alphabetical order or is some other criterion used (same points, goal difference, goals scored)?

We don't do nil nil draws so completely hypothetical.

[Neil86]

Should be a cracker, should also be a decent Motherwell support going through for it.

only change I can see is Donnelly coming in for Grimshaw, thought he changed the game for us on Saturday, saying that, wouldn't be too disappointed with the same 11.

would Sondre maybe come in for Lamie if fit, or did that assist secure his place in the 11?

[Swello]

32 minutes ago, Phillips455 said:

I think the way we are set out will counter teams like Hearts. If they can make any meaningful shots it will result in more frantic passing and attempts which can lead to counter attacks. We have proven this season to only needing a few chances at most to score, even against teams like Rangers. It's games where we have more possession  that we actually struggle a bit (see the Ross County game).

I think if Hearts attack like they did at the weekend (as far as I saw in the highlights), it will be difficult but I'd hope we'd make it harder for them than a knackered Livi team did (it was interesting to hear Robbie Neilson reference that in his interview after the game)

On Ricki Lamie - I'll maybe whisper this, but he hasn't let us down at all this season and played pretty well on Saturday. I think having Ojala next to him helps a lot and for a game like this, I'd rather have a fully fit Lamie than a half fit Sol or Bevis. There I've said it.

[Phillips455]

Just now, Swello said:

I think if Hearts attack like they did at the weekend (as far as I saw in the highlights), it will be difficult but I'd hope we'd make it harder for them than a knackered Livi team did (it was interesting to hear Robbie Neilson reference that in his interview after the game)

On Ricki Lamie - I'll maybe whisper this, but he hasn't let us down at all this season and played pretty well on Saturday. I think having Ojala next to him helps a lot and for a game like this, I'd rather have a fully fit Lamie than a half fit Sol or Bevis. There I've said it.

Yeah, what I meant was that the way we set out trys to prevent those kinds of attacks. As shown in the Aberdeen and rangers game it's to limit the shots to long range ones or forcing the sidewards or backwards passes. Especially away from home where home crowds will start to turn against the home team if they just can do anything meaningful.

I also agree with you with Lamie. He's not as bad as last season and you would prefer to have a fully fit lamie than someone who is not going at thier fullest. As shown during the Ross County game, it o ly needs 1 slip up for us to lose a goal.

 

Hopefully we continue our record of scoring in every league game this season. Van Veen to score 1 and set up the other. Also is anyone nearing a ban yet for yellow cards? I have seen out card statistics today and we top the league in that regard.

 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

I do have a nagging doubt that we've still only really beaten pish teams so far, and even Rangers could have been 2 or 3 up at half time, although we did deserve a point there on account of the second half. I'd definitely take a point here just to keep the run going.

[Neil86]

16 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

I do have a nagging doubt that we've still only really beaten pish teams so far, and even Rangers could have been 2 or 3 up at half time, although we did deserve a point there on account of the second half. I'd definitely take a point here just to keep the run going.

Not sure I buy into this, So far we have played, Rangers, Hibs, Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Livingston, that is 5 of last years top 6.

For context, after having had a quick check (and I mean quick) it looks like we have possibly faced the most top 6 sides based on last years final league standings, if that makes sense. Obviously some teams have faced a good hearts side, and ourselves of course which kind of skews how easy/hard the opening fixtures were for various teams.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Neil86

[Antiochas III]

16 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

I do have a nagging doubt that we've still only really beaten pish teams so far, and even Rangers could have been 2 or 3 up at half time, although we did deserve a point there on account of the second half. I'd definitely take a point here just to keep the run going.

Have we not pretty much played the same teams as Hearts, but they got to play Celtic and we've played Rangers?  

Edited September 27, 2021 by Antiochas III

[Ron Aldo]

I do have a nagging doubt that we've still only really beaten pish teams so far, and even Rangers could have been 2 or 3 up at half time, although we did deserve a point there on account of the second half. I'd definitely take a point here just to keep the run going.

Outside Rangers and Celtic, everyone else is much of a muchness. Some might argue the other 10 teams are varying levels of shite but, as it is, we've shown ourselves to be less shite than most.

2-1 to Motherwell. Sherwin Seedorf to sign a contract just for this game and score another screamer.

[Swello]

14 minutes ago, Neil86 said:

Not sure I buy into this, So far we have played, Rangers, Hibs, Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Livingston, that is 5 of last years top 6.

For context, Hearts have played 3, celtic, Aberdeen, Hibs and four of the bottom 6, Dundee Utd, St Mirren, Ross county and Livi

To be on the points we are after trips to Ibrox, McDiarmid & Livi (places we tend to get nowt) as well as having Aberdeen and Hibs at home is good in any season. I guess you can argue that a lot of the teams we have played weren't on great form but that's not something that is really considered when we look at other teams' points totals.

If we can come away with something on Saturday, I think it would rival the result at Ibrox in some respects but our record at Tynecastle isn't too bad over the past few years..

[Neil86]

5 minutes ago, Swello said:

To be on the points we are after trips to Ibrox, McDiarmid & Livi (places we tend to get nowt) as well as having Aberdeen and Hibs at home is good in any season. I guess you can argue that a lot of the teams we have played weren't on great form but that's not something that is really considered when we look at other teams' points totals.

If we can come away with something on Saturday, I think it would rival the result at Ibrox in some respects but our record at Tynecastle isn't too bad over the past few years..

Exactly my thoughts.

with regards to saturday, I said before the county game that 4 points from these two games would be very good, although i'd probably have taken the point on Saturday if it meant maintaining the unbeaten streak, even more so from the about the 15th minute onwards. So again, I would 100% take a point here however there is absolutely no reason we can't get all three. This feels like the kind of fixture our 'Maverick' type players, Watt, Van Veen, Slattery, will thrive in. 

 

[Tony Wonder]

We've only conceded 2 at home, so are looking pretty solid. Much more so when we play the 3 and Souttar will come back in too. Really tough game as Motherwell are flying, but if we can get a win it would set us up perfectly going into the international break, especially with Rangers playing Hibs on sunday, something has to give there.