Hearts away, 14/9

[Kmcalpin]

14 hours ago, CoF said:

I think it says a lot that we've come away with a win at Tynecastle feeling like we should (not could) have scored more. I've also got a feeling the backline will be gutted to not keep the clean sheet after putting in an otherwise fantastic shift. I'm sure there will be many blips, but there's a definite feeling that there's even more to come from this team. 

A very good result at a traditionally difficult venue from which to take points and we hit 3 goals.  Performance wise, quite impressive although a weakened Hearts were very poor.   Still, you can only beat the team in front of you.  Some good individual performances too from the likes of Campbell, Polworth and Gallagher.   The latter is really proving to be a very good signing and he's more than just a big central defender. Our two new wingers are also beginning to settle in.  So, despite a huge turnover in players over the summer Robbo and Keith seem to be getting it right, although there's a long way to go.  

I do have two ongoing concerns from yesterday though. Our defending was bit sloppy at times and we lost 2 avoidable goals, making the end result far closer than it should have been and Hearts could have scored more. At the other end we made plenty of chances but despite hitting three we weren't as clinical as we should have been.  In my opinion we still lack an out and striker, as the final piece in the jigsaw.  Still its work in progress and so far so good.  

Very satisfying for the fans, who were fleeced by Hearts to be able to celebrate leaving the stadium with the 3 points.    

[Onthefringes]

11 hours ago, weeyin said:

I'm still waiting to hear the story behind Jake Carroll never going to play for us.

A broken clock is correct twice a day too...

Believe it or not, not hearsay, the story came from the agent.

For me? Settling well in a progressive team, very much a modern full-back.

[Onthefringes]

25 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

A very good result at a traditionally difficult venue from which to take points and we hit 3 goals.  Performance wise, quite impressive although a weakened Hearts were very poor.   Still, you can only beat the team in front of you.  Some good individual performances too from the likes of Campbell, Polworth and Gallagher.   The latter is really proving to be a very good signing and he's more than just a big central defender. Our two new wingers are also beginning to settle in.  So, despite a huge turnover in players over the summer Robbo and Keith seem to be getting it right, although there's a long way to go.  

I do have two ongoing concerns from yesterday though. Our defending was bit sloppy at times and we lost 2 avoidable goals, making the end result far closer than it should have been and Hearts could have scored more. At the other end we made plenty of chances but despite hitting three we weren't as clinical as we should have been.  In my opinion we still lack an out and striker, as the final piece in the jigsaw.  Still its work in progress and so far so good.  

Very satisfying for the fans, who were fleeced by Hearts to be able to celebrate leaving the stadium with the 3 points.    

I’m not quite sure I buy the fans were ‘fleeced’. No doubting  ticket prices are hitting excessive levels against value for money across the board.  I can recall in recent years being beneficiaries to ticket incentives offered by yesterday’s host club.

[Yorkyred]

20 minutes ago, Onthefringes said:

A broken clock is correct twice a day too...

Believe it or not, not hearsay, the story came from the agent.

For me? Settling well in a progressive team, very much a modern full-back.

I think he’s turned out to be the real surprise of this season, when I first  saw this strong, athletic, positive player I thought maybe it was not the same players given pelters before he even played a game on the back of very poor feedback from supporters of his previous club. Gallagher was always going to e a good signing and Polworth just continues to improve. But Carroll could actually end up being a real find and we may end up struggling to hold on to him.

[underboyleheating]

2 hours ago, numpty said:

To be honest, I can't remember when we last had a forward I'd back to score one on one. Moult, Higdon, Sutton, none of them ever really scored many from those positions.

These type of players are worth their weight in gold, however, we have been lucky in recent years to have found strikers like Sutton, Higdon and Moult. I have no doubt we will unearth a 18 to 20 + goal replacement at some point in the future.

[steelboy]

Porter was good at 1 on 1s.

Tommy Coyne was the best I've seen. 

[Big Wispy Flossy]

1 hour ago, steelboy said:

Porter was good at 1 on 1s.

Tommy Coyne was the best I've seen. 

Absolutely deadly for sure. I’ve convinced myself his only miss was the one in Dortmund 

[numpty]

1 hour ago, steelboy said:

Porter was good at 1 on 1s.

Tommy Coyne was the best I've seen. 

Had forgotten about Chris Porter (probably as I didn't get to see many games in his time, even on TV), Tommy Coyne was the first name that came to my mind too. To some extent it's kind of a different game these days, I suppose... you just don't really seem to see so many centre forwards bursting through with only the goalie to beat any more.

[Shaka]

42 minutes ago, Big Wispy Flossy said:

Absolutely deadly for sure. I’ve convinced myself his only miss was the one in Dortmund 

That miss still gives me nightmares. Was convinced we were scoring there

[Yassin]

Moult was decent at one on one's I'd say. Even aside from the spectacular lobs I was always pretty confident if he got behind the defence.

[Big Wispy Flossy]

22 minutes ago, Shaka said:

That miss still gives me nightmares. Was convinced we were scoring there

I know - it was also an injustice leaving Dortmund being beat. We deserved a draw arguably more. Another injustice was to follow in the return leg led by the referee

[Happy Dosser]

2 hours ago, steelboy said:

Porter was good at 1 on 1s.

Tommy Coyne was the best I've seen. 

Hard to disagree but I would add Willie P to the list. We beat Dundee 3-6 at Dens in 1975 (?) and my memory has me thinking Bobby Graham laid four on a plate for him, which he expertly despatched. Even if he scuffed the ball it would usually go in. Who could forget his winner against Sellick in the 3-2 win in the Scottish Cup  when he latched on to Joe Wark's punt? 0-2 at half time, too. Happy days.....

[weeyin]

The great thing about Wullie P is that, when you look at the highlights on youtube, he's still as good as I remember. Which isn't always the case when you reminisce wearing C&A tinted spcs.

[FirParkCornerExile]

16 hours ago, El Grew said:

My, my, how the fickle tide of fan opinion changes!  A few weeks ago, Seedorf and Hylton were being singled out as a pair of duds - without being given the time and opprtunity to settle into a new club and country's culture.

Admittedly its still early days but IMO they have shown they have the required skills and application to be successful for us.  They provide a really exciting dimension that is great to watch and the like of which hasn't been seen at FP for quite some time. Long may it continue.

I was actually calling for Seedorf to be subbed just at the minute he scored. I was probably in a minority of one but although his work rate can't be faulted he is very easily dispossessed and I didn't think much was coming off for him. He's very rough round the edges but when you can compensate with the kind of goals hes scored in the last two weeks not many will complain. We were actually walking away from Tynecastle a wee bit deflated (I know it's mad) had we scored 6 no one could have complained but they always have to put us through the wringer. By time we'd reached the car the deflation had gone LOL

[texanwellfan]

7 minutes ago, weeyin said:

The great thing about Wullie P is that, when you look at the highlights on youtube, he's still as good as I remember. Which isn't always the case when you reminisce wearing C&A tinted spcs.

The older I get the better I used to be 

[FirParkCornerExile]

4 hours ago, Onthefringes said:

I’m not quite sure I buy the fans were ‘fleeced’. No doubting  ticket prices are hitting excessive levels against value for money across the board.  I can recall in recent years being beneficiaries to ticket incentives offered by yesterday’s host club.

Every one of us was fleeced be in no doubt. Pensioner concessions were £21 . In no scenario is charging fans £29 for an SPFL game acceptable , it's utterly disgraceful. All it does is up the ante. Clubs see Hearts getting away with it and it becomes the norm because we will no doubt retaliate in the reverse fixture. Most punters are not getting pay rises above 1% but a Football club thinks a ticket price  rise of  18% from last season to this is acceptable. Dick Turpin at least wore a mask.

[weeyin]

I agree that the prices are too high.

On the other hand, I'm not sure what the answer is, as the majority of income for Scottish clubs (including ourselves) is gate money. If you drop the prices, the number of extra punters you need to bring in to make up the difference is significant.

The other option is cut expenditure, but that brings its own set of challenges given how tight budgets are these days.

In an ideal world, we could bring in extra cash from better sponsorship and TV deals, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

[FirParkCornerExile]

2 minutes ago, weeyin said:

I agree that the prices are too high.

On the other hand, I'm not sure what the answer is, as the majority of income for Scottish clubs (including ourselves) is gate money. If you drop the prices, the number of extra punters you need to bring in to make up the difference is significant.

The other option is cut expenditure, but that brings its own set of challenges given how tight budgets are these days.

In an ideal world, we could bring in extra cash from better sponsorship and TV deals, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Im not really asking them to drop them I'm asking them to match inflation or at least mirror whats going on in the wider society. I would dearly love to know what costs Hearts are having that's increasing 18% annually. If its players wages then that's a choice not costs forced upon them. 

[El Grew]

25 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

Im not really asking them to drop them I'm asking them to match inflation or at least mirror whats going on in the wider society. I would dearly love to know what costs Hearts are having that's increasing 18% annually. If its players wages then that's a choice not costs forced upon them. 

I think the owner may be trying to recoup some of her outlay for their new main stand. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

Just now, El Grew said:

I think the owner may be trying to recoup some of her outlay for their new main stand. 

If thats the case its still disgraceful , fans paying for their inability to their costs under control

[El Grew]

44 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

I was actually calling for Seedorf to be subbed just at the minute he scored. I was probably in a minority of one but although his work rate can't be faulted he is very easily dispossessed and I didn't think much was coming off for him. He's very rough round the edges but when you can compensate with the kind of goals hes scored in the last two weeks not many will complain. We were actually walking away from Tynecastle a wee bit deflated (I know it's mad) had we scored 6 no one could have complained but they always have to put us through the wringer. By time we'd reached the car the deflation had gone LOL

Like all creative players you need to accept the bad with the good - as long as there's more good than bad. 

[steelman1991]

That miss still gives me nightmares. Was convinced we were scoring there

Was convinced we HAD scored there


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[Onthefringes]

1 hour ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

Every one of us was fleeced be in no doubt. Pensioner concessions were £21 . In no scenario is charging fans £29 for an SPFL game acceptable , it's utterly disgraceful. All it does is up the ante. Clubs see Hearts getting away with it and it becomes the norm because we will no doubt retaliate in the reverse fixture. Most punters are not getting pay rises above 1% but a Football club thinks a ticket price  rise of  18% from last season to this is acceptable. Dick Turpin at least wore a mask.

Merit to your points, not entirely the point I was trying to make though given the counter our support have benefitted from ticket incentives offered there previously.

[GazzyB]

What a great performance from Campbell, considering he played two games for Scotland midweek too. The guy is fit as a fiddle! 

[Kmcalpin]

Just watched the TV highlights onn BBC.  Hearts were very lucky to see their first goal stand as Ikpeazu clearly fouls our defender, Gallagher I think.