SC Semi: Hearts vs Dons - 19/04/25 - 12:30PM

[OrlandoDon]

13 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Piece of piss, never in doubt. Some honking performances today, but we rode through it. Good to see that diving wee cunt Devlin get sent off, and I loved the way we knew that those dirty hammer throwers would go down to nine, so just played it calmly around them until then.

We were poor, but the back four were fine defensively (although not sure how Jensen lasted the match). Shinnie and Clarkson good. Palaversa poor, and Gueye might look good on the telly, but he's a complete liability. Either giving the ball away, or just ignoring his man, a terrible team player. Okkels good when he came on again, as was Keskinen before he went off. Morris largely anonymous. Polvara offered something when he came on. 

Anyway, gives us the chance for glorious failure next month.

Saints to beat tic twice in a month. Believe!!

[Slim]

The whinging about Devlin’s second yellow card is pointless, he should have already received it when he needlessly attacked Knoester 10 minutes prior, which Knoester somehow ended up getting booked for.

[Panda]

[Panda]

That's why you go, for that bounce at Dabbagh's goal.

Thought we started poorly, but were just beginning to grow into the game when we scored, and Hearts were offering nothing. We had two big chances to extend the lead, but we gift them the equaliser by standing off and letting them cross to an unmarked striker.

The second half and most of extra-time was just a horrible game to watch. Hearts had no interest in playing football and we were so slow and pedestrian.

Thelin - he got criticised for his subs last week, but he got them right today. Polvara (who I thought was excellent when he came on), Okkels and Dabbagh injected life into us. Also made the correct call by starting Mitov - he made a few mistakes early on, but showed a good experienced head when we were looking nervy and Hearts were flinging balls into the box.

[Panda]

34 minutes ago, Slim said:

The whinging about Devlin’s second yellow card is pointless, he should have already received it when he needlessly attacked Knoester 10 minutes prior, which Knoester somehow ended up getting booked for.

For a game where the opposition have had two players sent off, I thought Beaton was at his worst when refereeing Aberdeen.

After the first red (he had no choice) we didn't get anything going our way. Absolutely nothing. There was one point he couldn't not give Aberdeen a free-kick, and you could tell his body language how annoyed he was at having to give it.

The second red - I don't know if it's the same incident you're taking about but, not much more than a minute before the red, Devlin grabs Knoester off the ball and pulls him back, the two square up, its nothing, but Knoester gets booked and Devlin doesn't because it would have been his second yellow. Shortly after Devlin goes flying into an Aberdeen player, Beaton had no choice.

[redordead]

Thought we dug it out today and after last week it was very welcome.  Very few pass marks in that game.

Thought mitov was hearts best player in the first half. Morris offered a threat on the few occasions we got up the pitch. Thought topi was poor again but his pace did lead to the red card.

It's a red for sure but the kind of red you wouldn't get against an OF team. They'd have said the cover was there.

Polvara looked our best player in his cameo and then after me suggesting that he was awful last week dabbagh pokes in the winner 

Heard critchley moaning on BBC about seconds red but Devlin must've committed double figure fouls in that game.

Upside, great header from pape, a cup final and possible Europe secured too. Horrible game , good day at the office.

[wee toon red]

Funny how the game can look different from the stands to the tv.

I didn't think anyone in our team was particularly bad - other than Mitov's first few attempts at playing out from the back of course. Unfortunately, Shinnie and Clarkson aside, none of them were particularly good either. I think criticism of Jensen is very harsh, he seemed to be involved in the entire game going in both directions and didn't seem to do too much wrong. Clarkson is absolutely our main man now and the player that someone with Palaversa's pedigree should be (but isn't).

As a team we're starting to look very "modern football". Neat and tidy on the ball (at least for our level) but it's very sideways a lot of the time. We're very reliant on our fullbacks going forward, which is good when it works as it did in the first 45 last week, but when a team - or a shower of hammer-throwing shite - sits in like they did today it doesn't provide the best opportunities. We're sorely needing someone in the 10 role with a bit of guile about them. For me, Nisbet doesn't do nearly enough in that role and when he switches with Gueye it's even worse. They're not easy to find mind you but we'd be a hugely better team with someone who can create some space and pick a pass in that position.

All that said, it was great to see the team sticking at it today and there's no doubt we got the result we deserved. As for Hearts, it's quite remarkable how they manage to consistently, from year to year and decade to decade, manage to fill their team with objectionable wankers. Devlin obviously but that nonentity Penrice giving it large to our section of the north stand when they equalised was out of nowhere. Get it right up the lot of them.

[manc_don]

Great to wake up to a positive result. And even more hilarious to read hearts fans bleating about us not selling our whole allocation and they wonder why they’re called attendance fc. 
 

looking forward to the highlights, here’s hoping for a meeting with the saints

[Jute]

Not a great game. We moved ball far too slowly and really struggled to create many chances especially once Hearts went down to 10. Hearts looked like their plan was to get to penalties at worst from the off. They must be murder to watch if they are that negative every week. 
 

We are through which is what we set out to achieve but saw nothing today to suggest that the likely final against Celtic will be anything other than another doing for us. 
 

ETA Can the morons who booed McGrath when he came on please fuck off and support someone else. 

[Reekie_Red]

2 hours ago, wee toon red said:

As for Hearts, it's quite remarkable how they manage to consistently, from year to year and decade to decade, manage to fill their team with objectionable wankers. Devlin obviously but that nonentity Penrice giving it large to our section of the north stand when they equalised was out of nowhere. Get it right up the lot of them.

Must be a demand from the Tynecastle Board "can you play stoneage football? Y/N"

[Panda]

I actually really want Celtic in the final.

All I've heard since we've won the semi - from Aberdeen fans, Hearts fans, Celtic fans, everybody - is how Celtic will ragdoll us in the final. And they might - we're a team still in transition, while when Celtic get going they are very good.

But how sweet would it be to shock everyone and beat them? Whether we play out of our skins and turn in a performance from nowhere, or we shitfest it, stick one right in the coupon with that one. Would be the biggest win for a long, long time.

Bring them on. Let them have their wee end at Hampden. Just give us a 50/50 split and let us at them.

 

*Of course, I won't be too displeased should St Johnstone beat them. But they won't, it'll be over by half-time.

[JessianK]

Emotional day for myself, really bad week with this condition. Been in / out of bed all week. Fuck this MS/MOGAD shite. 

Yup, had to miss the semi-final due to this bloody disease, watched on the TV and got very emotional, really thought those minks would steal it until the 2nd red card. 

But when that goal went in, I hope a few other older fans had a tear in their eyes. Fingers crossed I be okay for the final.

[OrlandoDon]

Already been said, Jensen seems to be an unfair target. Boy has come in and done very well for us, and puts in a shift without hiding every single game. Is it because he’s benched devlin? 
Cammy devlin red, second booking is fair. Pretty much sour grapes if you ask me. I also questioned why knoester was booked during the square up as the foul was no yellow. Could have gone earlier. Shankland should also have been booked for being late on palaversa. You win some lose some.

[tlg1903]

Well. 

We were certainly not without flaws today and that's being kind.  That said, credit has to go to hearts for completely killing the game the second half.  If there's one thing we struggle against it's a low block with a packed defence but most teams do 2bf.  

Polvara saved us I thought.  When he came on he took all freneticism out of our play.  It was a bit like that episode of black books where Manny eats the little book of calm and turns all zen. He just got on the ball and started pulling strings. 

Some bounce when the winner went in, I totally lost it!  It wasn't joy though, it was pure relief.  I honestly couldn't have handled losing to those cunts today. 

[manc_don]

Hearts, hearts are falling apart, again

[Jute]

3 hours ago, manc_don said:

Hearts, hearts are falling apart, again

A certain track by Joy Division might have “accidentally” been playing on my phone walking through Waverley last night. 

[RicoS321]

8 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Already been said, Jensen seems to be an unfair target. Boy has come in and done very well for us, and puts in a shift without hiding every single game. Is it because he’s benched devlin? 

He was poor yesterday and lasted 120 minutes with a guy that's had a great season on the bench. He fucked up for the first against the Huns last week and yesterday was being targeted defensively until they went down to ten. I agree, he's been decent since he came in, but he seems to be undroppable. If fairness comes into it, then it's incredibly unfair on Devlin to not be getting minutes in place of him. If I were Devlin, I'd be looking to move on in the summer. A guy with his effort, aggression and drive shouldn't be sitting on a bench every week. At the moment he's here to fulfil a Scottish quota for next season, but if we don't get top three or win the cup then we don't require that, and he'll see less and less game time. The longer he's not playing, too, the more rusty he'll get, and he'll start making mistakes in the 10-20 minute cameos, and he'll leave with a poor reputation. From the player's perspective, it'd be best to move on in my opinion. 

[wee toon red]

Aberdeen is the highest level Devlin will get so I can’t see him looking to move on just yet. He’ll be 32 in October as well so I would imagine the size of his wage will be important to him as he nears the end of his career.

He isn’t technically proficient enough to fit this modern style of pass pass pass that we’re starting to play, whereas Jensen is the absolute stereotype of that kind of player.

Edited Sunday at 08:06 by wee toon red

[tlg1903]

3 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

He was poor yesterday and lasted 120 minutes with a guy that's had a great season on the bench. He fucked up for the first against the Huns last week and yesterday was being targeted defensively until they went down to ten. I agree, he's been decent since he came in, but he seems to be undroppable. If fairness comes into it, then it's incredibly unfair on Devlin to not be getting minutes in place of him. If I were Devlin, I'd be looking to move on in the summer. A guy with his effort, aggression and drive shouldn't be sitting on a bench every week. At the moment he's here to fulfil a Scottish quota for next season, but if we don't get top three or win the cup then we don't require that, and he'll see less and less game time. The longer he's not playing, too, the more rusty he'll get, and he'll start making mistakes in the 10-20 minute cameos, and he'll leave with a poor reputation. From the player's perspective, it'd be best to move on in my opinion. 

Hard to argue with that, especially about the Jensen being undroppable comment.  I like him and think he's been a good addition overall but I also think theres plenty of room for him to improve.  That said I am becoming concerned about Devlins lack of game time and I'm worried we will lose him for the reasons you suggest.   He was obviously injured for a while but on the face of it he should have had more game time and it's disappointing Thelin hasn't been asked about it really unless I've missed that?

[Jute]

I don’t think Jensen looks a particular good full back as not great defensively. He looks fine going forward and I would actually to play Devlin at right back and Jensen further forward on the right. 

[tlg1903]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

I don’t think Jensen looks a particular good full back as not great defensively. He looks fine going forward and I would actually to play Devlin at right back and Jensen further forward on the right. 

I read a while back that the vast majority of attacks start from the fullback position so not unfair to say there is something to be said for having more defensively capable wide midfielders.  Having a wide midfielder that can effectively man mark the full back can hugely stifle your opponents attacking intent and force them to play in a way they don't want to.  The cost to this, of course, is that when you win possession your wide midfielder is awfully close to the fb and could struggle to find space.  To counter this you basically have to embrace the flaw and instead make your fb your main attacking wide threat.  The wide midfielder when on the ball should be looking to move inside more like an inside forward and allow the fb to overlap into the space left by the tracking fb then try to find them.  I could see Jensen and Devlin doing this quite effectively come to think of it and there are some defo some gegenpress systems out there that employ strategies like this.  

[RicoS321]

10 minutes ago, tlg1903 said:

and there are some defo some gegenpress systems out there that employ strategies like this. 

Far be it from me to tell the moderators how to do their job, but this surely deserves a warning!

[OrlandoDon]

I’m one who thinks sokler is better than dabbagh, surprised he didn’t make the squad yesterday. Dabbagh given the nod as were deciding whether to make the loan permanent? Despite the goal, much like okkels, don’t think he’s good enough for us long term.

surprised nobody said anything about nisbet yesterday, virtually non existent. Shankland has had a poor season but got his goal.  Other than the shot from the free kick, don’t recall much, barely touched the ball.

this summer we need to sign a 9, a 10, and a left/right winger. Gueye and okkels aren’t the answer, one bad game for nisbet, but he’s not great either.

[RicoS321]

3 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

I’m one who thinks sokler is better than dabbagh, surprised he didn’t make the squad yesterday. Dabbagh given the nod as were deciding whether to make the loan permanent? Despite the goal, much like okkels, don’t think he’s good enough for us long term.

surprised nobody said anything about nisbet yesterday, virtually non existent. Shankland has had a poor season but got his goal.  Other than the shot from the free kick, don’t recall much, barely touched the ball.

this summer we need to sign a 9, a 10, and a left/right winger. Gueye and okkels aren’t the answer, one bad game for nisbet, but he’s not great either.

I don't think Dabbagh is great either, but he's had his deal with Charleroi extended, so perhaps they're seeing something we're not. I don't see it, but Sokler is clearly on his way too, so possibly no point in persevering. 

Nisbet wasn't terrible yesterday, he was putting in the effort. I don't know how visible it is on the telly, but he's constantly trying to get Gueye to help out with the press, and I think he was getting frustrated. The idea is that when Nisbet presses, Gueye drops to cut out the pass to the holding midfielder, and vice versa. I don't think he knew at any point where Gueye was going to be, and it detracted from his game. It's a shame, because Nisbet has clearly made a big push to get his fitness up and be more of a team player, but the guy alongside him is playing his own thing. In recent weeks Nisbet had been doing the number ten role well, dropping in, taking it and feeding the wide players and Gueye was actually allowing him the space to do that, but yesterday they seemed to be playing more like a two, with Gueye regularly dropping deep. As a pairing, they're not any further forward. 

Shankland was probably the best player on the pitch yesterday, he played with a lot of intelligence. Anytime the ball came up the pitch, he was pinned to the defender, making it difficult for him. Whilst Gueye wins a lot of headers, he almost always reacts to it and is doing a running jump. It's why he's not very good at backing into the defender and using his body to get the ball down and a lay off. Shankland used his substantial frame well in that regard. 

Edited Sunday at 21:39 by RicoS321

[Reekie_Red]

15 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

This summer we need to sign a 9, a 10, and a left/right winger. Gueye and okkels aren’t the answer, one bad game for nisbet, but he’s not great either.

Agreed. Gueye, Nisbet, Dabbagh, Okkels and Sokler aren't the answers we need upfront. When Keskinen and Morris get going they remind me of Hayes & Mcginn circa 2013-ish. But we haven't got sufficient replacements for them. The res tof our midfield and defence looks good now. Not brilliant, but notnin need of surgery like upfront. 

Problem is Dabbagh has Miovski's shoes to fill, and Miovski was so much more than just his goals.