[FT] Hearts 2 - 0 Rangers

[SteveC 150]

I think it's a bit of both here, it's not all the managers fault but he will be the one who will go if it continues like this.

 

Last season, albeit at a lower level, most of the players we still have looked like they were enjoying their football, playing with confidence, working hard for each other and the result, they looked like they believed in themselves.

 

This season seems the total opposite, no one is playing with the same or any confidence at all and that comes from the manager down but also the players need to take a look at themselves and grow up or get out if they can't play for a big club such as Rangers. Hearts aren't a great team but worked their socks off last night and got what they deserved. We didn't work hard, most chucked it and we got what we deserved.

 

Do we need better players, of course, but the players we have should be trying to improve themselves at this level and at the very least they should be able to put in a shift for 90 minutes and not treat every game like a training session.

 

Perhaps the never ending hatred they face and being beaten up on the pitch after the cup final with nothing happening to those who assaulted them stopped the enjoyment.

[der Berliner 3,999]

The manager signed those players. He picked those players to play. The manager decides the tactics & gameplans( which are almost always identical & predictable).

He has the ultimate responsibility. The buck stops with him.

 

... up until they step onto the playing field. He sees them in training all week and surely picks those he deems best based on that. If they fail to deliver, what can he do? Draw a whip and run onto the park? I wonder what words will have been exchanged in the dressing room afterwards ... and I also wonder what Barton would have said.

[Norris Cole 0]

Perhaps the never ending hatred they face and being beaten up on the pitch after the cup final with nothing happening to those who assaulted them stopped the enjoyment.

 

I see what you're saying, but at Rangers you're part of the biggest club in the country and you're going to be hated. I would suggest that any player who can't deal with that should look for a contract at Bristol City or Scunthorpe.

 

Oh for a Souness right now.

[Rousseau 11,353]

I thought we seen plan B last night: the dreaded long ball that everyone was crying out for? Didn't work.

 

We can moan about plan A being shite or not working, but surely there's no doubt we can play plan A a lot better than that! The connections between the players are non-existent; how are we supposed to pass through a side/keep possession when there's nobody looking to receive the ball?

 

I didn't think Hearts were that great: they executed a dull plan, which wasn't really causing us too much trouble -- but we were undone by two breaks, with Tavernier posted missing for the second and inexplicably lackadaisical for the first (surely he was in position to boot the ball out?).

[johnnyk 158]

Perhaps the never ending hatred they face and being beaten up on the pitch after the cup final with nothing happening to those who assaulted them stopped the enjoyment.

 

This should spur them on even more as winning cups and titles is the only way we will shut people up. We have always been hated from what I can remember because we are the biggest team in Scotland. The assaults were disgraceful but the players should use that and step up to show it hasn't affected them or stopped their enjoyment, although I don't think this is the issue here.

[compo 7,625]

We must do better its as simple as that

[cooponthewing 1,139]

Perhaps the never ending hatred they face and being beaten up on the pitch after the cup final with nothing happening to those who assaulted them stopped the enjoyment.

 

I don't want anyone to trivialise what I'm going to say here as it's important point that had slipped my mind, until SteveC brought it up.

Think about the two games when we have been at our worst. Piggery and Tynecastle when hatred and fans are on top of them.

After the SC and what happened they would have been affected, no argument, some more than others but they would have been, no matter how much they or anyone else protests otherwise. It could very well be argued they "freeze" which is a symptom of PTSD.

 

Now before anyone starts being hysterical and making ludicrous comparisons, PTSD comes in many different shapes and sizes. Everyone is different. However, remember what happened that day, if it had just been the lose of the late goal in a cup final, that would have affected many. It wasn't, thousands invaded the pitch. Players were attacked and management staff. In those few minutes players will have feared for themselves as they were approached by thousands, some literally foaming at the mouth. There has been a subsequent cover up from those in political and footballing power. Rangers and their fans are demonised and effigies are hung, depicting executions of orangemen. Players have been subject to abuse and attacks of themselves and family.

 

All this has gone on in the space of only 6 months. Yes, only 6 months. The cover, denials and demonisation goes in. Am I excusing the fact they were shite, no. Am I pointing to factors outwith that are affecting them, mentally, yes.

Edited December 1, 2016 by cooponthewing

[Oleg_Mcnoleg 50]

But he could replace Tavernier with a defender e.g. Hodson.

 

Stupid thing was Tavernier had already shown he'd got the measure of their left-sided players. He'd disposed both almost contemptuously. But, as he did for the first against Aberdeen, he went to sleep.

[Scott7 6,461]

"We had one shot on target in 90 minutes and that was a weak effort"

 

Was that the rocket that poleaxed the defender who headed it out from under the bar, BH?

 

Apart from the offside goal we had two other net-boundish efforts s o on another day we could have had three goals. Hearts, it has to be said could have had five.

 

I thought the linesman looked quite pleased with himself.

[pete 2,511]

"We had one shot on target in 90 minutes and that was a weak effort"

 

Was that the rocket that poleaxed the defender who headed it out from under the bar, BH?

 

Apart from the offside goal we had two other net-boundish efforts s o on another day we could have had three goals. Hearts, it has to be said could have had five.

 

I thought the linesman looked quite pleased with himself.

 

For me it was offside but it should be offside in every game. For me any player who is in the vicinity of the goal is interfering with the play as the keeper will be wary of his presence.