Today was just about the most comprehensive defeat I've ever seen Caley suffer. Out-played, out-paced, out-thought.. Every single paper this morning predicted a home win for this fixture.

Why did we fail so badly..?

Was it down to....

Team selection..?

Tactics..?

Two many (collectively) running into a poor spell of form.

Two many poor individual performances..?

Are our players as a team unhappy about something..?

Are certain members of our playing staff lacking in basic footballing skills

Did we meet a Hearts team who have suddeny discovered they have a couple of decent playes there...?

Did blo0dy awful referreeing play a significant part..?

Today was just about the most comprehensive defeat I've ever seen Caley suffer. Out-played, out-paced, out-thought.. Every single paper this morning predicted a home win for this fixture.

Why did we fail so badly..?

Was it down to....

Team selection..?

Tactics..?

Two many (collectively) running into a poor spell of form.

Two many poor individual performances..?

Are our players as a team unhappy about something..?

Are certain members of our playing staff lacking in basic footballing skills

Did we meet a Hearts team who have suddeny discovered they have a couple of decent playes there...?

Did blo0dy awful referreeing play a significant part..?

Maybe not the most comprehensive defeat I've seen caley suffer........the 1988 QC Cup Replay immediately springs to mind !! :003:

But,

Team selection........Yes

Tactics..........we had tactics?

Are our players as a team unhappy about something..?.......certainly looks that way

Are certain members of our playing staff lacking in basic footballing skills......no

Did blo0dy awful referreeing play a significant part..?........No. We were 2-0 down before the ref had made any controversial decisions

That was just as bad - if not worse - that the 3-0 to Motherwell.  Here's hoping that this sets us off on another **** of a run.  Wishful thinking, I know...

Easter that's when we will start getting better results!!

i know top six is a long way of but it could still be possible!!

Was it down to....

Team selection..?

Tactics..?

Two many (collectively) running into a poor spell of form.

Two many poor individual performances..?

Are our players as a team unhappy about something..?

Are certain members of our playing staff lacking in basic footballing skills

Did we meet a Hearts team who have suddeny discovered they have a couple of decent playes there...?

Did blo0dy awful referreeing play a significant part..?

Yep.

Easter that's when we will start getting better results!!

i know top six is a long way of but it could still be possible!!

I don't want a top six finish, even if one were on the cards; it'd provide the apologists with an excuse for the management's ineptitude ("oh aye, we lost eighteen goals without reply in the last five games, but we were playing top six teams, that's no the club's fault, they're victims of their own success"). I know exactly what it's like to work under someone who hasn't a clue how to motivate people and get them pulling in the same direction: with that kind of guy at the helm you'll always have favouritism, factions, division- and days like today.

Four game to the split. Four games to achieve something. Four games against equal opposition. If things aren't sorted in those four games then Brewster has failed in my book.

Listened from afar but Inearly fell asleep it sounded so depressing.

I got a feeling that the team spirit and buoyancy is under great strain.

Unless the Hearts  have had an unexpected revelation.? :023:

For me the biggest difference between Hearts and ourselves was Christian Nade....

He is a player who can, almost single-handedly, win games for his team - as he showed yesterday.

Had we signed a player of his calibre instead of Niculae, I doubt if anyone have grudged paying him considerably more than any of the other players.

For me the biggest difference between Hearts and ourselves was Christian Nade....

He is a player who can, almost single-handedly, win games for his team - as he showed yesterday.

Had we signed a player of his calibre instead of Niculae, I doubt if anyone have grudged paying him considerably more than any of the other players.

Nade certainly put on a show yesterday, I'll grant you that, but ask most hearts fans and they will tell you how poor he's been all season.

Maybe it's the highland air....  :024:

Then ask him to join us PLEASE

Elliot hadn't scored a goal in a league game in 2 years before yesterday and Nade has been atrocious all season. Yet they were made to look world class against us  :007:

Elliot hadn't scored a goal in a league game in 2 years before yesterday and Nade has been atrocious all season. Yet they were made to look world class against us  :007:

Two tidy finishes though.

What was really worrying is that that was a Hearts team without Stewart and Kingston.

The central defence has been more or less gash all season, The failure to replace Dods with a good commanding centre half, is in my mind the biggest mistake.

Mcguire is poor in the air, slow and lacks the physical prescence that Dods had, the goals we gave away yesterday were cheap..very cheap.

we are looking like the team that started the season again.

Two tidy finishes though.

What was really worrying is that that was a Hearts team without Stewart and Kingston.

Very much so. Particularly the 2nd. It was an excellent goal. Stewart is rubbish. He wouldn't have added much more to the Hearts team. Where has Kingston been?

For me the biggest difference between Hearts and ourselves was Christian Nade....

He is a player who can, almost single-handedly, win games for his team - as he showed yesterday.

Had we signed a player of his calibre instead of Niculae, I doubt if anyone have grudged paying him considerably more than any of the other players.

Johnboy when i started reading this one i thought why does'nt Niculae do that, then i read on .....spot on there mate.

Until yesterday Hearts fans would have begged us to swap Nade for Niculae.

Tis easy, even for the worst striker, to score when there's no opposition.

Both fair points indeed, but was Niculae really a good ideal for ICT, busted the wage structure, completely alien to what was already in place(if we were a big enough club to get 3-4 more like him maybe it would work) it all may now be coming home to bite us in the ***. He may have great vision, touch, be able to bring others in to play(alas not quick enough) but has that benefited the team? I think not. Rankin would be more worthwhile for ICT IMHO.

Should have added with a good honest Centre forward who knows where the goal is to feed.

For me the biggest difference between Hearts and ourselves was Christian Nade....

He is a player who can, almost single-handedly, win games for his team - as he showed yesterday.

Had we signed a player of his calibre instead of Niculae, I doubt if anyone have grudged paying him considerably more than any of the other players.

Johnboy when i started reading this one i thought why does'nt Niculae do that, then i read on .....spot on there mate.

All very well looking at Nade on one performance, ask any Hearts fan and they will tell you hge has been gash all season. Also Elliot.... err prolific scorer? what a laugh..first goals for a season.

Truth is our defence let them look good, and gave up cheap goals.

Now Marius IS a quality player, we just cant support him and give the guy opportunities, he missed a sitter today, but how many did Dargo, Wyness or even Barry miss?

I am really dissappointed with yesterday, Not just the defeat but the manner of the loss, and the attitude of the chairman.

It's an interesting debate, Caley100.... I genuinely believe if Nade had been playing for us yesterday, and Niculae playing for them - We would have won...

I don't accept Marius is cr@p because of the lack of quality around him...

Was waiting for the inevitable Niculae debate to crop up.  Best player easily in a blue and red shirt yesterday.  He may be overpaid but he battled, competed, tracked back and chased for everything.  Was totally isolated against Hearts and needed help,  Cowie did his best but he needed a strike partner to help him.  By all accounts had good games against Celtic and Hibs. 

Shame Dargo left,  him and Dargs up front would have been perfect!

It's an interesting debate, Caley100.... I genuinely believe if Nade had been playing for us yesterday, and Niculae playing for them - We would have won...

I don't accept Marius is cr@p because of the lack of quality around him...

Marius is our top scorer, he also would have scored two against us if he was wearing maroon.

Starting this game 4-5-1 was a sin.

Was waiting for the inevitable Niculae debate to crop up....   

Yes... It's one topic that just won't go away....

But why is this...?

All very well looking at Nade on one performance, ask any Hearts fan and they will tell you hge has been gash all season. 

I had to run to the toilet every time Nade took off with the ball at his feet.....

I'll bet our back four & our keeper were wishing they could have joined me...  :018: