Hearts -V- ICT : Matchday thread

[CaleyD]

Match Highlights Clicky on YouTube

Duncan has hit a few of those type of shots this season and has been unlucky not to have scored more.  The Bayne goal is also a great strike and very "instinctive" which is something I've often thought Bayne lacked, so all credit.

Both penalties looked very soft...but again we have a referee who bottles giving the red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity.

I've often thought that as a team we were far to "gentlemanly" when it came to gamesmanship, especially when it seems to be common practice for every man and their dog to be partaking these days.  It's not something I like to see, but their comes a point when you have to realise that you need to be a little more streetwise with regards to these things and give as good as you get.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Niculae should NOT play away from home - is he still being played fer contractual reasons ?? He is a protected species - Black must be feckin fizzing.

I didn't see today's game.  But I did see last week's on Setanta and the week before's (Hibs) live. Niculae was good, or better, in both. I've only seen him once away from home this season, and thought he did an OK job.  I'm not trying to wind you up, so can you explain to me, as someone who sees ICT more than I, why it is you think Nickulae is cr*p away from home. I've not seen him enough to make that judgement, but it seems stange that any player, let alone a foeigner, should only seem to perform at his best at home.  I get the impression from the many posts you've written on him, that you've always seen him as an expensive luxury.  

I suppose that I do view him as an "expensive luxury" but also a valuable squad player - I will simply summarise what I have been saying since day one - Niculae is clearly a talented and skillful footballer. He also uses his experience in regard to positional sense. His control his well above average and he is a delight as he always looks to play the simple pass. His lack of pace is shocking and his general mobility is poor. He plays well at home (e.g Hibs/Cellic) when he is played on the last man. Pace isnt always a necessity there - it is more about awareness - hence the pen against Cellic and again yesterday - but that was a "race" over 4-5 yards. When he plays deep he is still a flair player but he simply does not have the energy to support afterwards.

ICT away for home look for attack on the counter - with Proctor,Black,Rankin and Cowie we have that in abundance. But play them and you need a lone striker - a striker who is mobile, harrasses defenders, gets stuck in, holds the ball up, makes space fer the attacking midfielders - Marius has not got all those qualities - neither does Bayne but he has more strengths away than Marius.  

It always comes across that I am anti-Marius - I aint. He is an "expensive luxury" which adds to the home formation and I can live with that but he is an "expensive luxury" which detracts from he away formation. I would love to see him stay at ICT but as a squad player and as I have said many times before - we have to build Marius around our strengths and not vice versa.

I am also informed that the "atmosphere" ON the park between Black and Marius is particularly hostile.  :024:

[Yngwie]

That was pretty evident at Tannadice when Blackie went mental at him a couple of times.

[CaleyD]

I don't think it does any harm to have players giving each other a kick up the butt every now and then provided it doesn't become a personal thing and get out of hand.

[chris123]

I can really feel the animosity there

[chris123]

:rolleyes02:

[Caley Mad In Berks]

ICT away for home look for attack on the counter - with Proctor,Black,Rankin and Cowie we have that in abundance. But play them and you need a lone striker - a striker who is mobile, harrasses defenders, gets stuck in, holds the ball up, makes space fer the attacking midfielders - Marius has not got all those qualities - neither does Bayne but he has more strengths away than Marius.  

]

Haven't we played that system at home as well recently, when Marius has been excellent against Hibs and Celtic?  I still don't understand why you feel he can't do it away from home.

[CaleyD]

I can see what IHE is getting at.

The setup is the same but you play it differently home & away - attacking football at home and counter attacking football away.

At home the midfield is likely to be further forward and thus better placed to support the lone striker, whereas when your away and defending at little more he's cut-off up front.

I actually thought Niculae as lone striker was a bad idea when we first moved to the 4-5-1, but we were proved wrong and if it's not broken then it's dangerous to go messing with it.

IHE may be right, but there's little evidence to support his case at the moment.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

So do you all feel that Marius has played as well in the home games as in the away games ? I would have given him 7/10 for Cellic and 2/10 fer Tannadice. From what I have heard that would be echoed v Hibs and Hearts. That is the evidence m'lud.

At home - the midfielders/defence should not be so deep and at times even up front supporting the lone striker - or even playing off them if in the ascendancy - away the lone striker is often isolated and has to hold or forage to give the others time to support.

Scoring goals and celebrating goals is far removed from being pally.

As ever - time will tell.

[Caley Stan]

Great drama, crazy game and most importantly 3 more points. They didn't look likely points as we invited Hearts onto us again and again in the second half but along with a bit of luck, our fighting spirit and belief saw us through at the end. No little skill on display either. First goal was a great move and a great strike and just watch the way Russeldinho turns defence into attack for the penalty. He was immense throughout as was Black who shouldn't have hooked. McBain had a great first half and Mikey's handling was superb. What more do you want? Well a solid defence would be nice. We always look vulnerable at the back and i think the full-backs are often responsible for this because they stand off for too long when teams drive at them. Tokely was great in the air but i'd still bring Proctor back on Wednesday.

Niculae! What the feck can you say about the guy. He stopped running after and hour and somehow stayed on the pith 'til the end. A really weird display from the big man. He is at least involved in things higher up the pitch now and if he wins us a penalty every week then we can't complain i suppose - but what a weird big lump of a player he is.

[CaleyD]

I actually think he's played a more important roll away from home...he may not be the "typical" lone striker, but from the 3 we have available (Bayne, McAllister and Niculae) then he is the best man for the job.  When your midfield are sitting deeper you need someone that can take a ball, control it and buy time for support to arrive.....that's just not a strong point for wither Bayne or McAllister...and I'd even go so far as to say it's not what Wyness is best suited to either.

Niculae can win the ball in the air or he can take down a long ball being played forward to him and have it stick to his feet like glue....when was the last time you saw Bayne receive/win a ball with anything like that control???  Bayne is a grafter who will chase and harass, but he is most effective when coming on late because he is playing against tired legs and that affords him the luxury of being a bit sharper off the mark - in effect negating the lack of control on the take down.  Play him as the starting option away from home and the midfield will be constantly pinned back as the opposition win everything thrown forward and send it back down our throats before they have a chance to push up.

No....I have to say that I think we're utilising our players perfectly as is for the 4-5-1 and I don't see how swapping out Niculae for any of the other forwards away from home benefits us in the slightest.

[Govan Jaggie]

Grat game and well done the fans.  Apart from the easy, easy chant.  Did you lot not learn from Celtic last week!  If we get 4-0 up feel free but not 2-0.

Let Hearts at us far to much at 2-0 but that seemed to be the instruction.  The choice of sub for Black really could have proved costly as MN was not interested in midfield.

Another good day though and almost top six.  Eight points before the cup game would be great and leave us on a good position at half way.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

CD - was it just a coincidence that we went under the cosh at Tannadice and Tynie when Marius began to flag and that led to our midfield being pressed back with no outlet. The other frustrating thing about Marius is that he looks fer the ball to his feet or in his radius. When Bayne came on at Tannadice we began to push forward again. Niculae doesnt win that much in the air away as he does at home - again cos at home we have more time to find him.  :024:

[CaleyD]

So who do you replace him with and what aspects of their game give us the advantage over playing Niculae away from home?

McAllister....Just doesn't have a complete enough game to be considered a contender for the task.

Wyness (when fit)....isn't physical enough to be effective.

Bayne....would be carded within 5 minutes for jumping and leading with elbows, can't take a ball down cleanly, and although he chases and harasses with our midfield playing deep it gives the opposition time to clear the ball straight back down the pitch and into our third.

[+Wanderer]

By the way, I'm no regular by any means but what a great atmosphere in the away stand yesterday. We were shoe-horned into those bloody awful Tynie seats but it didn't stop a remarkable number of away fans bossing the home support.

First half it was like we were the home team...on and off the pitch!

:clapping03:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

So who do you replace him with and what aspects of their game give us the advantage over playing Niculae away from home?

McAllister....Just doesn't have a complete enough game to be considered a contender for the task.

Wyness (when fit)....isn't physical enough to be effective.

Bayne....would be carded within 5 minutes for jumping and leading with elbows, can't take a ball down cleanly, and although he chases and harasses with our midfield playing deep it gives the opposition time to clear the ball straight back down the pitch and into our third.

That is why the window is soooooooooo important.

[CaleyD]

I don't think there's any chance we'll be looking to bring in a forward during the transfer window, and I don't think we need too.

One option I did forget about in terms of playing the lone striker role though was Brewster....add him to Niculae, Bayne, Wyness and McAllister....we just don't have space for anyone else in that section of the squad.

[Alex MacLeod]

Dont forget we've also got Gary Wood who's doing exceptionally well at Montrose and will be fully match fit. Though he's supposed to be a midfielder with us he's been playing a striker role and scoring a few as well as assisting in even more. At 6' 2" and 13+ stone he also has the physique if he could be coached in the role.

[davieB]

CD - was it just a coincidence that we went under the cosh at Tynie when Marius began to flag and that led to our midfield being pressed back with no outlet.

Errrrrrrr no. We were under the cosh as soon as Blackie was replaced. Simple as that. We started to lose the midfield battle from that moment.

[gordyfromsneck]

Sportscene Highlights are bags better than the Santena ones.

• [li]The first goal was worked to perfection, started by a beaut of a pass from Blackie.
  Rankins pen was just about saved, as was the one last week
  Marius was taken out, but only just. Goalie shoud have walked then, even though, arguably, Marius first touch was not of the best.
  NO Corners?! Repeat NO Corners. HTF can we get no corners?
  Berra's deflected goal came off Mikey's feet.
  Was McGuire's tug necessary? I think not, and this is not the first time he has fouled early, imho.
  Bayne's strike took a deflection, a top goalie might still have got it.
  To be lucky, you have to be in a lucky place.
  Five in a row, ra ra ra[/li]
  [li][/li]
  

.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

CD - was it just a coincidence that we went under the cosh at Tynie when Marius began to flag and that led to our midfield being pressed back with no outlet.

Errrrrrrr no. We were under the cosh as soon as Blackie was replaced. Simple as that. We started to lose the midfield battle from that moment.

So we should have hooked Marius instead ? Must be some view fom the Ivory Tower  :001:

CD - Brew is history; Deano is gone - one forward on his way.

[tm4tj]

:010: which way?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[davieB]

CD - was it just a coincidence that we went under the cosh at Tynie when Marius began to flag and that led to our midfield being pressed back with no outlet.

Errrrrrrr no. We were under the cosh as soon as Blackie was replaced. Simple as that. We started to lose the midfield battle from that moment.

So we should have hooked Marius instead ? Must be some view fom the Ivory Tower  :001:

It's great aye, gives you a great overall perspective of everything that's happening on the pitch.......and not just the select bits you want to see (or imagine, in some cases) :001:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Here is the pair of specs you left behind on Saturday.