ICT -V- Hearts : matchday thread

[Yngwie]

I had thought about travelling up to this one. So glad I didn't, but my thoughts are with those who did make a long journey, or any sort of journey for that matter, to see a performance like that.

[kencar]

Dear oh dear what can you say?  :009:

I was quietly confident before today's game - I couldn't have been more wrong!

What we were subjected to was an ICT display of such incompetence Brewster must have thought he was managing Dundee United again. It was verging on the comical at times and the lack of even the basic skills from the majority of our players was quite frightening at times.

It could have and probably should have been much worse than 3-0 so I guess we can count ourselves lucky on that score.

I'm sure some folk will want to take issue with the Lithuanian diving champion and some of the questionable referring decisions but that shouldn't detract from the fact we were simply crap  :008:

Top 6 your having a laugh  :007:

[Guest TinCanFan]

Well, from the first kick to the final whistle ICT in this game were garbage.  Here's my player ratings:

1.Fraser - 6/10 - A couple of decent saves.

2.Tokely - 6/10 - Played okay, at times.  Other than that he was poor.

3.McGuire - 6/10 - Poor today.

8.Black - 6.5/10 - Didn't do much today at all except a terrible pass back which led to the third Jambos goal.

11. Imrie - 6.5/10 - Okay but not great.

12. Duncan - 5/10 - Poor.

14. Munro - 6.5/10 - Not that great.

15. Cowie - 5.5/10 - Bad and his corners are still terrible.

16. Hastings - 6/10 - Okay but nothing special.

18. Niculae - 7/10 - Played okay and should have scored in the first half.

20. Paatelainen - 4.5/10 - Truly awful.

Subs:

29.Proctor - 5/10 - Didn't do much when he came on.

19.Wyness -7/10 - Not too bad.

13. McAllister - 6/10 - Wasn't too bad in the short time he was on and was still being booed by some idiots in the crowd.  :018:

Referee - Alan Freeland - 2/10 - Hearts's 12th man and was truly terrible.  No wonder he is being investigated.

[Guest Aboynamedsue]

Referee - Alan Freeland - 2/10 - Hearts's 12th man and was truly terrible.  No wonder he is being investigated.

Aye you're dead right there !!!

[hislopsoffsideagain]

Cheers, I did travel 100 miles for that. Can I claim to the club for my mileage please?

Hopeless, abject, disgraceful, useless...all adjectives that don't do justice to how bad our performance was.

Where do you start?

Defensively, we would have been better off putting wheelie bins on the park today. Nade, a mediocre forward made to look like a Brazilian international, bullied them from start to finish - Munro and McGuire were almost cowardly in the way they bounced off or stood off him. Driver ran us ragged on the left, while Fraser made two great saves which don't make up for his part in the general calamities that were the first and third goals.

Midfield? What midfield? Before today I thought criticism of Duncan recently had been a bit harsh, but today he was the worst of an appalling bunch. In addition to his passing, he got caught in possesion constantly and his "attempt" to tackle Nade for the second goal was pure comedy. Black gave us no spark at all, and what was he thinking with that backpass?!  Meanwhile Cowie wandered round like a kid who lost his mum in a supermarket, so unsure was he of his role. I forgot Imrie was on the pitch, such was his contribution, which totalled a succession of rubbish corners and one good cross which Niculae headed over in the first half. Hooking Markus at half-time was a mercy to him, he constantly failed to track back on the marauding Neilson and didn't get a single cross in.

Up front, I have great sympathy for Niculae, who ran his *** off, and pleaded constantly for something resembling service. On the other hand, he missed a sitter right on half time, our only decent chance. Wyness showed some neat touches off the bench but in general we couldn't score in a brothel.

And the ref? Alan Freeland was, well, Alan Freeland. The mental effort of trying to understand his decisions is enough to make you have a stroke. But his incompetence isn't the reason we lost. Though if he had sent Mikoliunas off for his hatchet job on Hastings (right in front of section B, we went ape) then the game might have been different!

That's about it, really? Positives? A bit of dignity from the main stand, politely clapping Nade off when he was subbed because he was by distance the best player out there.

[ElderBoy]

Dear oh dear what can you say?  :009:

I was quietly confident before today's game - I couldn't have been more wrong!

What we were subjected to was an ICT display of such incompetence Brewster must have thought he was managing Dundee United again. It was verging on the comical at times and the lack of even the basic skills from the majority of our players was quite frightening at times.

It could have and probably should have been much worse than 3-0 so I guess we can count ourselves lucky on that score.

I'm sure some folk will want to take issue with the Lithuanian diving champion and some of the questionable referring decisions but that shouldn't detract from the fact we were simply crap  :008:

Top 6 your having a laugh  :007:

couldnt agree more tho mikolinius should have been sent off for that tackle on hastings  :33: :33: :33:

divin lithunian c****

[RednBlackComeback]

Just back home!

Before kick off the day I was really lookin forward to us giving hearts a hard time, especially after their 4-0 hammerin midweek...........My positivity didn't last long!!! Before the ball was kicked I was disappointed to see CB had decided to go 4-5-1 again  :029: (A HOME game against a team who'd been thrashed 4-0 only 3 days earlier  :029: :029:)...........sadly the day then went from bad to worse !! :008: :008: I left with about 15 mins remaining....I just couldn't physically watch anymore of that pesh!.....I think that's only the second time in my life that I've left a game early.

I'm not gonna give a match report...that would just be too much right now!....and I'm not gonna make Freeland a scapegoat (even though he was truly shocking)...but I'm seriously concerned about how things are at ICT.

We have lost 2 of our best players, Rankin to Hibs and Wilson...well he seems to be gettin frozen out?...Why?  :024: There are rumours of player revolts. Duncan refusing to sign a new contract. Dennis still not signed his. Black looked unhappy, to say the least, when he was subbed the day....off with his shirt and straight down the tunnel, so I guess he'll be away too next season................

Maybe I'm directing my anger at the wrong person right now but,

Brewster ......... :33: Get tae . . .

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Brewster is in danger of taking us on a Dundee United run.  We run the risk of 11th place unless he can change his approach.

It was probably the best starting 11 and even at half time this was sensible to bring on Denzil but we really lack goal scorers and I guess Brewster gets frustrated because he feels he is the only goal scorer at the club. The problem for him is that he is in new territory. He has probably saved us from relegation so what does he do next?

[4ize]

Pantomime at its best: from the booing every time King Rat a.k.a Mikoliunas went near the ball (wait - you didn't already know he's a cheat?) to the Evil Stepmother with the whistle, to the urge to shout "He's behind you" every time we dithered in all-too-brief possession, to the eleven guys in blue and red, not quite sure who they were but they did a hilarious impression of sh1te football players, yelling "Oh yes he did" at Freeland whenever he waved play on - this had everything! There was even a happy ending when I managed to drive straight out of the car park at 4.35 instead of the usual sitting in a reconstruction of 3rd Ypres for half an hour  :003:

[hislopsoffsideagain]

4ize's post has just made me smile for the first time since 3pm.  Thank goodness CaleyD didn't ask me to do the match report today, it would have read like a suicide note...

[FortressICT]

Saulius Mikoliunas - Should not be allowed to breath Scottish air, infact..no air at all!!  He is a diving, cheating *****!!  He should've been given a straight red for the tackle on Hastings!!

Alan Freeland - Was a disgrace!  How is he still allowed to be a ref and yet it's Gus McPherson who gets into crap for criticising him, on performances like today he should never ref again!  Was clearly Hearts 12th man today!!

Russell Duncan - Was shocking!  Our worst player by far, no decent passes, tackles etc etc, ok black cocked up for the goal but how is Duncan still in the starting 11!!  And they're giving him a new contract!!  If we performed like that in our jobs day in day out we would get sacked!!

Craig Brewster - Bad team selection, bad tactics (there was a period they were camped in our half and we had no-one up the park, it shouldn't be like that at home), bad subs (only cause he didn't take Duncan off) and for a team that are no 7 games without a win, he didn't seem to bothered!

Steve Frail - Just a w**k for supporting Mikoliunas and letting a player like him stay on the park for so long, you would think a manager would be ashamed to have a player like him in there team especially if the manager is SCOTTISH!!  But he was a ginger ***** and I thought I saw him shouting and pointing at somone in the Main Stand behind his dugout not sure though!!

Christian Nade - Had a great game today, won the game for Hearts today!!  Deserved the standing ovation from some caley fans!!

[dead_ball_specialist]

Todays extremely weak, tired performance was understandable coming at the end of a run of 5 tough games in 14 days.

Perhaps Brewster should have been more economical with the resources available and played a second string side away against Celtic to concentrate on todays game, but I doubt many fans would have accepted such a decision.

3-0 flattered Hearts. Their goals were handed to them on a platter. It was reminiscent of our capitulation against Motherwell a while back, our midfield and defense were losing almost every challenge in the game. Their second goal was a good example of this. Duncan had what looked like an easy challenge to make against Nadi who had lost control, but he ended up sliding in and somehow managing to completly miss the ball :029: on todays display he's lucky to be a professional footballer at all, never mind a pay rise. He and McGuire were the worst players on the park. I would play McBain and Proctor in their place next week.

Blackie was very ineffective and deserved to be substituted. I doubt he'll even make the squad next week after the way he reacted. On recent form I don't think he'll be sorely missed.

Any positives? Imrie had another good game and seems to have a good understanding with Cowie. Roscoe did well to keep his head when the jambos were clearly trying to get him sent off, he kept making surging runs up the wing right to the end when others seemed to have given up. McAllister looked stronger when he came on for a late cameo. His dribble and shot was one of the few decent efforts we managed to muster in the whole game. And it was nice to hear Barry Wilsons name being chanted from behind the goals. Perhaps as a tribute, perhaps as a protest?

I wouldn't give up on the top 6 just yet. Our rivals have failed to capitalise on our recent bad form so we're still in touch, and fixture wise we have a very favourable run in. I expect a much improved performance next week after a well earned rest, and hopefully a good collective @rse kicking from the gaffer. It's in the aftermath of days like to today where Brewster needs to earn his bacon.

[NigeyBear]

That was absolute gash. I am very disappointed with that display and left early for the first time ever (even if it was to get the mother something for 2moro).x

[Guest Aboynamedsue]

Todays extremely weak, tired performance was understandable coming at the end of a run of 5 tough games in 14 days.

Aye well if we get humped in a fortnight we canna use "tired legs for an excuse " :024:

[GavICT]

That was an absloute disgrace ! hard to see a player in the team that looked up for the game!

[Guest TinCanFan]

Why oh why is Steve Watt not getting a game?  He's far better than McGuire.

[Caley]

We have lost 2 of our best players, Rankin to Hibs and Wilson...well he seems to be gettin frozen out?...Why?  :024: There are rumours of player revolts. Duncan refusing to sign a new contract.

Let's hope it stays that way. An awful footballer who lacks the basic skills required at this level. Let him get on his way and good luck in the SFL, Russell.

We're so bad now I'm beyond angry. Son and I just sat there today laughing at our ineptitude. We are garbage, and if things don't improve by the end of the season it is going to be difficult to justify ?360 out of the family budget for season tickets for 08/09. 

[tm4tj]

Best we have played in ages, whats the problem..  Tokely, Niculae Fraser Hastings get pass marks, and Rory, who came on very late and at least he had the cheek to shoot at goal albeit just over, sometrhing his more illustrious slot takers would do well to keep in mind.  Unbelievably found ourselves 0-2 down, then even more bizarrely found ourselves 0-3 down.....how bizarre......I feel a song coming on.  Like everyone else, I felt the urge.....the urge to leave early, but I am a stubborn basturd..........I watched the last minute from the edge.  Really disappointing as like the rest I thought this would be the start of a decent run.  Bring on next year.

[MissICT]

It was a bad game!!

I'm not happy with some of the decisions made by the referee!!

Brewster's out!!

Barry for manager and Bobby Mann back!!

[tm4tj]

I like you already

[RiG]

I thought we were fantastic today. With performances like this we can easily challenge for a "Top 6" spot.

[A96]

Our guys were afraid to have a dig at goal today - especially from distance. There was a fear of taking taking a risk, of taking responsibility.

Ever counted the number of goals we have scored in the last two seasons from outside the box? For the last while there has been a fear of shooting on sight. Today we tippy-tappied around their penalty box, then give the ball away and then lose a goal at the other end.

I was glad to see Rory have a dig from distance right at the end. He nearly scored. It was a rare sight of someone taking a risk. Young Imrie could have made a name for himself when bursting through on goal late on - but chose to pass the ball rather than have a goal. This is not the First Division, young Dougie, you have to take the few chances you get in the SPL.

OK, we may have defensive problems to get sorted (understatement). But guys, we are not going to score goals by walking the ball into the net. We are not the best at breaking through 'brick wall' defences. We are not Manchester United so we need to do what we have done so well at over recent seasons - shoot from distance. And if there's a rebound then there is always the chance of a tap in.

[4ize]

I agree with most of that apart from the last sentence - there is no chance of a tap-in off the rebound because we never have anyone running into the hole to make that chance. The last time I saw us score that sort of goal regularly was under Pele: JR might eventually have had us doing that in the SPL, but he didn't hang around long enough, and neither CB nor CC have managed (or perhaps bothered) to drill a midfielder to come belting in a la Stevie Gerrard ready to bury the loose ball. I believe our goal tally every season would be at least ten more if we'd someone ready to pounce on those.

[Agent N]

We need a centre half who can jump up and head a ball, someone who can intimidate other teams, Rob Jones. Lee Wilkie, Bobo Balde etc, let others around him play the football, but someone needs to get tackles in.  We need to battle battle battle in every game. I'm not saying kick teams of the park, but a team playing battling football, full on hard but fair, blood and snotters style at home will dictate the way the game is played. Then it is down to the team who wants the win more.

If Alan Savage threatened parttime football  written into every  contract if we get relegated, I wonder if that would make a difference?

Or on the other hand did the team just have an off day today?

2 weeks from now I'll be in my usual seat today's performance a distant memory full of enthusiasm, that's the beauty of football don't loose faith, "We are SPL, We are SPL" (for now!)

[kencar]

Quite odd that such an abject performance has brought out such little response on this website  :024: