Hearts v The Scottish Cup Winners

[Panda]

Well, here we go again, another season of joy and despair.

Hearts had a very similar League Cup group stage campaign as to what we had last season. But, as was often said about us at the beginning of last term, I'd like to see them tested before talking them up. It's easy to look impressive at home to League 2 sides.

Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis could be very good signings though, and they appear to have a dangerous front three with Shankland staying. One thing Derek McInnes generally does is get his striker scoring.

I watched the goals from their friendly with Sunderland, and if we thought Aberdeen had gifted Ipswich their three goals, it was nothing compared to Sunderland's efforts, so hard to read too much into that. But we clearly need to tighten up.

At the time of writing, with no new signings in and with Sokler, Gueye, Tobers and Gyamfi all presumably injured, I'd expect a similar team to what started v Ipswich. I wouldn't be surprised to see Morris keep his place for "experience" of going to Tynecastle, Nilsen maybe start too ahead of Aouchiche, and maybe even Dorrington in for Milne - which wouldn't be a slight on Milne, more that Dorrington and Knoester have played more games together.

But, I'm second guessing Thelin. I rarely manage to get his starting XIs correct.

Looking forward to it. I don't think in my lifetime that Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have all been good at the same time. The transfers they've made suggest all three could be handy this season, and it would be mouthwatering if they were (and Dundee United too), but we'll see. Likely someone will end up sacking their manager during the season - hopefully not us.

[tlg1903]

I'm in the strange position of aching for football to come back but dreading the opening fixture.  I defo feel we are going into the campaign a little under cooked both in terms of match fitness and squad building.  Obviously we aren't even into August yet and the club is probably trying to keep it's powder dry until a bit closer to the end of the window.  They may also be thinking about potentially impending sell on clauses becoming active and waiting to see if so before splashing out for a key target.  With 8 days still to go before we head to Edinburgh my feeling is we will see at least one in and out before then.    I defo think we needed a few more friendly matches but I got curious about what JT's form is for pre season.  This was Elfsborg last season.

So, 7 matches in 8 weeks. I've no idea why there was such a big gap between friendly 5 and 6.  I'm going to suggest that Thelin doesn't hold with the idea you need to have lot's of friendlies to be match fit.  Perhaps he prefers playing bounce games between the squad instead .

No idea how we will lineup in other than it will be  Mitov in goal, Aouchiche at 10, Topi wide left and Yengi as CF.   I don't think it's impossible to go there and get something but it's not going to be easy and I defo think we need to score first.  

[DantheDon]

13 hours ago, Panda said:

Looking forward to it. I don't think in my lifetime that Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have all been good at the same time. The transfers they've made suggest all three could be handy this season, and it would be mouthwatering if they were (and Dundee United too), but we'll see. Likely someone will end up sacking their manager during the season - hopefully not us.

I do worry a little that Thelin is the man who still has a bit to prove in terms of getting his system working, and doing the job on a regular basis. Scottish Cup win papered over the fact that in the final 27 games of last season we managed to amass just over 20 points.
 

Hibs seem to have turned a corner from last seasons start and although I’m not expecting them to be consistently as good as they were towards the end of last season I think they could still have a better season than us. 
 

Hearts are likely going to do pretty well in the league this season. McInnes will manage to get them grinding out results and with no European football to contend with I expect them to get a jump on us and possibly Hibs if they qualify. 
 

My worry for next Monday night is that McInnes won’t overcomplicate things whereas I expect Thelin to stick to his system. Seeing as we don’t seem to have mastered it yet it could be a difficult game for us and a bit too early. 

[Panda]

3 hours ago, tlg1903 said:

I'm going to suggest that Thelin doesn't hold with the idea you need to have lot's of friendlies to be match fit.  Perhaps he prefers playing bounce games between the squad instead .
 

Yeah I think us playing Friday was deliberate in order to give us time to fit in one more match. It'll likely be a full squad game behind closed doors.

Hearts are doing the same I'm sure on Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

[RicoS321]

Fairly certain we have a 100 year contract to play St Johnstone every preseason.

[tlg1903]

It turns out we didnt play St J last season either. We actually only played one friendly against peterhead before the league cup started.

[Panda]

1 hour ago, tlg1903 said:

It turns out we didnt play St J last season either. We actually only played one friendly against peterhead before the league cup started.

That's probably why St Johnstone got relegated. Didn't prepare properly by facing Aberdeen in pre-season.

[Jute]

Not looking forward to this one. Was at Hearts friendly against Sunderland and while it was a friendly thought Hearts played well. Looks like they have signed decent forward in Braga and have goals in their team. Defensively they looked solid with Finldlay and Milne being standouts. Only weak point at the back looks like Clark in goal who flapped at a couple of crosses as usual.

With it looking like Gueye will be away looks like Yengi will start up front. Would expect one of Aouchiche, Clarkson or Palaversa to drop out from Friday’s starting midfield three and Nilsen to come in to protect back 4. Dorrington could come in for Milne at the back but think that would be a bit unfair on Milne who has done okay in preseason games. Agree with those saying we are going into this game a bit undercooked. Unlike Hearts from what I have seen in preseason we do not look like a team with many goals in it. 

Expect Hearts to start fast on Monday and we will need to weather the storm for first 30 minutes if we are to get anything from the game. If we lose an early goal we will be in for a long evening. 
 

As an aside only getting 550 tickets for an away game is shite. League really needs to look at making clubs provide a minimum number of away tickets based on % of stadium capacity. 

In

work then pub

Away end

Bus home

2-0 no dons scorer

 

 

[tlg1903]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Not looking forward to this one. Was at Hearts friendly against Sunderland and while it was a friendly thought Hearts played well. Looks like they have signed decent forward in Braga and have goals in their team. Defensively they looked solid with Finldlay and Milne being standouts. Only weak point at the back looks like Clark in goal who flapped at a couple of crosses as usual.

With it looking like Gueye will be away looks like Yengi will start up front. Would expect one of Aouchiche, Clarkson or Palaversa to drop out from Friday’s starting midfield three and Nilsen to come in to protect back 4. Dorrington could come in for Milne at the back but think that would be a bit unfair on Milne who has done okay in preseason games. Agree with those saying we are going into this game a bit undercooked. Unlike Hearts from what I have seen in preseason we do not like a team with many goals in it. 

Expect Hearts to start fast on Monday and we will need to weather the storm for first 30 minutes if we are to get anything from the game. If we lose an early goal we will be in for a long evening. 
 

As an aside only getting 550 tickets for an away game is shite. League really needs to look at making clubs provide a minimum number of away tickets based on % of stadium capacity. 

In

work then pub

Away end

Bus home

2-0 no dons scorer

 

 

We better not be giving them anything more than 550 in the return fixture 

[Jute]

24 minutes ago, tlg1903 said:

We better not be giving them anything more than 550 in the return fixture 

Whilst I can understand that being the response I would not be doing that. Constant squeeze on away support has to stop. 

[Panda]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Whilst I can understand that being the response I would not be doing that. Constant squeeze on away support has to stop. 

I'm a big advocate of sizeable away supports, but can see us getting shafted a lot this season. We already get a small amount at Tynecastle, I wonder if Hibs will respond to having their allocation slashed for the top six split last season, and Dundee United are cuttings ours more and more (not helped by some of our fans' behaviour there).

[BigAl]

It will be limited tickets for Falkirk, Huns and Tim's away also.

Not much left really 

[Jute]

3 hours ago, BigAl said:

It will be limited tickets for Falkirk, Huns and Tim's away also.

Not much left really 

749 tickets for Falkirk. 
 

Livingston will be only place where will get pretty much what we want.

[BigAl]

32 minutes ago, Jute said:

749 tickets for Falkirk. 
 

Livingston will be only place where will get pretty much what we want.

Motherwell and Kilmarnock also, given they have two levels to the stands we are given behind the goals.

[tlg1903]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Motherwell and Kilmarnock also, given they have two levels to the stands we are given behind the goals.

When was the last time we sold out Killie away though? 

[BigAl]

1 hour ago, tlg1903 said:

When was the last time we sold out Killie away though? 

That's my point mate

We will get plenty tickets there 

[Jute]

3 hours ago, BigAl said:

Motherwell and Kilmarnock also, given they have two levels to the stands we are given behind the goals.

Forgot about those two. Maybe folk will have to make those two their away trips for the season.