Joel and James review Heart of Midlothian’s 2-1 win at Livingston, a result that leaves Steven Naismith’s side with a five-point lead in third. The boys discuss how the team eventually settled into the game and how Peter Haring improved as it progressed, plus the important roles of Alan Forrest, Kenneth Vargas and Aidan Denholm.
Hello and welcome to the latest from heart standard my name is Joel SC I am joined by my colleague James Kerney James Kerney who support uh who is um supporting our is wearing a River Plate top very very nice James very nice oh yeah thank you yeah it’s um as a gift
From my stepdad because he went away to BU a ir and I actually I really wanted AA Junior’s top but he didn’t have any in my size he couldn’t find one for their money like will I ever fight one do and I was like still pretty cool yeah
Yeah either or or pretty cool but no B B Junior yeah I can understand why you would have preferred that we’re not here to talk about Argentinian football we’re here to talk about har of M Lan because Steven A mm set pretty in third in the Premiership at the winter break having
Won 2-1 at Livingston on Tuesday afternoon hars now hold a five-point lead over karik in third it was the seventh away win from Hearts they have since the 9192 season I think it’s only I’ve been writing it today there’s only three seasons where three maybe four four seasons where Hearts have won more
Than seven away games in the Top Flight since then so um it’s quite remarkable it shouldn’t be remarkable but at the moment it is so we are going to look back at the at the game from I was going to called amville the Tony macaroni Arena James we dissect it in in
Little Bits but we’ve both I’ve watched the majority of the game back you’ve watched the the whole of the game backe of analysis piece of what on the site tomorrow just just just briefly before we kind of break it down what were your your general thoughts on watching it
Back did anything really change your mind from the first the first watch of it yesterday um to be honest I thought that Livy actually weren’t maybe as good as I thought they were the second time same yes it see it seemed a lot KJ on a lot
More nervy on the day but um watching it back the second time round okay ly have get the ball in good areas a lot of the time but I mean by halim there was I think they had three shots on goal and they were all off Target obviously there
Was a disallowed goal as well which of course marginal could have easily gone in but um yeah Jo as a I don’t think it was maybe quite as um like Jacko and Hy as we perhaps thought at first where I think when we were doing the match at
The time I thought we thought like oh God this is this really isn’t great at all and don’t parts weren’t particularly good in the first half but they did improve at the break they got that two goal cushion and after that it was a long way back for liy yeah I
Thought I thought watching it I was like we have not we’ve not we didn’t start well and then I just thought miles miles off it in the first half but then on rewatching it and like kind of skipping through I thought certainly the first 20 minutes heart started really really badly and
Livingston did what it was kind of old school Livingston they got about you they were direct they made it very difficult they scrapped but then they actually didn’t have that much quality in the final third like said so they had obai header which was a great save from
Xander Clark but that would have been red off for offside because there was two Livy players in front of Xander Clark and then you had the offside offside goal from Cuts gy again that very very close but I think he obviously was just just offside and then after half an hour I thought
Kind of finally settled and started to probe without looking that great and then there was just like a almost like a change at half time came a good time and then able to step up after the break with with a couple of really good um uh really good perform really good couple
Performances and goals no absolutely you know um because I I think that’s the point the main points that I think in the first half in particular heart’s really struggled to get outside their own half however the man in the ball was they’re always just getting pressed relentlessly like Livy
Were just just AB chucking bodies ATS just couldn’t Hearts couldn’t really get out and you know things like sometimes like you know things like a switch from like One Wing to the other Wing fre space with the wing backs that wasn’t really happening there were there’s the
Odd ball along but it wasn’t really paying off um I think you know aside from there’s one moment maybe about 20 minutes or so in When Alan Forest looked as if he just skipped in behind uh I think it was Mikey Devin gets like a
Last gas kind of tackle on him that was probably the closest Hearts game to threatening obviously sh did hit the bar as well of course but that was the second phase of a corner kick you know um and well he did brilliantly it wasn’t a particularly High XG chance I remember
Looking at it I think it like 0.03 which you know the stats there out there that’s not a lot um shank’s Quality to his ability to turn very little into a lot oh exactly no he took it brilliant and he was really unlucky I mean he caught it
Pretty much perfectly in terms of just getting that glance on that angle on it and good get direction and Pace but just didn’t quite come off but then I think in the second half though heart’s definitely help the fact that Livy maybe was a tired this thing maybe just you
Know maybe he can’t play that way for 90 minutes but they weren’t pressing quite as high up the park anymore it wasn’t that same intensity all of a sudden Defenders um were getting some time on the ball whenever Hearts were playing out from the back and then that’s when
We started to see those little gaps up up because I think ly’s game plan was basically just let’s keep the ball in incredibly congested spaces H and we’ll win the second ball that that’s what we’re going to do to get the park and obviously there they’re clearly
Targeting pen rice as well who was looking really good on the left hand side lots of really good deliveries into the box um but basically I I think that the way that the pitch was I think the way the weather was as well it was one of those days where basically hard
Sports couldn’t really get their foot on the ball and start playing it like I think there’s a reason that alen Forest really stood stood out and I’m sure we’re going to talk about him but there’s a reason that he stood out more than anyone else he’s played good God
Knows how many games on that pitch he he looks like he could play football and everyone else was always just kind of you know like lurching after the ball it looks if nobody’s really under control never things weren’t quite paying off but as soon as Hearts were in the second
Half kicked off and then there was a little bit more time at the back all of a sudden then those points Hearts were able to find that little bit of space have that little bit of time the ball pick their next pass rather than just you know flinging themselves out and
Just try to keep a hold of it come what me and then that’s when those little gaps started appearing and when those little gaps started appearing that’s when the chance this game so I think it was one of those games where were just basically trying to restrict the space
Keep it chaotic and hearts in the first half didn’t really cope with that at all but in the second they opened up those little pockets and like creating those little pockets of space that’s what changed the game it was as soon as as soon as Steven n SED down someone asked
A question who basically just said let’s get let’s get it out there to begin with the pitch is rubbish and the way he spoke was um just got his quotes up here is basically it’s I’m really pleased with the pitch was Rish is always going to be I’m really pleased with the
Performance it’s not a pitch you’re going to get any good football on it’s a battle in these games if you let the ball bounce you in trouble defensely also the timing of your runs are most important and they went on to talk about oh yeah you work every day about the
Main things you want to be as a team you can get sucked in the same but we do this but when you play on pitches like this it’s not worth the risk so that was I think you could see in C certain elements of heart’s play where
Especially Ken he just got the ball and Hal as well they would just look for Vargas in behind or kind of runs in behind and you look at some of the comments we got here so um you got got um I think Liam sums up best any hars
Fan turning in for a performance at Olivia’s mental it’s a dog fight not just against the players but the pitch as well Hearts handled them very well and that’s I cut a I cut a very anguished figure at times in the Press F in the opening opening half hour just
Because I thought hars I thought we’re quite slow to start just in yes not yes in terms of the the ball possession but I actually thought the reaction to H the reaction to how the game was it happened in around players like there was a
Moment where uh cic was I think C was probably the player that was most guilty off it that he we just he was kind of wasn’t awake or aware to what was happening around him there was one where he Kent was following a runner and cic rather
Than cic press the ball he tried to follow the runner as well and then you had then you had the moment for the the goal which or the the the offside goal where Levy took a throw in and they got us really simple 2v one clipped into the
Box and it was a header so that I think that proved to be a big wakeup call because the the players just don’t I don’t think they were um they didn’t match Livingston’s intensity and willingness for the battle and the scrap to begin with but they did
Eventually um eventually do that and I think that’s what we we talked about the Civic rustiness Harring Harring rustiness and says Haring done exactly was was asked to when Heather fight for second ball balls Game Pass H by kind of I agree with that I think Haring came
Into it um nun Hof had his moments but frustrated at times but when when they decided like let’s not try and play passes in Risky areas let’s just do the um do the basics I think that’s kind of that settled Hearts yeah no absolutely I
Mean one to one of the big things again for the Improvement after the break I thought was was Peter Harring in I think in the first half I wasn’t convinced at all I thought he was pretty he was quite sloppy on the ball um you know he inadvertently got no and halfof booked
Because he just gave away the ball for no reason and then no had to get had to like size down his man in order stop a goal goal scoring opportunity so yeah I thought Haring I wasn’t impressed with him much in the first half but I thought
As it game more on um he actually started playing some nice stuff and he played some really nice passes again he was really important in the buildup for and like releasing Alan Forest you know getting the ball out to him getting him going and I thought actually come the
End of game he was looking really composed in more a lot more like his old self and I I think the other thing as well is cauan as well particularly in the first half slacking possession just a couple of times where um you know I think there’s one point he passes behind
Him thinking kingsley’s going to be there and kingsley’s not there at all and it’s just you all a sudden counter countering or another point where again hearts are next in the back goes out to him at the left back and takes a PO touch and it’s out for a Livy throw
There was lots of little things like that constantly throughout the first half I felt I think that noff was guilty of it I think Caan was guilty of it I think Hing was guilty of it Civic was guilty of it you know basically the entire team you know when you go through
It there a lot of players who just um really struggled to just um get get things under control but then in the second half as I said there was like there there was that little bit more time at the back because liby weren’t quite as aggressive that that Hearts
Pick you know play their head up look for a man find them and then when you do that those little gaps open up now obviously again I’m sure we speak about in that but forest was absolutely incredible in this match in terms of like it was so so so important
Uh getting the ball driving it forward finding men and you know even you could see like someone like Vargas when you know in the first half he had a couple of chances where he was kind of really down the right couldn’t really find F the space again couldn’t get the ball
Under control just kind again it looked like he was you know kind of stretching after struggling get get get his foot on the ball and actually control he’s doing look like he always kind of lunging after it again but then second half again maybe it’s the weather maybe the
Rain dried dried off a little bit but again as the game wears on he looks more and more confident obviously getting the goal helps that but even aside from that I just thought every time he got the ball in the second half he’ looked like a different player from the one in the
First so I think part of us maybe down to the weather but I think part of it as well is that because that that little extra second or two at the back it just let hearts play and whereas the first half they didn’t have any opportunity to
Do that but in the second they did and then that’s when you started seeing those little gaps open up because like there was we me and you said it like maybe five 10 minutes into the match like there was a lot of space in behind
The Ley back line if you could hit it if you could find it obviously that’s why forest in varas in the team they were there exploit it and well it didn’t quite come off in the first half in the second it absolutely did so yeah that
Was we’ll go on to talk talk about Forest now but you saw in the first half where we talked about it was Kent and how playing longer balls and it’s all well and good having playing him against the high Behind The High Line but when you’re kind of looping them it gives him
Time to drop off it gives them time to react whereas you look at the second half you’ve got Forest playing uh ball quickly in behind for Vargas you got cckr playing and a ball quickly in behind for for forest and as Ben Ben oding says Alan Alan Forest is prime
Neymar on a plastic pitch and he W and in terms of his performances for hearts I think that was certainly up there with one of his best or certainly most effective performances for hars wrote about p on one site today there’s been a marked improvement in him this season n
Smith compared to last season at the very best he was okay as a squad player last last season but H more realistic you’re looking H poor to underwhelming for for Forest this season he’s been much more much more involved much um a much bigger player think nth talked
About him being a big player for a big player for us afterwards and said he’s really Keen for him to sign a new contract and you can understand with a performance like not just it’s not reactionary to a performance like that but that performance was in keeping with
His progress throughout the season where he has been uh a very effective player for hars because he’s been able to fill in different positions I was Hearts fan replied to a tweet of mine yesterday and compared them to part G sung and I just can’t H I just canot see that now and
It’s but you do need these type of players where in big games you can trust him that’s what Al Ferguson did with part son he trusted them in the biggest games and you look at Alvin forest and n needed someone to play up front with shankland in at Celtic Park someone who
Would stick to their task be diligent and that’s what exactly what forest does and now you he’s play kind of right wing left wing right wing back part for front three part for front two he’s not going to be he’s never going to be hars H consistently the best player he’s never
Going to be the the star player but what he is going to do be as I think just an important Squad member and I talked about it and you look at the the different if you look at the squad and the different groups that you want within that Squad you want players
Coming through from the academy you want guys who are you see his assets that if you develop they’re going to sell for H decent money and then you got new arrivals coming in who players like Vargas and and and old towa or other new Sans who think right you might take time
For them to settle but then if you have this fourth group a core group of squad uh a core group of players who know what the Premiership is about know what um what it takes to be kind of um a good Premiership player experienced Premiership player I would put forest in
That group now alongside the likes of Liam boy Stephen Kingsley Craig H at Barry mcki no I think that’s totally fair I mean to be honest when you think back when I think back on it now if you take away shankland it’s a quite a big big thing but okay fine Forest has
Probably been hearts’s most consistent attacking player this season like after shankland you know I think everyone else has had would have looked quite good every have been not so good but Forest has been pretty consistent and he has been delivering um and and like you say a variety of different roles and
Positions across the across the pitch so I think that’s to his credit and I think that though yesterday it was like the thing you the one that was made he obviously he was the match winner he was nice said it after the game I know Mar
You pointed out in your piece today that Martin said it was shankland like yeah no it wasn’t it was the other guy it was Allen Forest you know um it was it was absolutely with David oh yeah exactly yeah of course so I think he’s like
Uh um he’s he’s I just thought he was really intelligent the way he played yesterday I think Not only was he you know carrying the ball and dribbling far at the park which is great in terms of helping heart get the pitch but also his
Passing as well I mean I said this I mentioned this to you earlier on today when I was looking through the stats from yesterday’s match and he had more open Play passes in the final third than I think he had 16 in total in that match
You the next highest hard play was eight and someone else had seven you know which is like you know so Not only was he the guy dribbling you know getting the ball at the park he also guy a lot of time playing these passes that were
Getting people at the park as well so I think that you know very much all action kind of all round performance from Force obviously he won a penalty as well you know that’s obviously should have had one the other night so you look at it and you go
Like yeah he’s becoming more of an effective presence in the final third just that one we thing that lights him down is probably shooting I think that chance particularly right at the death I think it the 93rd minute or something like that when um denim want a flick on
Forces through on goal after charging up down the left hand side and he takes a great first touch gets into the box shapes his body well and then to I think it’s a good save from the goalkeeper who comes rushing out but at the same time it’s hard
To he seems to get in those positions a lot where he’s cut he’s coming in from the left hand side looks in a great position then he just can’t quite get that he just can’t quite find a way way past the goalie I think’s he’s that does
Seem to happen quite regularly it seems to have happened a few times this season but you think everything else apart from that was great you know the Run was great you know he gets the ball that was great the dribble was great he chapes really well it was all so close to being
Brilliant it’s just that one we thing and you think that yeah if he could add that one little last bit to his game then yeah he might he might be well become a these players you know who’s starting week in week out you know in that kind of core group that you’re
Talking about but certainly I thing he’s shown so far this season that he at the very least deserves a contract extension I think he’s obviously shown that he’s a really valuable asset and the fact that he’s can be so versatile like you say the fact that he’s got that parg song
Thing where if you tell them what to do he’ll just go and do it and that’s all that’s all you have to worry about that’s so valuable and it’s obviously something that managers regard really highly so I don’t think it’ll be any I’d be amazed if he didn’t get a contract
Extension at this point um and there’s not much more he could be doing at this stage I don’t think I thought he was excellent on Sat excellent yesterday and it’s just you know that that performance has been coming for a while I think as well because he has
Been played positions had put in the hard yards or he’s doing stuff that maybe he doesn’t really want to be doing if’s you playing it right wing back for instance I’m sure he’d rather the other end of the park but he still does it does it diligently and does it well and
That’s you know that that those are the kind of players you absolutely need in your squad if you’re going to kick on particularly if you’re going to be playing in Europe as well yeah and I think there’s there there’s players within the squad that can learn a lot
From for us in definitely in terms of his attitude his character and he’s he’s willingness but also the attacking players could learn some attacking players could learn from a could learn a bit from Alan forest and that he always looks to try and be positive he’s he
Alwayss to be direct and I think his decision making pretty good at times like when to do it and when when to maybe keep the ball but seen a couple of guys mentioned the comments there that he he comes off the bench I think like Ross County but that not just Ross
County there a couple times he’s came off the bench especially home and suddenly Hearts have got he gives him injection of energy and directness which is um which is massive that that’s why got a lot of time for Forest because okay might like I said sometimes might
Not have the that final bit of quality even n we talked about in those big final moments but he is uh kind of the mindset of what he wants to do as as a forward player is um kind of half the half the battle and like I said he’s not
Going to be the the team star player but I think he’s just going to be an important Squad H Squad member you mentioned Vargas as well I think now with the last couple of games starting to see on a more consistent basis what we were kind of hoping for from Vargas
From the the very start just that a wee bit of wee bit of magic but the the pace and the willingness to to run in behind and run off runoff players and provide a bit more bit more for goal for because you look at the the goal against County
The goal against Livingston also went close a couple times was one really good one where he sh shuffled inside and he just didn’t get the curl or swerve the right way for the the shot it just angle pass but those moments you’re just starting to see a bit more of that and
Which has encourag him no definitely because I think he’s a player who uh I think Hearts fans probably had quite high hopes for him when he came in you know his you know young Costa Rican attacker that’s always fun that sounds that sounds great you know um and yeah
Obviously we’ve touched this before but obviously he’s found himself probably playing more than he would have planned to with injuries elsewhere at the park guys like like OD being injured earli in the season or Barry M for instance he’s probably found himself getting played more he would have liked and in
Positions he wasn’t perhaps wanting to do but you’re right I me the last couple of games he’s looked really great when he’s come on actually um I thought that both his goals um the last couple weeks they were both really well taken goals really confident goals as well which is
Really nice to see for a play who you know up until that only had he only had one goal up until his go against um County you know and then obviously he scored that fantastic finish that was yeah that was County game wasn’t it yeah
Yeah yeah it was yeah like this time of year so many so many games after I think he’s now he’s now a joint top goal scorer with own goal joint that’s right yeah it was a glorious three a glorious three so that’s quite quite a Target you know for
Everyone else try and take off him but no yeah that was the thing that I think really impressed me though was like it was his composure when he did get those big chances when he had those big proper one-on ones you know he took both really well because I think we’ve seen it
Elsewhere you you touched on it just there where he’ll have chances where he’s got a cight at goal from maybe the edge of the box and he’ll hit it and he’s he’s had a few of those over the last few games and like they’ve all almost all of them kind of went narrowly
Over at the near post and you kind of go oh well you know it’s decent effort um you know it’s a decent chance fair enough on your go um so those those are kind of ones where you kind of go okay it’d be nice one or two those started
Going in but you know Striker having to go against show got that confidence but the ones where it’s been properly clearcut here’s a great chance for you kenth what can you do he’s taking him emphatically both times so again it’s just so now it seems to be particular
Actually the county goal that’s the kind of goal that you know janelli was getting and I think those are the kind of goals that Vargas could potentially get when you know Shan gets the flick on and then all of a sudden Vargas has space to run into and if he can just
Beat his man and get through on goal then it’s a relatively simple finish if you can keep your kill which a lot of players can’t but he can I mean that’s one of the things n Smith touch on as well after the game was the fact that
He’s one of those players who is just naturally C and composed in front of goal probably not entirely disimilar to someone like n Smith actually think of it so I think n Smith perhaps he’s a little bit of himself in that and quite quite fancy that in terms of any other individuals
We um I don’t think there’s I thought just W Aid and D came off the bench he did had a brilliant game as as kind of just um helping Hearts get get Hearts Over The Line Jo I’ve got some notes here so hang on so sub on on the 89th
Minute right and there was nine minutes of stoppage time so okay there’s got a stoppage time to get played but he was on the park and that time he uh at one point he was pressing at the park and managed to force Ley all the way back to
Their own goalkeeper just by pressing alone that was pretty good um he set he set forest in through for one-on one with a brilliant we fck on again kind of shank KES that’s R the me of um he then won he then stopped a Le Ley Counterattack when hars had the ball
Really far at the park he then stops Le getting going before before he stopped Liv before he even get going and then he moment later on where he got the ball ran straight into the corner kept it for a we bit and then won a corner kick as
Well like all on the space of like eight minutes or something like eight n minutes it was just brilliant again we see a lot of the time players come on last five 10 minutes of games and you know you’ll know as well if you’re doing like player ratings for a newspaper I
Guess you know someone comes on last couple game last few minutes didn’t touch the ball normally you get like an any or like you a six or whatever the average is D play brilant that’s one those on you’d have to give him a rating because he was actually really important in getting
Hearts over L there so yeah I thought a brief Cameo and fair play to him he took yeah he only got 10 minutes but than God he made the most of them because I remember because obviously gets to that it gets to the end of the game and we’re
Kind of writing uper instant analysis ready for like the full time and every time I looked up I was just like denham’s doing something positive denham’s doing something positive that’s good from Denham that’s good from Denham and it did keep it kept living it made it difficult for Livingston because I
Think um to stop them from playing out because you look at maral ended up have fielded four Strikers four big Strikers as well she just think oh no this is could be nine minutes a hell or they just pumping it in the box and you never know what could happen it could drop
Anywhere it could bounce around so it was important to have someone kind of prevented on there so yeah it was I’m glad I’m glad you um glad you had made all those notes of of Dam’s um Effectiveness I was just I was just impressed with it again it’s like it’s
Not a I don’t think someone comes on 89th minute and makes that big an impact you know thought absolutely brilliant um because you’re right I mean at that point Le had gone it was basically 424 had like you you look for the front line
It’s all big big Lads you so you think I just you know sh and see what happens but to be honest after after Livy’s go there was one decent chance actually I thought when I can’t remember I think it maybe shenny had a kind of low cross
Come shot from the um edge of the box and it fell into the path of Michael Nottingham that’s right the the defender it come on and it was one of those on where just it was kind of drilled into his feet he didn’t really know knew much
Of what was going on he kind just tried to get something on it end up going straight to Zander Clark it’s one of those ones if he anticipates that a we bit better it’s surely too old but yeah apart from that you know Livy yeah they
They not at the door and there was a bit of catch and sink time but I thought har actually stood up to that pressure really well again just having guys like you know denim who’s able to and even like older as well at one point you know
Guys so when when you do win the ball back just quickly knock up to them get them in space they can hold on to it and he can treat the ball well and I think that um yeah I thought like you say that last I mean so I think 10 minutes to go
End up being that last 20 minutes that that could have been really nervous but it wasn’t really I don’t think I thoughted it really well and like you said like denim was absolutely the heart of that the but before we move on to kind of finish up with talking about the
Way performance and now being the winter break I’d be foolish not to talk about H Lauren Shanklin just because it was a diff especially the first half was a difficult game for him as H Liam mentioned when or ketto Badu mentioned when you were talking about shanklin’s
Header was that he should have had a pen in the build up to the header of the bar I think we’ve probably all seen the pictures now of M M Mikey delin taking shanklin’s um it like it was it was like a dust up and he’s he’s
Done the trick where he’s he’s rolled the guy t-shirt up so he can’t see to to have a fight it was um it was it was incredible but it was not the first time was kind of man handled it’s a type of these situations often happen with with
Shanklin because he he backs in so well H he uses his body so well that opposition Defenders are naturally going to have to kind of tug him and um hand them a lot say it almost um it almost went Ott with uh I think it was it John
Parks or Tom Parks lovey Center back where they um they had a we coming together but it was seemed a frustrating first half for shankland in in that sense just with the the team maybe not creating chances but the the his finish for his the win what Prov to be the
Winning goal again great work from forest but the Finish was just just outstanding yeah again yeah what else can you say I mean to have that composure that kind of finish and that kind of situation just brilliant you know again really nice work from Allan Forest again that we link up play back
From the back to like the somerset Park days I mean I don’t know why else he can say a shank at this point honestly I mean he’s just it’s every week he’s doing it to be honest I thought his performance um the other day was really similar to County to be honest the
County game where the first half couldn’t really get in the game much wasn’t seen much of the ball looked a bit frustrated out in the park but then he gets his one chance and you know he takes it absolutely sublimely could done any better so there another one of those
Ones again I don’t think when he looks back on it Even’s kind of similar to the derby as well I think where you look at it you know the last few games he’s maybe not been as effective on the ball as he would have liked but he’s still
Scoring goals and that’s also whil also missing penalties so it’s it’s a bizarre it’s just a absolutely remarkable State of Affairs where you know i’ say I think the last year games is maybe been a we bit off the B slightly below par compared to the games before that in
Terms of just getting on the ball getting involved again he’s still turn these absolutely huge moments and still just getting those goals so yeah I mean it’s it’s gonna be we said it before I’ll say it again it’s gonna be an incredibly long month Journey this is where hearts’s season
Kind of hinges which and I I kind of back away from doing that you see oh it’s all this one guy but to be honest let’s be honest at this point is kind of down to does he stay does he go that that that will determine the
Rest of the season but it’s more as well as as as what he’s producing it’s just that H it’s the mindset he gives teammates and we’ve got kind of Q&A with pet Haring going up tonight so it’s amarle till half time but he he talks about that and what like shanklin’s
Influences and as as gam says we wouldn’t mind the closing H the window closing now to stop the daily Shanklin leaving rumors and that’s what it is it’s been um in my group in my WhatsApp group chat with heart supporting mates someone it’s like every day it’s a screenshot from
Some Twitter rumor it’s like oh Everton ever want them Celtic want them um who was the one yesterday some nonsensical english team who uh are not anywhere near the size of Hearts were want them so I it’s um yeah as Liam saying it’s been so long
Since we had a striker that done Striker things that we expect our Strikers to run around link up play hold the ball up Etc that we forget his only job is to score and as he just that’s a fair fight actually as I I’m reluctant to criticize him because he’s still scoring fantastic
Goals every week but I that’s a that’s a good point from Liam that’s exactly it yeah but but it’s got to the point now though that you have such high standards for Shanklin just because you know how good a how good a player is how well-rounded
A player is and you can understand why he’s being linked to loads of clubs but as I say every passing day his valuation to Hearts goes up and I still think his value value to Hearts outstrips his value what probably other teams H maybe
Value him so oh yeah see if I see if if you offered me we don’t sign anyone but keep shling so we don’t get another right back in like let’s just take it let’s just just just let’s just take it and move on oh absolutely yeah I mean
The only the only like clubs I could think of that could actually realistically for afford him and would pay it would be something like you know maybe someone mincing around like the bottom end of the Premier League where it’s just you know they’ve got more money than sence anyway and you know
Splashing at six seven million pound up there that’s fine that’s just that’s chump change anyway um but I think in general though like it’s hard we’re getting to that point now where actually the fee that hars would rightly demand for him is probably going to be more
Than what anyone’s willing to pay and but let’s hope that’s the case anyway because as you say yeah I think right now I think most Hearts hands probably even take losing a couple of other players without bringing anyone in me okay but you still got Shanklin come the
End of it I don’t I don’t think there’s yeah is getting to the point where it’s just I just keep him doesn’t matter whatever he wants to give him it yeah yeah oh yeah just uh if it is a new deal she should definitely be the the club’s highest
Paid player absolutely h no doubt about that so moving on to the we talk about the way for before before finish up again it’s something right for tomorrow it’s um not really much to add but seven away wins uh in the first 20 League games of the the season is is a great
Record and just one of those where you look at it if only if only the home form is the usual home form then you’d been absolutely sco into third place as it is but you look at the you look at the way the team have won away games uh it’s not
Been perfect all the time but they managed to do it in different kind of scenarios or situations or ways which is great no absolutely I mean I’m just trying to think of it now so does that mean Hearts have lost is it three away games in the league all season four
Away games lost four and then lost three at home but not dra away dundy away s Marin away Rangers away and aine Away aine of course yeah yeah see you look at that’s not bad at all is you know you think of it when you put it in that that
Kind of context but I mean it’s obviously it’s absolutely huge improvement from you know not even just last season but you know as I know you do going back over last five 10 seasons and looking at it and seen how it goes last 32 because I think that’s the last
Um I me I asked you this the way at the ground yesterday but if if they get one more away win this season which seems perfectly doable then know I’ve had as many this season as they have in the last previous two combined is that so
Nine is it nine top nine Top Flight away wins in the last two seasons combined they’ve got a great chance of equaling that this season you need a couple more and they’ve done that which is I think says quite a lot about the team’s progress in that area you’re right the
Home form that can swing back around you go okay well that should be a bit better and of course it should be but again I think you look back I think you look at the season so far as a whole you can see the home form has improved as time’s
Gone on you know there were a couple of hairy moments particularly at the start of the Season that seems that those creases have hopefully been ironed out now and I think it’s the same as well um with the away for again where it’s just it seems to be improving As Time wears
On you know the bigger scalps the bigger results better wins and it’s you’re right it’s just that thing like there just a slight Improvement in home form you know just getting up to like the levels where because it’s probably been slightly below average so far this
Season in absolutely AB if it just hits like just the sort of average level the last few seasons hardship heart will stroll third in the end yeah oh absolutely you look at um you look at the games coming up the G say two two very winable home games coming up but
You’re looking as our it’s like the it’s the away games are are more winnable than the home games which is a very strange position to be in but abine and Dundee the next two home games after the break which is which is mive because you can you can effectively you could you
Could turn um you could potentially knock abine out the race for third with a win so early on after the break if as long as go and beat dund D in the first home game after the break so yeah massive opportunity there in terms of
The the break I think um just G up to one of the I think was Ben said the believes that the I think the breakers H come at a perfect time because I can see glimpses where forers dropp in a lot H I think the the break has definitely come
At the right time I know some individual players would probably like to Contin continue play just because they found form or just got back to got back to Fitness but you look at the squad situation as it is with Atkinson and rolls away and then you’ve got five
Others five other key players injured so you got Benny barny mcki Camy delin um who else I’m a missing Liam Boyce and George grant that you just you just think it’s after such a condensed period of time where Hearts have played four games where a lot of teams due to
Call-offs haven’t played as as many games it’s a perfect time to to have a break reset and then just go again um following following the winter break yeah definitely I mean I think I think particularly the last couple of games you can see that Hearts have looked a
Bit laggy I think I think they’ve looked a bit I think it was perfect understandable I they’ve just played a quarter the season in a month you know so it’s it’s understandable but I I think that the yeah certainly even especially Midfield I think because there’s so few options there at the
Moment and because the players who have been playing I’ve been playing so much I think I this this is the perfect time for me break for hearts just because like you said the squad’s not as um like as as well clipped well equipped sorry as it could be and with having played so
Many games such a short space of time just I there I think there was maybe a bit of fatigue sitting in a we bit of rust sitting in so I think that um having this to to to and a bit weeks off to try and recharge the batteries get
Things going again is probably just exactly what’s needed I think yeah and and we can certainly do a it and just uh after the the four games and quick succession yeah we’ll leave it there I’ll ask answer Daniel’s question about Bruce Anderson to Heart rumors are they
True I’ve not heard any of these rumors they the ones I’ve heard is that he’s going to either Kamar C Johnson or the rumors I’ve heard but H yeah not sure um but wouldn’t really like to um replace shankin if you left with Bruce Anderson I think that would h that that wouldn’t
Be ideal for the second half of the Season as good as as good as a player as Bruce Anderson is so um yeah we’ll leave it there thank you very much James thank you very much everyone for for listening and thank you much for continuing to subscribe we will be back on potentially
A video on Friday if it’s not James that might be uh Liam cor I’m going to reach out and see if he fanes a review of the season so far and then during the winter break we’ll see how we are with videos but we’ll try and get at least a couple up
Every single week depending on depending on what happens new signings etc etc but until then thank you very much and goodbye
2 Comments
great channel
If the home form was better we would be just behind rangers