Just as well we have so many options.  I'd drop Levitt - totally off it and go with Sibbald and Djoum deeper in the middle with McGrath and Middleton allowed to roam just off Fletcher.  Freeman would get toasted by Mackay so agreed he needs a seat this week too.

I had tried to get tickets for this and failed.  Suspecting that the ungenial Jambos have done me a favour. More chance of a Beyonce ticket than the away end at Tynecastle!

Not to be alarmist, but the Turkish window shuts next Wednesday.  Might want to check where Aziz's stopover destination is...maybe the Fat Controller hasn't said anything as the clusterfuck of a window aint over yet...

Last edited by Finn Seemann (03/2/2023 11:16 am)

Today's match will be shown on BBC ALBA at 6PM.

All I hope we see is a reaction from the passive spectacle we saw on Wednesday night; a bit of fight and passion.

Finally playing like a team who gives a feck, the Finn is a big plus today,

Hold please

Birighitti is the worst starting goalkeeper in the league. No one else comes close

Get VAR to fuck, honestly not just the Edwards challenge today, its just spoiling our great game of football. 

As for United, I honestly can't see us staying up.  Can't defend for shit, keeper just not good enough.

Last edited by SlatefordArab (04/2/2023 7:49 pm)

Nail on head Tek, Fox, Djoum and Levitt all at fault.

Sending off, Levitt with yet another powder puff tackle on Halliday who stops then overstretches but Edwards has read the situation and has momentum.
How can Edwards second guess that Halliday will overstretch?
Equaliser, as Shanks chests the ball down Levitt is close enough to make a tackle, he takes a step away.

Hearts 2nd, another weak challenge from Levitt and no desire to chase back, Niskanen is 20 yards further up and near the corner flag at the time, he chases and has passed Levitt by the halfway
Djoum is in the vicinity of all 3 Hearts players involved in the move, his one paced jog prevented any attempts at a tackle.
Hearts 3rd, Levitt cross into the box, Hearts break, Djoum with a half hearted tackle, Levitt with desire could have anticipated where the Hearts player was going and could have moved forward to close down.
Great finish from the guy though what was keeper thinking
VAR can do one, no penalty check for Middleton's shot, Koul's tackle had more intent to hurt Smith than Edward's tackle but that was deemed ok.

Fox responsible for setting mindset, post match he said, players gave their all and we had moments of quality. I saw 2 that were going through the motions.

VAR, FOX, ASGHAR OUT

Arab99 wrote:

Danzaa wrote:

Great finish from the guy though what was keeper thinking

7 minutes into injury time, trying to get an equaliser, exactly what he should

 
Yip. Especially cos he wouldn’t have been expecting our fairies in midfield to let the Hearts boy run as far before shooting.

Probably little chance of winning the appeal but I'm glad we are making it.
A Little bit of my love for the game goes with decisions like that.
I'm away to watch another episode of the Big Match from the 70s and reminisce

Canadian Arab wrote:

I have absolutely no idea why so many of our supporters think Edwards' challenge was a red. I don't know what they are seeing that I am not. Edwards did exactly what he should have done. Went in to make a solid block tackle (instep/ankle) which gives him the best chance of winning a 50/50 while minimising the chances of getting injured. Because the Hearts boy pulls out at the last second, it turned into not even a tackle - he just played the ball cleanly. Folk are on about the follow-through. Next time they're at the golf, they should try playing their driver off the tee but stopping the club head as soon as they've made contact with the ball. Of course there's follow-through after Edwards plays the ball, and the follow-through would have been identical whether there had been an opponent there or not.

If this doesn't get overturned, it won't be because Edwards did anything wrong. 

I agree with you but as someone who made those challenges albeit at amateur level, you know that when you do it you will go through the man also.

I would have been of the ones who would have criticised him if he never made it and often tell my young lad if you go in like Halliday done then you will get hurt.

That’s said I doubt they will overturn it and we are wasting our time and money appealing the decision.

I’ve watched and played football for over 40 years and right now I couldn’t confidently tell you what is a red card, offside or what constitutes a penalty. Games a mess.
 

Canadian Arab wrote:

I have absolutely no idea why so many of our supporters think Edwards' challenge was a red. I don't know what they are seeing that I am not. Edwards did exactly what he should have done. Went in to make a solid block tackle (instep/ankle) which gives him the best chance of winning a 50/50 while minimising the chances of getting injured. Because the Hearts boy pulls out at the last second, it turned into not even a tackle - he just played the ball cleanly. Folk are on about the follow-through. Next time they're at the golf, they should try playing their driver off the tee but stopping the club head as soon as they've made contact with the ball. Of course there's follow-through after Edwards plays the ball, and the follow-through would have been identical whether there had been an opponent there or not.

If this doesn't get overturned, it won't be because Edwards did anything wrong. 

Too right, when I played it was always them that didn't go in 100% that got injured.
 

Canadian Arab wrote:

CCX2 2010 wrote:

I agree with you but as someone who made those challenges albeit at amateur level, you know that when you do it you will go through the man also.

I would have been of the ones who would have criticised him if he never made it and often tell my young lad if you go in like Halliday done then you will get hurt.

That’s said I doubt they will overturn it and we are wasting our time and money appealing the decision.

I’ve watched and played football for over 40 years and right now I couldn’t confidently tell you what is a red card, offside or what constitutes a penalty. Games a mess.
 

Laws concerning what is and is not a red card haven't changed significantly in the recent past AFAIK, with the exception of in relation to DOGSO and penalty awards. Agree with the general sentiment that the game is currently a bloody mess though.

Edwards quite reasonably expected Halliday to put in a block tackle from the opposite side. If you go into a block tackle without your ankle being locked solid, you risk a bad sprain or worse. So he went in as he should have done. Halliday then pulls out when Edwards is already initiating the tackle, with the result that it wasn't even a tackle. If Halliday does what Edwards thought he was going to do (and what he should have done if he wasn't as soft as shite), the ball would have been squashed in between their feet and whoever went in with more momentum would "win" the challenge. In order for Edwards to "leave something on" Halliday, he would have to have known that Halliday would pull out and leave his leg a foot to the right of where it would have (and should have) been.

I went in for a 50/50 years ago in a similar situation and the boy did what Halliday did and pulled out at the last second. I won the ball cleanly and my trailing shin hit the shin of the lad's planted foot. His tibia and fibula broke into 7 separate pieces. It was play on - until the ref stopped the play because the boy was screaming. Totally the other lad's fault for pulling out of the challenge and planting his studs. Halliday is a very very lucky lad that some part of Edwards didn't hit that planted leg.
 

Firstly I would say that I am with you in thinking that it wasn't a red on Saturday.  The issue is that VAR are looking at things in slow motion and if you do that then it looks like Edwards has followed through with his studs.  In reality you are right that Halliday has quit the challenge and therefore what is a good tackle and a defensive, 'I'm not getting hurt' approach looks like a kick and intentional follow through.  But it isn't.

That said, given the professionalism in the game I have some sympathy with an approach that is trying to prevent professional players getting their legs broken in 7 pieces.  If nothing else, their insurance policies will be demanding it.

It does change the game, but maybe it isn't wrong to ask players to temper their challenges?  I say that not really agreeing with it, but maybe we've just got to get used to it, as will the players?

Last edited by Finn Seemann (07/2/2023 9:24 am)