Always offended, never ashamed

It’s been three days since Ann Budge released her statement condemning elements of both the Hearts and Celtic support after another poison filled fixture between the sides. During the past 48 hours many fans, pundits and ex pros have had their say with most saluting the stance that the new Hearts supremo has taken on a subject which has cast a dark cloud over the Scottish game for too long. Now this is not going to be a stone throwing exercise to try and claim the moral high ground, in a general sense Hearts fans on the whole need to dispense with certain songs and continue to police games themselves as has been evident at some away games over the last few seasons. I personally also cannot play the part of a shrinking violet due to my teenage years being spent in the stands shouting pure vitriol at many footballers on match day. I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the reaction of certain people with links to Celtic and the club’s own rebuttal to the Ann Budge statement.

Charlie Nicholas is a fine example of someone who should not be seen nor heard. His desperate attempts to halt his descent into middle aged life are a continuous irritant to myself but that doesn’t come close to the anger I feel whenever I have the misfortune to read one of his articles in the Daily Express. Take his column this week for example. Instead of taking the opportunity to back the Budge statement and condemn the thugs who vandalised the Roseburn stand, he decided to drudge up bitter memories of playing at Tynecastle back in the 80’s recounting stories of sectarian abuse and being spat on. Two questions came to mind when reading this tale of Jackanory. Question one is why is an ex pro with an opportunity to help try and calm down the situation deciding to instead provoke more negative reaction and question two how did he know it was a hearts fan who was abusing him if it was a Scotland youth game? This man is a joke who even most Celtic fans do not have time for and in my eyes should never be asked to discuss any aspect of the Scottish game.

Anthony Stokes – To be fair to the lad he has his own mind and I applaud him for at least engaging with some Hearts fans on twitter. Now the only problem with this is given his loose commections with a certain rebelious gang, surely Celtic’s PR team should be trying to make sure the lad keeps his distance from such a debate. If Anthony Stokes is being personally subjected to abuse that goes past the usual football banter then that is uncalled for but I think Stokes should maybe be looking at himself and thinking do I ever say or do anything that brings these feeling out of certain individuals.

Celtic FC – A club that for too long has made good business out of being offended at every turn. Their response this week has been laughable to say the least. Firstly they create stories of fans trying to get on the pitch last week, a story with no proof whatsoever, then they begin to act like sulky teenagers proclaiming” well they did it first” and” they keep picking on us”! When will this club man up and realise that they should be catering for the majority of decent Celtic supporters and not for the vocal minority who need politics and religion in their football diet because the product on the park is boring them to tears. Instead of joining Ann Budge in lambasting both sets of fans they spouted the usual tired cliche “well we will look into this”.

So what was your take on this subject? Leave your comments below or @mnfitba

@mnfitbaScott

Time to exercise the ghosts?

Its cup day tomorrow albeit still a bit weird to see such big cup games taking place in November. Amongst a skew of all premier league ties and potential giant killing acts for Spartans and The Rangers is the clash between an erratic although still dangerous Celtic side and a Hearts team who given their season aims and ambitions have the luxury of viewing this encounter as a pressure free sideshow from league proceeding……………Or is it? Its been nearly a year since Celtic rolled into town at the same stage of the cup competition and blew a young hearts side low in confidence away and its fair to say the survivors of that squad will be aiming to go out there and prove they can go toe to toe with the champions. Tonight I look at how many of that squad are improving a year on and look at how influential they can be tomorrow.

Jordan McGhee – Played the full 90 last year and certainly would have learned a few harsh lessons in that game alone. Showed raw potential last year which this season has developed into a consistent string of performances at right back and centre half. Looks assured on the ball and has developed physically over the summer. Definate Scotland player of the future along with one or two others at the club. Might have to be content with place on the bench tomorrow but will offer a good option if injuries hit our back four.

Kevin McHattie – A real favourite of mine in terms of his ability to drive forward and link up well with the widemen infront of him. Still needs to work a little on defensive positioning but his confidence seemed to be at an all time high before last weeks attempted GBH from saint Kenny. Having hard working midfielders infront has certainly helped after watching Kevin gainfully try and cope with marking two men most weeks last season.

Danny Wilson – Whereas last season the captaincy seemed to be dragging Danny down, this year he has grown in stature and looks very relaxed and assured whilst always offering a threat at set pieces. Was worried that last year would take time to shake off for him but he has really started to show why he was so coveted as a teenager at Rangers. Shame that he is a fitness doubt tomorrow.

Scott Robinson – Very combative player who seems to very much be on the fringes of things this season. Unfairly targeted by the boo boys and although maybe not a fit for the way Robbie wants his midfielders to play will no doubt easily attract a few clubs in January. Never hid when things on the park got rough last season and for that he deserves more credit than he gets. The fact he is not included in most matchday squads shows how far the club have come since last year.

Calum Paterson – Will be in a more suitable role tomorrow compared to cutting an isolated figure upfront this time last year. Ability has never been in doubt and this season his fitness levels seemed to have went up a new gears. Can mix it with the best and is vital to us not being bullied off the ball tomorrow.

Jamie Walker – Only real positive to come out of the 7-0 performance last year. Never hesitated in having a go at the Celtic rearguard and has the swagger and confidence to make a difference tomorrow. Like Patterson his fitness has improved greatly this season highlighted by last weeks 2nd half performace against the other half of the bigot brothers.

Brad McKay – The angry man has had to deal with some flack in previous weeks but has rammed those words down his doubters throats. A Colossus at the back when dealing with aerial duels but tomorrow will be his biggest test. Stokes,Guidetti and Griffiths offer great movement and intelligence that our side will seldom experience playing in the SPFL this season. One of those lads you want to do well as his passion and commitment to the club can never be in doubt.

Dale Carrick – Speedy is another injury blow which given the physical presence of Celtic at the back is a real shame. Willing runner and has looked more composed and ready for first team football compared to earlier outings in 2013. Will be a vital squad member when back fully fit and offer us something different upfront again.

Billy King – Billy never made it off the bench last year and in other outings looked to be a bit overawed by some of the brutes still plying their trade in our top league. This season has saw him mature and although he still can float in and out games at times, he has great awareness and a great ability for finding pockets of space around the opposition box. The number of assists he provides is also greatly unrecognised by some of us supporters.

So there we are folks. Hopefully my observations offer some comfort for those of us who were present last year and lets make sure these guys along with other players are given our full backing tomorrow.

Whether you agree or disagree please feel free to leave some feedback here or @mnfitba

Scott

I’ve got you under my skin

Amongst all the chat and analysis over the the 2-0 win for Hearts at the weekend, there seemed to be a performance that was not picked up on much by many sections of the press when looking at some of the poor decision making made by senior Rangers players. Lee McCulloch was guilty of trying to referee the game at times, was ran ragged by James Keatings in the second half & don’t get me started on that pitiful dive in the first half. His ability to rub me up the wrong way during most games I have watched him in got me to thinking about other players past and present that had that great knack of getting under my skin.

Here are some of my favourite picks:

David Weir – During his Rangers days thought he was Richard Gough and seemed to be consistently in the referees ear. Along with Alan Mclaren seemed to be dragged down a little by playing the Rangers way.

Tommy Turner – A tache to grace the greatest Liverpool team but not the ability. Always seemed to be whinging at younger players with more ability and looked like a school janitor not a footballer.

Scott Brown – Not so much a knock on him but the reaction his average performances garner from the press at times always seems to get on my wick.

Gary Mcswegan – Decent player in his day buy as a youngster I would always get infuriated with him and his Kardashianesque backside always being caught offside.

Ritchie Foran – One of many hardened Spl veterans that perform swan dives anytime he is blown on by an opposition player. Disgusting bully who found his place in a couple of Butcher sides.

Stephen Simmons – Billy big time attitude and I still remember him cheering on hearing the celtic Juventus score during a cold midweek cup exit in Dingwall.

John Mcglynn – Nice guy and good Hearts man but my god how his tactical ineptitude had me tearing my hair out most weeks. The insipid cup performance at Easter Road is one of the worst witnessed in my time as a Hearts fan.

Kenny Shiels – a Junior level manager who thinks too highly of himself and his teams. His attempts at mind games are laughable.

What would be your choices? Leave your feedback here or on @mnfitba

Scott

Where is the love?

Its the aftermath of the big championship match between Hearts & Rangers and I eventually calm myself down and decide to cast a glance at various fans forums. As most people rightly pointed out yesterday’s match was not a classic and the physical nature of the game stopped either team from expressing themselves for a sustained period of time (which suited one team more than the other). The other strand of conversation that seemed to keep catching my eye was the large number of posts dedicated to debating how fortunate and bang average this Hearts team was. Firstly if that is the honest opinion of fans of our rivals then they should be worried rather than optimistic. We have now amassed 10 points out of 12 against our two main rivals this season without hitting first gear so what happens over the coming months when confidence continues to swell and we get some of our important spine to the team back to full fitness?

Aside from those thoughts the thread got me thinking of putting together a squad of players from all three sides and trying to validate my reasons for my picks. Below you will see the squad. Feel free to comment if you have any alternatives.

Goalkeepers

Neil Alexander & Cammy Bell – Neil Alexander would be my first choice for this season with Cammy Bell providing a safe pair of hands waiting in the wings for his chance. His calming influence has been a very underated influence for Hearts this season.

Right Backs

Callum Patterson & David Gray – Been very impressed with Gray. His engine to get up and down the park is great and he is rarely beaten by a winger. Patterson though has the potential to become an established premiership player if he continues to improve and listen to the staff at Tynecastle so for me he would start most weeks in this division.

Left Backs

Lee Wallace & Kevin Mchattie – Lee does seem to have been dragged down a little by the lack of quality he has faced over the previous two seasons. I’ve seen enough of him to suggest he would still command the number 3 jersey in this squad under a competent manager. Mchattie still needs time to improve on his defensive positioning but is very useful pushing forward.

Centre backs

Danny Wilson, Alim Ozturk, Lee McCulloch & Jordan Mcghee – I cannot see past the centre half pairing responsible for the best defensive record in the league. Ozturk has taken confidence from his two recent strikes and has began to cut out the lapses in his game. Lee McCulloch would offer experience and can fill a number of positions. Jordan Mcghee is already attracting interest from down south and looks every inch a future Scotland centre half.

Centre Midfield

Mogaro Gomis, Prince Buaben, Scott allan, Lewis Macleod, Jason Holt – A midfield three of Allan,Gomis & Buaben would start most weeks for me but what a couple of great back up options. Holt still needs to offer more on a consistent basis to push ahead of Allan who has been quite superb for Hibs and is now adding goals to his game. Gomis and Buaben together take a huge chunk of the defensive worries off of the back four.

Wingers

Sam Nicholson, Alex Harris,Billy King & Fraser Aird – Only one of these widemen have convinced me that will be able to hold down a first team place in a premiership squad for next season. Harris needs to build on his confidence and get over the frail mentality that seems to be getting in the way of him getting involved in matches. Aird & King have shown flashes of ability but both need to build their upperbody strength. Nicholson has all the tools to become a major star on the wing and playing a number 10 role in future.

Forwards

Dominique Malonga, Osman Sow, Jason Cummings, James Keatings – Both Malonga & Sow give the impression that they would rather be somewhere else at times but ability wise both would stroll the Spl. Cummings ability still needs to catch up with his modesty but he has shown flashes of promise. Keatings if fully fit would be a great foil for Sow or Malonga.

So there is my prefered squad. Have your say and let me know if you agree or not with my selections.

Scott

Club v Country

A very weird thing happened as the first half of the Auld Enemy clash was drawing to a close last Tuesday night. I felt this urge to avert from my eyes from the screen stand up and wander over to the kitchen sink and start washing the dirty plates from my curry dish from earlier.That isn’t a knock on the good job Chesney is carrying out with the national side but rather another indication that I am never going to have the same connection with the national side than I will with the men in maroon.

My hate/apathetic affair with Scotland dates back to the andy roxburgh days. Even as a child I found myself scratching my head as my hero John Robertson would consistently be snubbed in favour of Brian McClair & Graham Sharp, two very experienced top english league players but both of whom had failed to reach the same heights for their country. Craig Brown would take over soon after but the same train of thought applied when picking players. Tosh Mckinlay and Darren Jackson were two great examples of players playing during the peak of their careers in Edinburgh but both were ignored for international recognition until Celtic came calling.

I attended a Scotland Russia match at Hampden in 1995 with my local boys club. The match ended 1-1 with Scott Booth firing home for the Scots. It was a nice experience travelling through to Hampden on a dark floodlit Wednesday night but I found myself zoning in and out of the game. A couple of u-21’s matches at Easter Road followed the next year but again I didn’t experience the excitment or the knots in my stomach that come hand in hand with watching Hearts play anyone from Rangers to Alloa.

For the next few years I stuck to watching games on the box with my dad but I seemed to find more joy in being negative towards the players I disliked than showing any backing for the team. Childish I know but as a teenager all i cared about was Hearts and in my eyes no other team or player got a look in.

And then September 2007 happened. It was Friday night and my mate phoned with the offer of a free ticket for the Scotland Lithuania match the next day. With a few cheeky coronas consumed I said “sure why not”. I enjoyed the train through and had a few jars in the city centre before heading to Hampden for the game. The Atmosphere in the ground was decent. Not a fan of the majority of the tartan army back catalogue but to be fair they were doing their best to get the team pumped up as they walked out onto the pitch. It was only when the players graced the park that I realised i had more of a connection with the men in yellow over the men in blue. Chesney, Miko, Janny just a few of the names on the opposition teamsheet that I had become accustomed to cheering on every Saturday. Scotland on the otherhand had such figures of hate such as Garry O’connor & elbows McCulloch in their ranks. Going by the reaction to the Lithuanian national anthem I was not the only one who had recognised some of the lithuanian players.

The match was played at a decent pace and Scotland had went in at half time a goal to the good through a typical Kris Boyd finish but lithuania were to make a change at half time with Miko coming on to try and stretch the Scotland backline. He started brightly taking every opportunity to get one on one with Alan Hutton. Then came the moment that would lead to years of Xenophobic and bile filled journalistic impartiality from some members of our respected media. Miko would weave into the box before falling down at the feet of Darren Fletcher. The penalty was given and everyone was stunned. It was now 1-1 and the atmosphere was starting to turn nasty. Now no one can stand up for what Miko did to claim the penalty. It was a dive and such behaviour should always be frowned upon but it seemed to pass everyone in the grounds attention that only a few minutes later would Garry O’connor fall to the deck under no pressure from the Lithuanian defender. An equally cheap attempt at gaining an advantage that seemed to be deemed  not noteworthy in any of the Sunday papers. I seemed to take it upon myself to take on the post of defence lawyer of Miko on the train coming from a match that Scotland would eventually win 3-1.

For a few years after that match, the majority of column inches related to Hearts seemed to focus on poking fun at our eccentric owner and taking cheap shots at some of the players. Such behaviour only seemed to push me further away from taking an interest in the national side. Thankfully things have calmed a little since those days but I guess I’m past saving now. I’m a proud Scot but deep down I feel like an Edinburgh lad at heart. Maybe those feelings above all the bitter memories are what fuels my apathy for international weekends. Talking about the fortunes of Hearts and Hibs tickles my football G-spot more than debating the merits of the latest Scotland squad i guess.

Well that’s my story. How do others feel about this topic. Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Scott

Form is Temporary – Sam

The old saying goes that form is temporary but class is permanent. As it pertains to Hearts in the Edinburgh derby this weekend, I believe what normally serves as a compliment will likely become a uniquely two pronged insult .

The voices have been loud this week, particularly among those whose achievements this season will be dependent on Hearts recent run of form being simply that, a run which will soon end resulting in the Tynecastle club being dragged back into the pack. Interviews conducted at East Mains and Murray Park have been full of bravado and even more jam packed with references to the Jambos.

Scott Robertson thinks a gap of 14 points is false. Alan Stubbs insists high flying Hearts are beatable. Ally McCoist and Nicky Law condescendingly wish Rangers had the ability to be, wait for it, as ‘half-Hearted’ in their approach to diddy cups. Oh, and Fraser Aird would rather watch Corrie.

The irony of Danny Handling singling out the motivational nature of a solitary tweet by Prince Buaben which was recently pinned to Hibs’ changing room wall, while making his own contribution to Riccarton’s new wallpaper was obviously lost on the forward.

Incidentally, Prince’s tweet doesn’t even actually say the word Hibs, but apparently referring to the pack of clubs currently trying to catch Hearts as ‘chasers’ was disrespectful enough to be seized upon by Liam Craig. The same Liam Craig offering square go’s in the car park to the entire Hearts squad back in August.

The point of this list is not to complain about the focus, on the contrary, it’s nice for us Jambos to be involved in these mind games again. The club has been through so much over the last year or so that it feels like a lifetime since we were deemed a serious threat by anyone.

The uniqueness of the current situation however is that, in the face of such focus from our rivals, Robbie Neilson’s team talk tomorrow would normally consist of something close to ‘win the game and shut them up’. To say that this time would serve simply to mislead his players.

To our rivals a Hearts win will be representative merely of one more win on the run of form. It simply serves to ensure that bubble is just that little bit bigger and the ‘inevitable’ burst that little more spectacular. The form may last a little longer but it’s still temporary.

A loss proves that we are, in fact, beatable and brings with it the potential for a crisis of confidence that they have been gleefully predicting, with their fingers secretly crossed, all week. The form is over, the class definitely proven never to have existed.

This all serves to reinforce my belief that the most important thing for Hearts supporter in the aftermath of this derby, no matter what the result, is to maintain perspective.

A win doesn’t prove that we’re class, though it may begin to point towards it. Equally a loss could be the form, the class simply surpressed for the first time since that demoralising draw at Dumbarton.

The point is it is too early in the evolution of this Hearts team, and indeed Hearts as club post administration, to know if we are witnessing the birth of structure and mentality that will see us challenge in the SPFL again far quicker than we could’ve imagined or simply an enjoyable 3 months on the route to mediocrity with a detour through glorious failure.

That sounds negative, but it’s really not. In actual fact what it actually means is that when Kevin McHattie replied ‘Why not?’ when questioned on the possibility of an unbeaten season, he had more justification to his answer than anyone who has commented on Hearts this week. The reason being that the evidence, limited though it may be, is in Hearts’ favour at this stage.

That may not be so unequivocally the case after the derby. Maybe then Hearts players can join the party and voice the spurious logic that supports the ‘inevitable’ collapse of our rivals. It seems only fair.

Maybe not. After all it’s important to remember that, even if a loss is what the derby gods serve up on Sunday, Hearts’ record will still be superior to anyone else in the league.

The question I’m left to ponder is when do we know whether we are witnessing form or class?

The more compelling question though, is whether anyone outside of Gorgie will be willing to accept it if we find that it’s the latter?

The only thing I know for certain is that Scotland’s tabloid football journalists hope not.

Sam.

My Hibs XI 1994-2014

As the second edinburgh derby of the season looms nearer, I have started to indulge in my pre-derby rituals. Amongst the increased bowl activity and facebook banter is the daily trawling through kickback and youtube searching for previous derby highs to help combat my derby jitters in preparation for Sunday. I also got thinking to matters beyond the game, most notably the first Monday Night Fitba radio show after a Hearts Hibs match and how the dynamic of the show might change from the usual lighthearted chat to a more heated debate with undertones of hatred between the two camps of fans *wink*.

A method for keeping everything light regardless of the score tomorrow would be to look back at the players you respected from your rivals down the years and attempt to put together a favourite Hibs XI. Hopefully this practice with be cleansing for my soul and help keep my banter light hearted come Mondays show.

The only criteria to make this team was to be involved in any hibs side of the past twenty years and be a player who’s skill and technical abilty  I admired but also had other fine traits such as loyalty or professionalism so sorry Riordan and O’connor but neither of you will make the cut.

Please feel free to leave your comments on my choices below and post your own selections on our facebook page.

Goalkeeper – Daniel Andersson. The Swede was only at the club for one season but is the most dependable and solid keeper I have seen at the club since Andy Goram left. I’m quite suprised he only gained one solitary cap for his country given his obvious attributes. Was a key figure in the clubs league cup triumphs over Celtic & Rangers that year. still playing for Helsingborgs at the fair old age of 41.

Right Back – David Gray. Has really impressed me since joining in the summer. Looks capable both defensively and in a more advanced wing back role and looks like a more capable captain than craig or hanlon. A very suprising success story given his less than impressive CV.

Left Back – David Murphy. Hibs fans should be thankful for his lack of pace because if a yard quicker this lad would have played for a top half team in the premiership for a number of years and would never have been seen in a hibs jersey. Injuries have blighted his career but when fully fit there were very few full backs in this country as consistent as him.

Sweeper – I am not a fan of the sweeper role but felt i needed to make this exception just to make a space for Frank Sauzee. I still can’t quite understand how Alex Mcleish managed to persuade the frenchman to ply his trade in the scottish first division but his signing seemed to give the club the boost the needed at a difficult time. Great reader of the game and a gentleman to boot.

Centre Back – Ulrik Laursen. A very imposing centre half who could hold is own in a very physical SPL but was also very capable on the deck. Went onto have a decent spell with celtic where he impressed in a couple of positions.

Right Midfield – Steven Whittaker. Always rated him more as a wide mifielder than as a full back. Great energy and decent pace with a shot that packed a punch. Always seemed to handle life as a footballer in a more professional manner than some of his fellow golden generation.

Left Midfield – Kevin Mcallister. Maybe inconsistent but on his day a superb old fashioned winger who had a bag of tricks and although recognised more through his spells with Falkirk, he still had a decent spell with the hibees.

Centre Midfield – Scott Brown. I must admit I still yearn to see the energetic,snarling and technically sound scott brown of old. I feel he has stagnated at Celtic and has rested on his laurels. At Hibs he looked the complete midfielder and under the guidance of Mowbray looked like becoming a star in England.

Centre Midfield – Russell Latapy. One of the most gifted midfielders I have witnessed at Tynecastle and even in his later years at Falkirk would cause all sorts of problems with his movement and vision. His goal in the 6-2 derby is one of the best scored in a derby during my lifetime. His antics off the field maybe resulted in a sour end to his time at Easter Road but in general he came across as a great role model on the park for his younger team mates.

Forward – Mixu Paatelainen. Great battering ram of a frontman who overcame a sticky start to his hibs career to win over the fans. Also good on the deck and scored a memorable hat-trick in the 6/2 derby.

Forward – Darren Jackson. Kept Hibs up almost single handedly in his final year at the club. Never had electric pace on the ball but great at finding space in the final third and had great composure also. A great servant to both edinburgh clubs and  to this day still handles himself well in interviews.

 

well there you go thats my picks. If you agree or disagree then leave a comment on this page or on our facebook page.

 

Cheers – Scott McIntosh

Welcome

Welcome to the brand new Monday Night Fitba blog. Here the team behind the Monday Night Fitba Radio Show and Podcast, along with an assortment of guest bloggers, will share their thoughts on Hearts, Hibs and football in Edinburgh & the surrounding area.