Hearts v Livi

Hopefully the 2 week break will have done us good, a few players looked jaded in our last 2 games, Particularly Omeonga, just wasn't his usual self buzzing about all over the pitch. Hearts had to play the cup game and have a lot of players with knocks and niggley injuries, so that can only be a good thing for us.

They're a good team though, and are at home, so we'll need to be on our game defensively, and pretty much do what we did in our cup game against them, only score a goal or two this time. We're playing well despite our loss to Celtic, if we're up for this i think we can get a win, would be good to at least get a point and see how the other games go, got a feeling the teams around us will drop points this weekend.

We should be back to our old line up for this, with our front 3 of Forrest-Anderson-Nouble, big Joel was just coming onto his game being played on the wing in our cup game, and they struggled to play against him in the 2nd half, think we'll be better up front than in that game too.

Mon the Lions, lets do this and get those 3 points.

Read on P&B Anderson is out injured for this match, just hope Martindale either plays with a front three of Forrest-Soto-Nouble, or sticks Forrest in the No9 role in a front three of Nouble-Forrest-Bailey.

For the love of all things Livi hoping Martindale doesn't have Nouble or Shinnie as the No9, or we're doomed. In that scenario having Forrest & Bailey playing off Nouble as the big target man might rescue us, but he can't be isolated up there by himself like he was against Celtic, no point hitting high balls up for him to win if no Livi player is close enough to get onto them.

I think Hearts will be too strong for us. When Anderson plays you always feel you have a chance but he's oot.

Agree with Orco

Must admit I had my reservations about this game before I heard of Andersons injury.Those fears have be confounded by Bruce's misfortune.Apparently could be out for weeks which is a massive blow to our top 6 aspirations. Only comfort is that we've got that cushion between us and tenth place which in the bigger picture is more important to us imo.On tomorrow's game I agree with Orco and Nick.Doubt we will be strong enough up front and would definitely bite yer hand off for a point here.Usually when I doubt these lads it comes back to bite me on the arse.Sincerely hope my buttocks take a tanking tomorrow but suspect il be safe from a hiding.Anyway I'm sure theyl do their proverbial best.Get intea them Livi..

If we play Nouble in his best position, either side of a front three, then we've a decent chance of getting something, with Devlin doing overlaps with Nouble  we'll always cause teams problems, Hearts struggled against him in the cup game with Penrice down the left wing too, so either side is fine, we've good wingbacks backing him up. Also need a mobile front player that'll do the running/chasing Anderson does, so Forrest or Soto need to play in that position, absolutely not Shinnie, and would rather have Nouble in his best position than him trying to play the No9 role.
He'll set up Pittman with crosses into the box as well, we're not lacking a goal threat or players that can deliver assists, just need Martindale to play them in their best positions, Nouble on the wing, and Pittman as an attacking mid.

Think Hearts are struggling with injuries too, and had to play a cup game last weekend, which wouldn't have helped their players playing with knocks and niggles.
We're due a win over them too, they were spawny beating us at home, and winning the cup game in a pen shoot out, when we had the best chance in open play during the normal 90 mins. Added to that, Obileye is scoring a goal from a header in this game, he's had 2 free headers in his last 2 games, went over the bar in the 1st, hit the bar against Celtic, primed to score from one on Saturday.

2-1 Livi, Obileye scoring one, and either Forrest or Pitts with the other.

Unfortunately DM will not play them that way; he’ll set up 4-3-2-1 or 3-5-1-1 but hopefully he learned from the first half of the cup tie that he can’t play Forrest as a wing back as it wastes his talent. He doesn’t play well in that role because he is not defensively minded, which exposes the right side of a back 3 (hence all those last ditch blocks by Devs in the first half of the cup tie).

I’d much rather see us set up to get at them, just as LF is describing…but I don’t think we will.

Totally tepid at best for me today.Yeh,we didn't have Anderson but with one or two exceptions our offense was virtually non existent for the majority of this match.Hearts dominince was frustrating to watch from our point of view,and I've certainly no complaints about the result.Concerned about the amount of cards we're racking up as well.Could cost us in the run in with some on the border of a suspension. Anyway the old cliche bad day at the office doesn't even come to mind either. Shocker from us and we've got to get ourselves sorted and some.Still 10 points clear of 10th so at least a crumb of comfort ,though not feeling it tonight after that..

10 points clear of 11th Troy, only 2 clear of 10th.

The other results conspired to keep us in the top 6 by the skin of our teeth.

Massive game in two weeks up in Perth (great result for them today) - win that and we are almost certainly safe from outright relegation & probably safe from an 11th place finish. Which given the start we had this season would be a marvellous achievement. It would also set us up with a home match against Motherwell to clinch a top 6 slot.

The fixtures on April 2nd are
Dundee v Aberdeen - hopefully a draw
Hibs v United- hopefully a draw
M’well v St M - hopefully a draw
Ross v Hearts - hopefully an away win
St J v Livi - hopefully an away win

That combination of results would see us possibly in 4th (if we win by at least 2 or if we have scored more goals than United); it would mean Ross & Aberdeen would be unable to catch us before the split & would need a massive GD turnaround for either St M or M’well to catch us.

So there is still a lot to play for.

orco wrote:I think Hearts will be too strong for us. When Anderson plays you always feel you have a chance but he's oot.

And so it came to pass.

Did anyone go or watch it on the Hearts ppv? I saw the highlights on Sportscene but it didn’t look like we threatened too much, one good shot from Forrest bringing out a decent TV-save from Gordon was about it.

I’d like to know how DM set us up, was Nouble a target man or given his far more productive wide role? Etc etc etc.

I watched the whole stream Nick.As I've said Anderson was a big miss for us.Hearts virtually dominated that game and were right up for this.Not too many chances came our way.We were well beaten by the better team on the day.Just hope we can lift ourselves for the so called cup finals to come.Dissapointing,but we move on..

Yeah got that from your earlier post but still would like to know what DM’s game plan was. Did we basically defend or did we have a go?

Don't know what Davies gameplan was but it didn't work obviously. Hearts despite a slightly improved second half from us put this to bed with a cracker from Mackay.On the whole we didn't deserve anything from an otherwise forgettable day for us.

Auld Nick wrote:Did anyone go or watch it on the Hearts ppv? I saw the highlights on Sportscene but it didn’t look like we threatened too much, one good shot from Forrest bringing out a decent TV-save from Gordon was about it.

I’d like to know how DM set us up, was Nouble a target man or given his far more productive wide role? Etc etc etc.

Started off with Nouble as a target man, but after going a goal down, almost 2 but for Stryjek making a good save, he switched Nouble onto the wing.

Our best chance of scoring was going to be from a set piece, we were pretty toothless in open play, and Fitzwater had an excellent chance from a free header just before HT, but put it past the post into the side netting. 2nd half we started brightly and Nouble got into the box with the ball but then got it caught under his feet. Hearts 2nd was against the run of play, but we really needed to score when we were on the front foot, and didn't. 2-0 game was over.

Game plan was out the window with shite defending in the first 3 mins though, we had two chances to get it to feck and didn't get it out of our box. Boyce kept doing reverse passes inside our back line with a Hearts player running in behind, must've caught us out like that 4 or 5 times, Stryjek made a good save to stop us going 2-0 down in the first half from one of them, and they got their goal from him doing it too.

Good 2nd goal from Hearts but would question our defending again, nobody in front of McKay gave him plenty time under no pressure to get his volley lined up, nearest Livi player was standing behind him.

No complaints this time though, 2 legit goals and Hearts were the better team.