***Hearts v Rangers***

[liquid111 51]

In my opinion...

A number of players played with a very high level of intensity that saw some rash challanges. They played this way because, deep down, they know that this is the only way they can win under McCoist's management. I do appreciate their mindset though -- it certainly was a game that called-for huge intensity. They very nearly pulled-off an equaliser with 10 men early in the second half I thought, but it required huge physical work.

McCoist's decision to sub-on Foster for Miller was a classic "fearful/negative McCoist" decision. It was actually having a mobile player in Miller's position that was giving Hearts "pause for thought" in many respects.

The decision to sub-on Boyd for Macleod further reduced mobility. Boyd's signing now appears to be a mistake. (I hold my hands up and admit that I was positive about it at the time.)

Fans want to see mobile players and the ball on the ground. That's the way football should be played. It was incredibly dissapointing not to see players such as Clark, Aird, Templeton and Shiels feature with a view to moving the ball around quickly.

Overall, there is an element of fearfulness that has plagued McCoist and this side for three years, and which might as well be binned. He and his players have nothing to lose now.

[tannerall 25,935]

In my opinion, a number of players played with a very high level of intensity that saw some rash challanges. They played this way because, deep down, they know that this is the only way they can win under McCoist's management. I do appreciate their mindset though -- it certainly was a game that called-for huge intensity.

McCoist's decision to sub-on Foster for Miller was a classic "fearful/negative McCoist" decision. It was actually having a mobile player in Miller's position that was giving Hearts "pause for thought" in many respects.

The decision to sub-on Boyd for Macleod further reduced mobility. Boyd's signing now appears to be an error. I hold my hands up and admit that I was positive about it at the time.

Fans want to see mobile players and the ball on the ground. That's the way football should be played. It was incredibly dissapointing not to see players such as Clark, Aird and Templeton feature.

Those mobile flair players who use the ball on the ground can be inconsistent, and rely a lot on confidence sometimes.

But they will be the players who win you the big games, so you need to take the chance with them , and also build their confidence by playing them in the big games. Templeton is a great example of this, has the ability to turn games round or win them on his own, and has proven that already.

For that reason I would have played both Temps and Boyd in this game, and before it I would have had a wee word with them, explaining this was their arena and they were there too do what they do best, be match winning players, something they have done so often in past. Would have given them a we bit of responsibility and confidence too.

[liquid111 51]

Those mobile flair players who use the ball on the ground can be inconsistent, and rely a lot on confidence sometimes.

But they will be the players who win you the big games, so you need to take the chance with them , and also build their confidence by playing them in the big games. Templeton is a great example of this, has the ability to turn games round or win them on his own, and has proven that already.

Templeton is a mobile player with good touch who has seemed to do much better when being introduced as a substitute.

On that basis, I was surprised when he wasn't subbed-on today when Miller was being rash, or when players looked to be tiring at about 70 mins due to the extra work they were doing.

I guess we'll have to see what happens now. Promotion really is vital.

[sassaaaa 11,406]

His game plan and substitutions alone were a sacking offence , absolutely clueless .

[LegendofCoop 17,291]

Absolutely laughable decisions made in this one. Foster for Miller just beggared belief, and then bringing Boyd on (which I could see coming 3,000 miles away) was also mind boggling; we needed pace and guile and to have a right go at them, so on comes a defender and a guy that makes a glacier look like Usain Bolt in comparison. Sending a message through hard tackles is one thing, but continued stupid challenges should never be used as a substitute for actual passing skills. I had a bad feeling as soon as we walked on in those fucking horrible white surrender monkey strips, but to be fair they perfectly reflected the current attitude and play of management and players today. Sick to my back teeth of players rabbiting up a storm to the rags all week and then falling mute when the match actually kicks off.

Miller needed to come off as next tackle he was getting a red. That said, Clark would have been the ideal replacement....like for like. But you're right.....shoving a defender on That's twice now he's fucked up substitutions against Hearts involving Foster.

And yeah, since when do we wear away tops against Hearts?

This and even after the sending off the team played well enough, the tackle was sheer lunacy and unnecessary. I have to give Ally credit for not trying to lay the blame for red card on the ref. It changed the game though and Smith has let his team-mates and the manager down.

As bad as he is, I can't blame Ally entirely for today's loss as Smith has some culpability.

Boyd and Miller could easily have joined him ....

You could argue the point that McCoist picked Smith, but that's not really what cost us. McCulloch's poor choice of clearance led to the first goal, and Black clearly had a weeks pay packet on a 2-0 home win. These were the two decisive moments that ultimately cost us the game. However, Ally clearly hadn't a fuckin clue how to handle that situation today. Poor choices in team selection & substitutions just killed any effectiveness we might have had. It's happened too often this season too. His time is up.

[Inigo 32,528]

He has no control over where the guys foot is.

Exactly, so to say there was no great force in the tackle is wrong.

He doesn't need to have control over where his foot is. He knows where his standing foot will be and because of that he avoided it.

There was no great force in comparison with any other slide tackle. Slide tackling is not illegal and is not regarded as excessive force.

[Sober if well - zoom 2]

His game plan and substitutions alone were a sacking offence , absolutely clueless .

If he drops any points in the next two matches and he's not sacked, they (the board) are not going to. It was clear from his (Ally) interview that he's going nowhere.

Edit for Quote

“Today is another reminder that it’s going to be difficult, very difficult. But I’m still as firmly focused and determined and full of belief as I ever have been.

“I think we showed enough that we are more than capable of closing that gap. Nine points is not ideal, far from it, but we have a firm belief that we can do it. It’s not going to be easy but we still believe we can be champions come May.”

Getting rid of this dugout is going to cause MA a headache and a lot of cash ....

Not going to jump on the Ally bashing bandwagon but they are right .. he should do decent thing and walk away.

[Sober if well - zoom 2]

Is there a time limit on edit posts?

I was going to add ... As inept as Ally as been, today the players let him down regardless of how we view his substitutions. Smith forced him into deciding whether to try and maintain the gap at 6 points or reduce the deficit. Whilst we may disagree with his actions he should never have been put in that spot by his players on such a crucial occasion ..

Note: I am not defending him overall and believe he needs to walk ... but he cannot shoulder the entire blame. The players have a responsibility as well as they knew how important this match was.

Shocking discipline from paid pros.

[Adoniram 1,919]

Is there a time limit on edit posts?

I was going to add ... As inept as Ally as been, today the players let him down regardless of how we view his substitutions. Smith forced him into deciding whether to try and maintain the gap at 6 points or reduce the deficit. Whilst we may disagree with his actions he should never have been put in that spot by his players on such a crucial occasion ..

Note: I am not defending him overall and believe he needs to walk ... but he cannot shoulder the entire blame. The players have a responsibility as well as they knew how important this match was.

Shocking discipline from paid pros.

I blame the clown who picked Smith. Yet again he has persisted with Smith and Wallace on the left despite it never working.

Yet again he has went in to a crunch game and bottled it with his selections and tactics.

Hearts have 3 top players out and he still bottles it. A midfield that struggles to dominate against any opposition is picked yet again. And unsurprisingly we fail to score again in a crunch game.

He plays without pace up front in the middle or on the wings.

He picks Mohsni who hasn't started for months and moves our best centre half to RB to accommodate him.

And the Miller substitution...only he can know what the fuck he was hoping for by taking a striker off and putting a RB in to midfield.

He's an utter clown as manager.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

Rangers could still have beat that lot wae 10 men, the substitution of Foster for Miller was criminal and basically a sign of capitulation !

[FlippinEck 3,705]

Still laughing at that Foster sub. He said before the game he didn't want to risk starting foster either so a not even fully fit foster got on the wing ahead of temps and aird