Livingston 4 - Hertz 1 Petrofac Training Cup

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Hearts treated this tournament the way we should have, they have gone out but the benefit of giving young players a bit of experience is more important in my opinion. Pretty much an under 20 team for Hearts including there former Rangers players in Liam Smith, Gary Oliver and Robbie Buchanan. Meanwhile despite being 5-0 up at half-time McCoist couldn't take the chance of giving Andy Murdoch as much as a minute on the pitch, and people wonder why our youth players are declining contract extensions.

We could be playing the Rangers female team at Murray Park tomorrow in a friendly and the youngsters still wouldn't get a chance.

[Waltersgotstyle 297]

Hearts treated this tournament the way we should have, they have gone out but the benefit of giving young players a bit of experience is more important in my opinion. Pretty much an under 20 team for Hearts including there former Rangers players in Liam Smith, Gary Oliver and Robbie Buchanan. Meanwhile despite being 5-0 up at half-time McCoist couldn't take the chance of giving Andy Murdoch as much as a minute on the pitch, and people wonder why our youth players are declining contract extensions.

 

You need a balanced approach, Hearts did themselves no favours by playing a team full of youngsters and getting pumped out. I agree with the Murdoch point though.

[barca72 440]

Hearts treated this tournament the way we should have, they have gone out but the benefit of giving young players a bit of experience is more important in my opinion. Pretty much an under 20 team for Hearts including there former Rangers players in Liam Smith, Gary Oliver and Robbie Buchanan. Meanwhile despite being 5-0 up at half-time McCoist couldn't take the chance of giving Andy Murdoch as much as a minute on the pitch, and people wonder why our youth players are declining contract extensions.

 

For the most part I would agree with your argument for playing the youngsters. In the game against Clyde, however, I agree with Ally. This team was feeling the heat after an average pre-season and a poorish start to the season. It was necessary that this team came out and put in a strong showing if for nothing else than to gain a bit of confidence. I feel that the time to allow youngsters their head is when the rest of the team has the confidence to carry them should they stumble.

I know you follow the youngsters a lot and may be a wee bit biased for giving them a chance, but we have to stamp our authority before we take a chance.

[pmu 0]

We could be playing the Rangers female team at Murray Park tomorrow in a friendly and the youngsters still wouldn't get a chance.

 

They would prob stick another 4 hatricks past the "men"

[pmu 0]

For the most part I would agree with your argument for playing the youngsters. In the game against Clyde, however, I agree with Ally. This team was feeling the heat after an average pre-season and a poorish start to the season. It was necessary that this team came out and put in a strong showing if for nothing else than to gain a bit of confidence. I feel that the time to allow youngsters their head is when the rest of the team has the confidence to carry them should they stumble.

I know you follow the youngsters a lot and may be a wee bit biased for giving them a chance, but we have to stamp our authority before we take a chance.

You are right, however it shoudnt be like that. Mind you at 5 nil h/t surely enough authority had been stamped!

[barca72 440]

You are right, however it shoudnt be like that. Mind you at 5 nil h/t surely enough authority had been stamped!

 

I know, I wanted to see Murdoch. However, what kind of price would be put on the season if we are set up by Boyd getting his hat-trick, Shiels finally putting someone through for a goal and Templeton looking good without being scythed down every other attacking run?

[Hildy 0]

I want to see youngsters blooded but I do not think it is useful to rest the top team and field a shadow team in its place.

 

Young players should be given the opportunity to perform in a first team environment. It sounds as though Hearts put out an entire reserve team in a first team fixture. I'm not sure that this achieves anything other than to rest the top team.

 

Youngsters should be afforded the opportunity to play alongside established players in competitive games - not to play beside their usual team-mates in a game their club is seemingly content to lose.

[calscot 0]

Hearts treated this tournament the way we should have, they have gone out but the benefit of giving young players a bit of experience is more important in my opinion. Pretty much an under 20 team for Hearts including there former Rangers players in Liam Smith, Gary Oliver and Robbie Buchanan. Meanwhile despite being 5-0 up at half-time McCoist couldn't take the chance of giving Andy Murdoch as much as a minute on the pitch, and people wonder why our youth players are declining contract extensions.

 

I would say this is a very good example of what not to do. How does putting an under 20 team out to lose 4-0 and out of the tournament give them valuable experience? It's not like they can even put what they have learned about getting thrashed into the next game...

 

But where it stops to make much sense at all is if you imagine Livingstone did the same and put out an under 20 team, what experience would any of the players get that they wouldn't have in a game with the exact same players from both sides in an U20 game? What is the difference apart from playing at the proper stadium with perhaps a small crowd?

 

I don't think anyone would have complimented McCoist for losing 4-0 to Livingstone with such a team (or any team), and I can't see how it would have the youngsters falling over themselves to sign contracts.

 

You'd also have to ask those paying their hard earned cash whether they would prefer to see their club field strong team and win 8-1 or a youth team and lose 4-0.

 

McCoist just gets in the neck no matter what, even when he wins well, he should really be getting thrashed instead. You have to wonder whether those agreeing with you actually agree with what you are saying or agreeing that it's always good to find a way to give Ally a bashing.

[calscot 0]

Meaningless tournament.Should have used U21 players but our manager is so desperate to win absolutely anything to give himself much-needed credibility he put out a full strength side.

 

I might be wrong but I thought you were one of those that said it was unacceptable for the manager not to win the cup?

 

But I don't think you can blame a manager for wanting to win a trophy. At the moment, the two main cups are as difficult for us than it has been for teams outside the OF ie not something that is achievable on a regular basis.

 

But right now the manager has won the last two championship's at a canter, so why wouldn't he want to win a cup where he pilloried for not winning?

 

So which is it - he should be embarrassed for not winning it or he shouldn't be keen to win it?

 

The ease of us winning the challenge cup are about the same as us winning the Scottish Cup when we had the most expensive team in the UK and Celtic were in financial difficulty - but we didn't always do it then.

 

But there is always the point that you have paying fans who turn up and deserve a decent attempt at winning.

[Tannochsidebear 2,322]

Failure to win it in the previous two years should not have been acceptable either!

 

It wasn't but I was just focusing on the future, as the past has been done to death. That our board thought that cup final performance was not worthy of a sacking says more about them than us.