He's been on the bench plenty has he not? Pretty sure he 'played' against Rangers but he didn't get many touches of the ball.

Yeah that's what I'm getting at. He's been a sub plenty but not been seen an awful lot that I can remember. Classic Hearts under Levein that he's made 4 appearances this season, 3 against the Old Firm

We have sent a lot of these kids out on loan, which is fair enough. 

Paterson aside, our academy hasn't exactly produced gems for a while. Walker, Nicholson and King were probably the most promising graduates - one's in limbo, ones already on his 2nd MLS club, and the other is in the Championship.

(01-25-2019, 08:01 PM)Shteve Wrote: He's been on the bench plenty has he not? Pretty sure he 'played' against Rangers but he didn't get many touches of the ball.

I think Dundee was his first sub appearance in a while. He played in that friendly a few weeks back, so maybe he's not quite fit yet, but not deemed worthy of being hung out to dry and hooked after half an hour.

Paterson aside not one of them's a Levein player. Can't be without being 6'4 and kicking it miles. Not very accurately.

(01-25-2019, 08:09 PM)Dont You Fucking DARE Wrote: Yeah that's what I'm getting at. He's been a sub plenty but not been seen an awful lot that I can remember. Classic Hearts under Levein that he's made 4 appearances this season, 3 against the Old Firm

That's our problem tbh. They don't seem to get enough game time at sensible times, then thrown in at the deep end then disappear again for months.

The Levein man-management coming up trumps again.

He's only 17 ffs 

Think the academy needs to be judged over a longer term: by the very nature of what it is, you can't expect short-term success from youth development. Having said that, I don't see much justification at this stage for saying that the current crop is unusually good: we've always had 2-3 players in and about the first team, even in the Romanov days, and right now in a pretty poor Hearts side there aren't any holding down a starting spot.

As for Cochrane, he clearly has potential, but he wouldn't be the first or the last to look like a star in the making only to not make the grade (whether due to injury, mismanagement, or whatever else). Not saying a spell out of the first team at 17 proves that's going to happen, but at this stage he can hardly exactly be held up as proof of our top class youth system.

I actually think Lewy is on to something with his point about 'robots' too - we seem to specialise in coaching the flair and enjoyment of the game out of talented youngsters by the time they're about 19.

Would agree with the last bit too - our young players don't have the same sort of impertinence that Templeton had when he broke through. He slotted in and started skinning folk all over the shop; our guys don't seem to realise they're fitter, faster and 10 years younger than a lot of the players they're up against.

(01-26-2019, 10:47 AM)Makween Wrote: Think the academy needs to be judged over a longer term: by the very nature of what it is, you can't expect short-term success from youth development. Having said that, I don't see much justification at this stage for saying that the current crop is unusually good: we've always had 2-3 players in and about the first team, even in the Romanov days, and right now in a pretty poor Hearts side there aren't any holding down a starting spot.

As for Cochrane, he clearly has potential, but he wouldn't be the first or the last to look like a star in the making only to not make the grade (whether due to injury, mismanagement, or whatever else). Not saying a spell out of the first team at 17 proves that's going to happen, but at this stage he can hardly exactly be held up as proof of our top class youth system.

I actually think Lewy is on to something with his point about 'robots' too - we seem to specialise in coaching the flair and enjoyment of the game out of talented youngsters by the time they're about 19.

That's how I see it, maybe I expect too much but I want to see someone with a bit of something different, I liked Templeton because he was willing to take players on and you actually had a bit of excitement when he got on the ball like he can maybe do something here, didn't always happen for him but he gave you that buzz anyway. I hate watching safe players and that's what we seem to specialise in, you should enjoy football when you're playing and not be scared and just play within yourself because you're afraid you might lose the ball now and then.

(01-26-2019, 10:56 AM)Neaven MacLean Wrote: Would agree with the last bit too - our young players don't have the same sort of impertinence that Templeton had when he broke through. He slotted in and started skinning folk all over the shop; our guys don't seem to realise they're fitter, faster and 10 years younger than a lot of the players they're up against.

'Robots' is spot on. I played pro youth for a couple of seasons (not at Hearts tbf) and it honestly made me hate playing football.

It's the tika taka generation. Brought up to think passing the ball to death is the only way.

We've given game time to about half a dozen identikit wingers from the youth team in the last year or so - Morrison and maybe McDonald are the only ones I've actually seen take on a man.

Henderson, Moore, Zanatta etc. seem to be under strict instructions to take one touch and pass it back to the fullback or defensive mid as quickly as possible every single time

(01-26-2019, 11:43 AM)Alan Partridge Wrote: It's the tika taka generation. Brought up to think passing the ball to death is the only way.

Passing the ball is good when there is an end product. The problem comes when the first difficult or telling pass is required and nobody has the ability or vision to execute it.

(01-26-2019, 03:14 PM)Hendricks Wrote: Passing the ball is good when there is an end product. The problem comes when the first difficult or telling pass is required and nobody has the ability or vision to execute it.

When your whole football philosophy is built on a big lump of a striker, chances are the run to accept a clever pass is never made.

Just look at Sanchez last night.

Godinho 52'
Morrison 90'

(01-26-2019, 04:58 PM)TEAM LEVEIN Wrote:

Godinho 52'
Morrison 90'

Quite timely that.

round you Mikey Stewart, turncoat wank.