Number 9’s since Robbo

[Kashinda]

With all the talk of John Robertson coming in as manager if when we get relegated, I thought I'd have a wee look at all the number 9's that have come and gone since he left us in 1998. 
Most of it makes for pretty grim reading tbh, especially during the Budge regime.



First up, from May 1998-2002, Stéphane Adam wore the number 9 managing 22 goals in 94 games during that period including the goal to seal the cup for us in 1998. 

When Adam retired, we signed Mark de Vries who wore the number 9 shirt from 2002 until he left in 2004. 33 goals in 90 games including 4 goals in Europe, 5 goals against Hibs and 4 goals against Celtic. A big game player. 

We started the 2004-2005 season without a number 9, until Lee Miller arrived in January. He had a pretty good spell at Hearts by all accounts. 11 goals in 23 games including 2 against Hibs. 

Edgaras Jankauskas was our number nine for the next two seasons. 13 goals in 47 appearances for the big boy. He was a touch of class in his first season at Hearts but struggled in the second season from what I remember. All in all a classy player with bigs of skill but not an out and out goalscorer. Loved a screamer though. 

Jankauskas left in the summer of 2007 and Michal Pospisil was handed the number 9 shirt. He didn't manage to score any goals during has 9 games as a number 9 before leaving in January. He did get 14 goals in 58 games in the previous two seasons however. Liked Pospisil, used to do that goal celebration he did after scoring his cup final penalty all the time.

After Pospisil left, we finished the 07/08 season without a number 9, until big Mike Tullberg appeared on the scene for the 2008/2009 season. 0 goals in 9 games. Pish. 

We then went the next season without a number 9 before big JJ came in and signed Kevin Kyle. He only played 22 games for us and scored 10 goals including a last minute winner against Hibs. A game that turned out to be his last ever league game with us although he stuck around injured until March 2012. Feel like he played more than 22 games for us but apparently not. Seemed to hate Hibs and was good at holding the ball up. Decent number 9 if he managed to stay injury free. 

John Sutton got number 9 for 2012-2013 and was shite. 8 goals in 41 games and lost us a cup final. Fucking arsehole. Don't care about his stats when he wasn't our number 9. 

Started the next season without a number 9 and a team full of kids :begbie:. Paul McCallum came in on loan from West Ham, only played 7 times and didn't score once. Shite. 

As we started life in the Championship, flagship signing Soufian El Hassnaoui was awarded the number 9 shirt and held it for the next two seasons - from 2014 to 2016 - missing his last season entirely through a combination of injury and being shite. Looked good in flashes but only managed 4 goals in 19 games in the championship. 

After El Hass left, Juanma was given the number 9 shirt for the 2016/17 season after managing 13 goals in 39 games the previous season. He managed 4 games as a number 9, all in Europe, without scoring and was then very unfairly loaned out for 6 months only to be sold. Joke from Levein. 

We completed the 16/17 season without a number 9 and finished 5th with Ian Cathro at the helm. Then in the 17/18 season, along came Kyle Lafferty. Hates Hibs, hates Celtic, scores against both. Top guy. 19 goals in 42 games, just what we needed, a goalscorer. Was sold to Rangers the next season and spent it sitting on the bench. Thanks Levein. 

Summer signing Sean Clare was bizarrely awarded the number 9 shirt for his first season at Hearts in 2018/19. He managed 6 goals in 35 games and to really annoy the Hearts support. 

Finally, last summer we thought Clare was no longer worthy of the number 9 shirt, so awarded it to new signing and 'goal machine' Conor Washington for the 2019/20 season. He has managed 4 goals in 21 games, and scored at Easter Road which is always a positive. Mind you, so did Clare and he's got 6 goals this season from right back. 


In the 632 that John Robertson played for Hearts, he managed 271 goals - although not all as a number 9 but that's beside the point. 

In the time that he has been gone, 14 players have taken to the field wearing the number 9, racking up 463 appearances between them and managing a measly 130 goals, with over half of those goals coming from Adam, De Vries and Miller alone. 




TL;DR

John Robertson is the GOAT. Lafferty, Adam, Jankauskas and De Vries were good. Miller, Kyle and Pospisil were good. 
Tullberg, Washington, El Hass, Clare, Sutton and McCallum were shite and Juanma was harshly treated. 

[Del-icious]

Where's this sudden shit talking of Clare emerged from again?   He's obviously nowhere near the same league as Robbo but thought we were mostly all in agreement that he had turned a corner and had been playing quite well?

I dont think he'll have much appetite to play Scottish championship football but I'd like to keep him. Good player for SPFL level after he found his confidence and the fans were on side.

[Shteve]

Did we not do this before quite recently?

[Kashinda]

Where's this sudden shit talking of Clare emerged from again?   He's obviously nowhere near the same league as Robbo but thought we were mostly all in agreement that he had turned a corner and had been playing quite well?

I dont think he'll have much appetite to play Scottish championship football but I'd like to keep him.  Good player for SPFL level after he found his confidence and the fans were on side.

Just meant he was shite as a number 9. He's probably been one of our best players this season.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

As time goes on I think less and less attention gets paid to players having the number 9 jersey - which is a shame. The joy of squad numbers- bah

[Sarkozabal]

Lee Miller was unlucky to join us in January 2005, in normal circumstances I think he would have stayed for a few years and had a decent career with us. Scored a few big goals and an absolute screamer of a volley at Tynie in his short stint

Was obviously never going to be kept once the chequebook came out and we could afford Janny and Bednar though

[Charlie Kelly]

Didn't Miller ditch us for Aberdeen?

[Hank Scorpio]

Miller split for Dundee United, I think. Replacing him and Burchill with Jankauskas, Bednar and Pospisil

[Charlie Kelly]

Couldn't remember which one it was he went to but knew it wasn't our choice. Worked out for the best in the end as you say.

[pondlife]

Had to be careful, way more careful than this joker, that day!

e: ffs.co.uk

[Big Physical Acey]

Lee Miller was unlucky to join us in January 2005, in normal circumstances I think he would have stayed for a few years and had a decent career with us. Scored a few big goals and an absolute screamer of a volley at Tynie in his short stint

Scotsport SPL Play Of The Week

That transfer saga with Bristol City being absolute wanks

Absolutely hated Miller as a player when he wasn't with Hearts. Diving cunt.

[Hank Scorpio]

Scott Brown got away with absolute murder in that game. I'm sure Jankauskas was sent off for retaliation. 

Nice to see Scottish Football hasnt changed that much in 15 years.

[Shuto Makino]

Can remember everyone being desperate for us to keep Miller. This was when Mr Romanov was just in the door, and a lot of us saw shelling out for Miller's wages (think he was on loan from Bristol?) as his first chance to make a statement of intent. We were obviously unenthusiastic, and in the end the chat was that we made him an offer to keep the fans happy, but that he was always going to reject the wages we put on the table.

He had looked great for us, scoring regularly, including some important goals, and generally being a handful for defenders. Never recaptured it at United or any of his subsequent clubs - hard to say if he would've done the same with us or if it was one of those cases where things just seem to click for a player at one club in particular.

[pondlife]

Scott Brown got away with absolute murder in that game. I'm sure Jankauskas was sent off for retaliation. 

Nice to see Scottish Football hasnt changed that much in 15 years.

Glad your memory is better than mine. No idea how it unfolded tbh, though I do remember it was 2 zip and Janny got taken off and some light pen shoe in his eyes by our medical staff before the red. Needless to say I was pretty drunk but that's not why I don't generally recall anything from games.

what year woould this be, 2003, 2005?

[Kashinda]

2005. That was my first derby at Easter Road too. Ended our unbeaten run that day

[Jeff Resnick]

Can remember everyone being desperate for us to keep Miller. This was when Mr Romanov was just in the door, and a lot of us saw shelling out for Miller's wages (think he was on loan from Bristol?) as his first chance to make a statement of intent. We were obviously unenthusiastic, and in the end the chat was that we made him an offer to keep the fans happy, but that he was always going to reject the wages we put on the table.

He had looked great for us, scoring regularly, including some important goals, and generally being a handful for defenders. Never recaptured it at United or any of his subsequent clubs - hard to say if he would've done the same with us or if it was one of those cases where things just seem to click for a player at one club in particular.

Deal with Miller was agreed. Mr Romanov told Bristol City to bolt after they fucked about with the fee.

[Kashinda]

Was miller not here before Romanov?

[Jeff Resnick]

Was miller not here before Romanov?

No. Miller was on loan in the second half of the 04-05 season and Mr Romanov started to take over during that time.

[Kashinda]

No. Miller was on loan in the second half of the 04-05 season and Mr Romanov started to take over during that time.

So then he was here before Romanov then?

[Shuto Makino]

Mr Romanov first arrived in January 2005, when Robbo was manager, with the first Lithuanians (Miko and Chesney) arriving around that time. Not sure if Miller's loan deal was agreed very shortly before or very shortly after Romanov's arrival, but by the time he left the takeover had been completed.