Smiley Culture

Punch DJ’s.

We’ve seen France scrap their League Cup, the Spanish have scrapped two legged Copa Del Rey games, they’ve expanded their Super Cup to four teams, bastardised it and flogged it to the biggest bidder (Saudi Arabia) and the Italians have had their Supercoppa held in the US, China, Qatar and even bloody Libya. There’s even been the slow signs of change in English Football with replays scrapped after Round Five and the League Cup going straight to penalties after normal time. There’s been signs of domestic football being influenced by certain clubs and certain influences whom also hold a standing within UEFA for years. We’ve even seen change Internationally with the extended Euros competition in France four years ago, that was shit, the introduction of the Nations League (though International Football certainly needed something, we’ll see how this crosses over with the Euros) and plans for extended World Cup’s. There’s been changes happening slowly in Football at UEFA level at club level and Internationally. Some are good for the game as a whole and others are clearly bad and morally wrong. I think this is just another step towards a European competition(s) taking precedence in Football with domestic football playing second fiddle, a bit like it does in Cricket with the International game ruling the roost and domestic cricket being a bit of an after thought.

That and/or amongst more experienced players, as Charlton’s side has been decimated by injury and he was amongst some young lads in midfield and Darren Pratley on Saturday.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/champions-league-set-overhaul-four-21292762.amp I despair.

I had similar. Got it for Christmas but didn’t really know where to start, so didn’t actually play it. This Hearts save, after reading a FM forum about an Aberdeen save, has got me though. Enjoying this at the minute, it’s providing a decent challenge so far.

Conor Gallagher is to be recalled from Charlton. Shame because he’s lighting up that Charlton side, he’s looking a talent at that level. Will be interesting to see where he goes next.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club - 2019/20 So, Hearts then. One of the Scottish capital's two major sides and Edinburgh hasn't seen a top division title since 1960, so ultimately, I'm here to attempt to break the monopoly that Celtic and Rangers have had on Scottish Football's elite league for a long time. I need to clever at Hearts, money is sparse in Scotland and more so if you're not the Old Firm so my transfer strategy was always going to be different. I need to find value in 'other' places than the norm. Having looked at it, England is overpriced, as is the Scottish Premier League and I cannot afford anyone from any of Europe's major leagues. I began the search in Scandinavia and have since expanded it further afield. -------------------------------------- Summer Transfers In - Sixten Jensen (from Sogndal) £150,000, Tashan Oakley-Boothe (season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Mirza Husic (free transfer from Braband IF), Ola Solbakken (from Ranheim) £25,000. Summer Transfers Out - Euan Henderson (to Dundee United) £30,000, Sean Ward (six month loan to Edinburgh City), Aidan Keena (six month loan to Livingston), Callumn Morrison (to Vitoria de Guimaraes) £27,500, Ola Solbakken (loaned back to Ranheim for six months as part of transfer). I decided I needed a right winger as a matter of urgency. Callumn Morrison looked okay but that was about it. While he was an Academy product, I felt we could do better and after some scouting, Sixten Jensen was the man to come in. Oakley-Boothe was an unexpected signing, really. I didn't need a centre midfielder but after a couple of injuries at the back end of pre-season, I needed cover and Oakley-Boothe fit the bill. Husic is an 18-year old Bosnian centre-midfielder, signed from the Danish third tier. He's not close to my first-team, however he has potential to be decent at SPL level and for no fee, it felt a god signing. Solbakken's signing was a long-running saga that plagued my summer. Identified as a key player by my scouts and having a low asking price, I set about signing him. His wage demands were problematic but we eventually, at the third time of asking, got it over the line on the proviso that he went back to Ranheim for six months, which I'm happy with as I have two good left wingers for the time being. I will phase him in when he arrives in February, as I have a loanee from Manchester City, who'll leave at the end of the season. ----------------------------------------------- July 2019 Hearts 6-0 Forfar Athletic - Betfred Cup Group D Montrose 1-4 Hearts - Betfred Cup Group D Ross County 0-1 Hearts - Betfred Cup Group D Hearts 3-0 Elgin City - Betfred Cup Group D Excellent. The whole campaign revolved around that trip to Ross County and thankfully, we passed our first proper test with relative ease. Forfar, Montrose and Elgin were games we should have won and did and I didn't fancy any of those sides to test us in a game or for qualification. August 2019 Hearts 1-1 Celtic Hamilton Academicals 0-4 Hearts Hearts 3-2 Ross County - Betfred Cup Second Round Aberdeen 2-2 Hearts Hearts 0-0 St Johnstone While Ross County was our first test of the season and an indicator of where we were at, nothing compared with starting the season against Celtic. A draw was the fair result and it gave me a new found confidence in the squad, that the Betfred Cup wasn't a phase or an unfair indication of the squad, to follow it up with a 4-0 drubbing away at Hamilton was more than pleasing. We then drew Ross County, again, in the Betfred Cup and they provided a sterner test but we ended up winning, thankfully. The last two games of the month were a mixed bag, the Aberdeen game was a lucky escape, we probably should have lost, whereas St Johnstone, it was a hammering but we couldn't put the ball in their net. September 2019 Kilmarnock 1-3 Hearts Hearts 4-1 Livingston Hearts 1-1 Aberdeen - won 4-3 on penalties - Betfred Cup Quarter Final Rangers 0-0 Hearts Another month, another month without defeat. Kilmarnock and Livingston were won with relative ease, the last two games were the key ones. Thankfully, Celtic and Rangers drew each other in the Quarter Finals and we had a tricky game against Aberdeen, which was, thankfully, won on the lottery of penalties. Rangers was another big indicator of where we were and we kept them at bay and did have a goal disallowed of our own. October 2019 Hearts 2-0 Hibernian Hearts 2-1 St Mirren Motherwell 3-1 Hearts Ross County 1-2 Hearts Derby games are always big for me and by this stage of the season being unbeaten, I couldn't lose to Hibs. Thankfully, we started without them, we were two up inside seven minutes and it took them roughly an hour to get a grip of the game, but by that point the damage was done. St Mirren was a sign of what was coming, in hindsight. We were poor but nicked it in the 83rd minute. Motherwell, well, they were excellent and we were shocking. They rocked us with an early goal and we didn't recover and they hit us with a sucker punch of a second just before half-time, we managed to get a goal back after 68 minutes and late on, I rolled the dice and went to an "attacking" mentality, to which, Motherwell hit us on the counter and won it. Ross County were Ross County, we beat them again and they weren't much cop but the score flattered them. November 2019 Celtic 2-3 Hearts - Betfred Cup Semi-Final Hearts 2-2 Hamilton Academicals Celtic 2-1 Hearts When the Semi-Final was drawn, I was hoping for St Johnstone or Dundee United but we got the one nobody wanted, Celtic. Could we actually turn the two draws against the Old Firm into a win? Yes, we could. We lead after 9 minutes through a Jamie Walker penalty and Celtic chased us from then on. They showed their quality, pegging us back twice before Tashan Oakley-Boothe smashed one in with seven minutes left. Excellent, a matter of months in and a Final, it's happened quicker than I imagined. The Hamilton game was a bit of a mess, I rested a few players and those that come in, did nothing to make me think I should be playing them for. Celtic then got their revenge on us a week or so after beating them at Hampden. I think on another day, we could have nicked a point but they're a quality side.

Where can you realistically take a team like Bournemouth?

Don’t see the point in sacking him, next person in is still stuck with the same players that are injured and there’s about two and a half weeks left of the window, of which Bournemouth have three games, so you’re looking at roughly two weeks to sack a manager, find a replacement and then give that man enough time to bring in reinforcements.

Will get around to writing a bit of a write-up on life at Hearts so far but the main bit of news is beating Celtic 3-2 in the Betfred Cup Semi-Final to set up a tie with St Johnstone (who beat Dundee United in the other semi) in the Final.

Who are you scouting for?

A 1,246 mile round trip for Bournemouth and Ross County, imagine that for the fans. Not that the powers that be care, but that’s mental.

What a game of Football that was. Really enjoyed Charlton v West Brom and was treated to a very good spectacle yesterday. A draw was ultimately the correct result. West Brom though, what a good side to watch. That’s what you want as a Football fan. After your Pulis’ and Pardew’s, it’s must be refreshing to watch this current side. The midfield on show yesterday, Jake Livermore, Romaine Sawyers, Matt Phillips and Matheus Pereira were a joy to watch, their range of passing, first touch and comfort and ease on the ball was excellent. It won’t last, they’ll get promoted, change their style or they’ll try it for a bit and sack Bilic and then revert to type but for the meantime, it must be such a joy to watch for West Brom fans.

I’ll hold my hands up here, I’m shocked there’s even a debate to be had regarding Maddison v Grealish. Maddison is way, way ahead of Grealish.

Have one more game in the month of September, which I will probably play tomorrow, and then I will do a quarterly update. So far though, it’s all going to plan.