Last night, the CEO of Hearts gave an astonishing interview in which he laid out the rationale behind the sacking of Robbie Neilson.
I applauded that decision on Twitter when the story broke. I hoped that it was a move born of ambition, something from a board that simply was not prepared to sit and accept being third place as Neilson made it clear he had.
It was obvious that the Hearts board was disturbed by comments, which this site highlighted, where Neilson, speaking of that third place, stated that “every club outside Glasgow would want to be where we are.”
Yeah, out of the running. Out of the race. Why would any club accept that? Why would his own club put up with it indefinitely?
So it’s music to my ears that they were concerned about those remarks and the idea that underpins them. But perhaps more importantly – and this was something I did not expect – the man laid out the specifics behind the decision … and one of them was Neilson’s record against ourselves, but more to the point against the club across the city and the “bizarre” failure to “lay a glove on them.”
“I’ll tell you what I do think,” he said. “We should be performing better when we play them, (Ibrox) in particular. I’ve seen us have good performances against Celtic. In fact, I would say in the last few weeks our best football was the first-half at Celtic Park, where I thought we were dynamic and really got in about them. But I haven’t seen us do that against (Ibrox) and I don’t know why. We don’t seem to lay a glove on (them) for some bizarre reason and we have to start doing that.”
That he deems this worthy of a mention is telling and damning and echoes the nagging suspicion on this site that they had a manager over there who was not terribly interested in talking points off the club from Ibrox. How many times did we highlight odd tactical changes? Weird team selections? A general lack of application which was not displayed against us?
To a lot of us, there was nothing “bizarre” about it at all, not at any point. It made perfect sense when you looked at it right.
In my view Neilson sabotaged his own team at least twice prior to matches against them, games where everyone thought they had a realistic chance. Prior to the hammering they got at home even the BBC panellists were appalled at the changes he’d made and knew within five minutes of the game kicking off that Hearts were in serious trouble.
Neilson’s record against them is shocking. His record against us is shocking as well, but as the Hearts CEO says, they at least competed against us and made us work for our results. But everything this site said in our last piece on Neilson – the settling for mediocrity, the third place starting to slip away, his record of having dropped points in ten games (at the time) outside of the ones against the Glasgow teams – all seems to have been on the minds of their board.
I hope we get a better Hearts next season. I hope we get a better Hibs and Aberdeen. Because the Ibrox club is facing a summer of such tumult that I think they’ll be there for the taking in the early part of the campaign, and these clubs will all have opportunities.
The Tynecastle board is getting its act together.
They will never be my favourite club, but on this I genuinely do wish them well. We need other clubs in this league to get their act together and put up some kind of fight. That will keep us on our toes, and that will keep us strong.
Oh aye James if you think that the neds ned will turn them into somehow trying against the klan you need to go and have a talk to yourself .
Naismith won’t be there at the start of next season, I’m certain of that. Hearts are about to go for it, I think. There’s going to be a careful manager hunt and uncommon funding, I suspect. And why not, with potential for CL qualifiers if they do leapfrog an ibrox club that looks likely to implode big time.
Problem for hearts is this they have far too many ex rangers players and players who have came to ibrox???????????.that in itself explains lots of things its like a feeder club .if a hearts tean is full og ex rangers players then its obvious hearts will never put up a fight against rangers when they play.and when you bring in the disease that is sectarian hatred which is very rife within hearts and supporters and iv no doubt some ex rangers players then its perfect breeding ground
Briiant statement from the board. TL;DR it’s basically “We’re Hearts. We care about Hearts. If you’re not interested in us being the absolute best we can be, we’re not interested in you.”
I’m genuinely pleased by that sort of ambition from clubs.
Him and his assistant have been rumbled
It’s all very well being a Hearts supporting manager ! There’s a whole world of a difference when most of your players are the Rangers supporting charlatans who don’t try a leg against their idols ! It’s like the Rangers supporting SMSM scoops … Why would they type up in print or say anything negative towards their pet project ? As they say in Edinburgh – Ken !
Neilson tried his best to endear himself to the huns because he had delusions of eventually becoming their manager. His team tried like fk against Celtic and he was never done protesting about decisions he thought were contentious. That’s also why he never complained against decisions after playing and being beaten by the huns, he wanted to stay on their good side until they were looking for a replacement for whoever their present manager happened to be at that time I would say the wee rat has totally blown that ambition now.
Don’t forget that Hearts have a generous donor – James Anderson – with very, very deep pockets and I expect him to be able to attract a good manager by the summer.
Was delighted when that poisonous tramp finally got his P45 as was long overdue.
Done as much as anyone to take creditabity away from Scottish football imo.
To only wanting a team with a total anti celtic agenda and pamper to the scum showed just how unprofessional this tramp gobshite was all about.
Will applaud the minis on the decision taken even if nowhere near showing any respect towards the minis, as yet to be seen if there is going to be any meaning behind the message sent, especially with so much hun scum within there set up still.
Scottish football can’t desend into a situation where a league is going to be decided by 4 Glasgow derbies and the worrying trend is it fast becoming that way, with the tramp only prepared to offer a 12 point difference between the Glasgow teams.
Still believe Scottish football can offer decent footballing opportunity’s especially for the Edinburgh clubs with 12 potential glamour fixtures on offer and a very realistic chance to increase that with potential European football to add as well.
If this is the 1st step for a Scottish team to actually show a bit of ambition that remains lacking within the Scottish league, surely must be a better option than what the tramp and the likes have currently bought to the Scottish game
Kenny Miller not daft having played for the old firm clubs before 2012 and played again for new co he knows to get on in the media in Scotland he knows to favour for new co but he goes well beyond it in his statements maybe trying to prove he’s one of the oath takers but will never be excepted by the celebration breaking his scoring duck for Celtic-FC-1888 against old co doing a lap of honour whats change has to be beneficial for media work cause that’s what this countries about not what you know but who you know
Hearts as a club have never been a sectarian club but under Neilson and McCulloch their attitude when playing Celtic has come across as pure hatred.
The board at Hearts have now realised what a couple of Charlatans they are and quite rightly sacked them. Over the years Celtic have signed some good Celtic players from Hearts, Andy Lynch, John Colquhoun. Chris Shevlane and of course Craig Gordon who although we didn’t sign him directly from Hearts he has had a long association with that club. One of the best and fair pundits in broadcasting without a Celtic background is Michael Stewart an Edinburgh guy and Hearts ex player and supporter.
I know that there is a minority amongst their supporters who are Celtic haters but the club board over their history have never been that way inclined.
There is only one club in Scotland who have had an official sectarian signing policy and we all know who they are.
Willie Wallace.
I missed out another good Celtic man we signed from Hearts in Paul Hartley.
and the best one of all. Willie Wallace, one of the Lions.
Didnt see your post until too late Jonny,
Johnny
I was also a big fan of Mike Galloway
I actually hadn’t heard he had been binned but fantastic news as the CEO stated the obvious.
I hope Hearts get their act together that have a decent squad and just need leadership. If that clicks then they have a great shot at 2nd place next term.
I can’t believe I missed out Willie Wallace.