Csaba's tactical master plan to boost the 'goals for' column ... possibly ;-)Saturday 21st November 2009 - Scottish Premier League
Heart of Midlothian (1) 1 (Nade)
St. Johnstone (0) 2 (Samuel, Johannson)
Admission season ticket (others £16 to £28), Programme £3
Attendance 13416
A dinner time kick off in the Scottish capital due to the Rugby international being played at nearby Murrayfield later on in the afternoon.
A dinner time kick off in the Scottish capital due to the Rugby international being played at nearby Murrayfield later on in the afternoon.Hearts started the game lively enough, but failed to capitalise on the couple of early chances that came their way.
Pretty soon though, the game descended into a bit of a stalemate, bogged down in tedious inactivity, with neither side showing very much in the way of productive football.
Christian Nade's message to fans in the programme
It was obvious the weather was about to produce a deluge, but out on the field of play the floodgates weren't about to open any time soon.
Hearts regained possesion and attacked from the restart, but David Obua squandered a good chance and instead put the ball across the face of goal to where it required a delicate and acrobatic finish from Nade.
Now the big lad can do powerful and on target once every nine months, but grace and finesse aren't really attributes he's blessed with. To be fair, at least Nade was trying today, unlike several others who ought to hang their heads in shame.
The heavens opened, the wind got stronger and the game limped off at half time in need of a life saving injection.
We decided to move out of the rain that was now hammering down.
If we'd wanted to see any more goals from close up we should have stayed at the end St. Johnstone would be attacking in the second half, but even the most cynical of us couldn't have envisaged how poorly Hearts were going to play from then on in.
Pretty soon though, the game descended into a bit of a stalemate, bogged down in tedious inactivity, with neither side showing very much in the way of productive football.
Christian Nade, Hearts stocky centre forward, hasn't scored since St. Valentines Day, so when he received the ball 35 yards out on the left side of the field, I doubt if anybody in the ground (himself included) was expecting what happened next ... he advanced 5 yards unchallenged and then struck the ball home for a sublime opening goal.
Christian Nade's message to fans in the programmeHearts regained possesion and attacked from the restart, but David Obua squandered a good chance and instead put the ball across the face of goal to where it required a delicate and acrobatic finish from Nade.
Now the big lad can do powerful and on target once every nine months, but grace and finesse aren't really attributes he's blessed with. To be fair, at least Nade was trying today, unlike several others who ought to hang their heads in shame.
The heavens opened, the wind got stronger and the game limped off at half time in need of a life saving injection.
We decided to move out of the rain that was now hammering down.In fact we swapped ends of the ground during the break. I don't know if that's against rules. I didn't think to ask, but the geography of the three newer stands at Tynecastle with it's all round open plan concourse allows it, so why not?
'Onward Christian Soldier'
'Onward Christian Soldier'
Second half from Gorgie Road End. Csaba Laszlo to the right.The second half in all it's gory detail (not for the faint hearted) .... Wave upon wave of St. Johnstone attacks caught Hearts on the back foot from the off, mostly from the wings, but the Jambos tactics were too inflexible to make provision for that.
Csaba Laszlo has been openly touting himself around for other managerial jobs, including the currently vacant Scotland hot seat. His time with Hearts started promisingly and last year it seemed like the seeds were being sown for further progress, but to be frank, it's not working out this season at all.
Sure, they're through to the League Cup semi final (against St. Mirren) but today's defeat saw them slump to ninth place in the table. That might not sound too drastic, but the SPL is only a twelve team league and Falkirk in bottom place are only two points behind Hearts.
If Csaba leaves Tynecastle in the near future, his wish to get out will be endorsed by far more people than anybody might have imagined possible this time last season. Alas though, who else would want to work under the current Hearts owner?
This Heart of Midlothian v St. Johnstone fixture could actually be a dress rehearsal for the League Cup Final, I would imagine that scenario won't be worrying the Saints unduly after today.
"Who's Csaba going to throw on to turn the game round?""May as well be the guy in green I s'pose!"
Collin Samuel headed the visitors level on the hour mark, it had been coming and St. Johnstone more than deserved it.
The referee was having a shocking game, but while he was poor, Hearts were truly abysmal.
Jose Goncalves received a straight red card for an high tackle on Liam Craig on 78 minutes - he got the ball but ... well, it's here for you to judge for yourself whether you think it was rash and dangerous or not (I agree with the ref BTW) in the video link below, coming to you in glorious techni-colour at 3 minutes and 44 seconds into the 'highlights' footage.
The referee was having a shocking game, but while he was poor, Hearts were truly abysmal.
Jose Goncalves received a straight red card for an high tackle on Liam Craig on 78 minutes - he got the ball but ... well, it's here for you to judge for yourself whether you think it was rash and dangerous or not (I agree with the ref BTW) in the video link below, coming to you in glorious techni-colour at 3 minutes and 44 seconds into the 'highlights' footage.
Alarmingly, a large number of Hearts fans saw fit to applaud Goncalves from the pitch. I did have to question why they were being so generous towards a player who had probably just cost them the game ... but what do I know?
Still five minutes to go, only 1-2 behind but half the crowd have already gone home.
Of course, there was always going to be a sting in this tale of Hearts woeful afternoon.
On 86 minutes, Jonatan Johannson was thrown into the fray by the visitors.
Despite St. Johnstone's best efforts to claim all three points, it didn't look like justice would be done and they were going to have to settle for a point, so Derek McInnes the Saints manager (since Owen Coyle left them for Burnley) was trying to run the clock down.
Even the 'Boys Own' fiction writers couldn't script it ... Johnansson had played his best football at Rangers a long, long time ago, in fact it was exactly 10 years and a day ago since he last scored in the SPL. The veteran striker, who had played for Hearts bitter rivals Hibernian last season, hadn't even been on the pitch 60 seconds when he found himself in the six yard box and, from roughly the same position Jose Goncalves would probably have been defending if he hadn't gotten himself dismissed, slid home a close range winning goal.
That was the cue for half the stadium to empty ... alas I'm doing a sponsored groundhop where I've stipulated I will watch games for their entire duration and was duty bound to stay put ... the next five minutes didn't exactly fly by, :-( believe me!!!
On the way out an elderly Hearts fan was moaning "We should be beating teams like bloody St. Johnstone!" I think if he studies the current league table he will actually find that Hearts are a 'team like St. Johnstone' but actually a place beneath today's worthy winners in the SPL
On 86 minutes, Jonatan Johannson was thrown into the fray by the visitors.
Despite St. Johnstone's best efforts to claim all three points, it didn't look like justice would be done and they were going to have to settle for a point, so Derek McInnes the Saints manager (since Owen Coyle left them for Burnley) was trying to run the clock down.
Even the 'Boys Own' fiction writers couldn't script it ... Johnansson had played his best football at Rangers a long, long time ago, in fact it was exactly 10 years and a day ago since he last scored in the SPL. The veteran striker, who had played for Hearts bitter rivals Hibernian last season, hadn't even been on the pitch 60 seconds when he found himself in the six yard box and, from roughly the same position Jose Goncalves would probably have been defending if he hadn't gotten himself dismissed, slid home a close range winning goal.
That was the cue for half the stadium to empty ... alas I'm doing a sponsored groundhop where I've stipulated I will watch games for their entire duration and was duty bound to stay put ... the next five minutes didn't exactly fly by, :-( believe me!!!
On the way out an elderly Hearts fan was moaning "We should be beating teams like bloody St. Johnstone!" I think if he studies the current league table he will actually find that Hearts are a 'team like St. Johnstone' but actually a place beneath today's worthy winners in the SPL
