Financial woes could help unearth Jambo gems

By ALEX SCHWEITZER-THOMPSON
Published on Saturday 10 December 2011 12:03

HEARTS fans fretting over the planned cull of many of the club’s established senior players next month and the subsequent need for manager Paulo Sergio to rely on teenagers may find solace in the words of Darren Murray.

The Tynecastle clearout has already begun, with fringe first-teamers Janos Balogh, Calum Elliott, and Jason Thomson told they can leave, but fans will fear if key players like Andy Webster and Ryan Stevenson re-assess their futures. While the replacement of such experienced full internationalists will not be achieved easily, supporters concerned about the consequences of the club’s plans to be both financially-prudent and reliant on youth academy products in the first team will be comforted by a reminder from under-19 coach Murray – when Hearts have been forced to bring in youngsters to make up the numbers on previous occasions, some remarkable talent has emerged.

“Some years back this club had a lot of older guys and they introduced John Robertson and players of that ilk,” Murray told www.hydc.co.uk, the website of the club’s youth development committee. “That was the easiest time to get players into the Hearts team, because the lack of finance meant they had to do it. In the last four or five years when I’ve been involved it’s probably been the hardest time to get them in because there’s been so many experienced players around.

“On their development, I personally think that there has got to be a pathway through to the first team, where the only players in your way are those who are already first-team regulars. For the really good young players, you see that pathway and you see someone sitting on the bench and you think, ‘I’m every bit as good as him’.

“Because of the number of football players at the club, for too many young players there just isn’t that pathway at the moment but, if we can get players moved on, then the pathway becomes clearer for the good young ones. Instead of thinking ‘I might be used’, they will now think ‘I have a real chance here’.

“If you have 25 or more first-team players, how are the young lads going to get through? If one experienced player goes out then they can just put in another experienced player in. That’s what it’s been like here for a number of years because the squad is so big.”

Kevin McHattie’s temporary move to Alloa Athletic earlier this week means the diaspora of current Hearts employees is now spread across all four senior Scottish leagues. While left-back McHattie attempts to help Paul Hartley’s Wasps push for promotion from the Third Division, a similarly ambitious East Fife in the league above are spurred on by the goals of Rob Ogleby and the defensive qualities of goalkeeper Mark Ridgers and Matthew Park. In the First Division, Gordon Smith, who recently joined Hamilton Accies, has been instantly pitted into a relegation scrap with the familiar quintet of Jason Holt, David Smith, Jamie Walker, Danny Thomson and Denis Prychynenko, all at Raith Rovers.

Murray admits that the anticipated cull of senior players may prove so swingeing that on-loan youngsters such as Holt, the reigning SPL under-19 player of the year, may be required to return to Hearts if only to ensure that on a matchday all first-team berths – starters and substitutes – are filled.

“Come January, you don’t know how many players will leave from the first team so we had to get these boys ready,” said Murray. “Whether they all came back or not in January will be open to debate whether the manager wants them with the first-team squad, or whether we need them in the first-team squad because of numbers. We will need to wait until then to make the call on that. For me the boys are better playing first-team football.

“I’m an optimist. I’d like to think that Jason Holt, Jamie Walker and David Smith could play in the Hearts first team. Denis Prychynenko has got to have a chance. Rob Ogleby has been scoring goals at East Fife. Mark Ridgers has definitely got a good chance.”

This time next month, it is expected a domino effect will rumble throughout Riccarton with considerable consequences. Indeed it has already begun, albeit on a lesser scale, and with the imminent departure of players being paid thousands each week comes an opportunity for secondary school pupils Sam Nicholson and Adam King, both 16, as well as 15-year-old Jordan McGhee to take one step closer to first-team football with a place in the under-19 team.

It is assumed that those being dispatched to serve their first-team apprenticeships on loan at other clubs are being primed for senior duty, and there is justifiable excitement building among many fans at the prospect of young talent such as Holt and the forward pair of Smiths graduating to the first team.

While a large proportion of the club’s teenage contingent have shown sufficient promise to be considered for such a promotion soon, says Murray, there is also a wealth of potential ready to emerge from the shadow of Holt and Co. Murray regards 6ft 2in Callum Paterson as the raw prototype of a modern central defender, while Billy King and Sam Nicholson, as well as 18-year-olds Ryan Stewart and Fraser Mullen, have all excelled at under-19 level.

If there are players among his squad who are not yet prepared for promotion to the first team, Murray has been heartened by proposals for an under-20 league to replace the current under-19 setup. Senior defender Ryan McGowan, 22, recently argued that the disposal of a Reserve League had hurt player development, the young Australian defender strongly arguing the case that “not a lot of 19-year-olds are in the first team in the SPL”.

But, given a future that comprises a more suitable youth setup and a flood of skilled young players eager for SPL football, the pieces expected to patch up wounded Hearts now look to be falling neatly into place.

Comments

There are 44 comments to this article

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 3

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next >
• Show all

44

tommy-tommy

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 11:55 AM

Comment removed by moderator

43

seenitawb4

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 09:04 AM

Tommy your just one of these eejits in life,who even as the whole world sees you as prize numpty, you just havnt got the grey matter to take it in and actually relish playing the fool?? what ever indeed floats yer wee toy boat in cheeseywaters eh !! content in my knowledge that you are indeed a total waste of space, and in no way a challenge in any sense of the word, irritants like you are best ignored and i'll now follow that mantra. I'll leave you with a suggestion as too a new username too add to your collection, please try THRUSH as i believe it describes you to a T. xx

• Report Unsuitable

42

seenitawb4

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 08:38 AM

Post #34 koala koala koala....I see refering to the celtic game that hearts players are STILL REFUSING TO PLAY until they are paid, unknown source says they want to leave in FEBRUARY and hearts get nothing for them nice enterprise bargaining;0)..now after taking my advice you had a proper read of the article and in your post of#39 in a sad purile attempt to stop yourself looking the tool you are !! Tried the old hobo method of denial,delusion and deflection....another knob jockey served up !!! btw please point out the injection of humour at post #34 ??? it doesnt make any sense never mind containing anything remotely funny,but ergo...small minds are easily amused and most potential hubz fans, stick to the janet and john books oz more your thang !!! hihohoho merry xmas xx

• Report Unsuitable

41

tommy-tommy

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 07:18 AM

Comment removed by moderator

40

tommy-tommy

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 07:14 AM

Comment removed by moderator

39

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 06:52 AM

"We are almost at the stage that we would probably prefer not to get that wage on time because then we could walk away on 14 January, and find ourselves new clubs and Hearts wouldn’t get a penny,” said one player, on condition of anonymity." That was the quote. seenitawb4 you are the tool. One too few kangaroos in your top paddock there mate. I was only quoting what I had seen written in the Hootsmon and injecting some humour into the story where they say they will not play unless paid. However, being a Jambo, I see you have had a humour bypass. I would have thought a sense of humour was a prerequisite for being a HEarts' supporter too.

• Report Unsuitable

38

Black Five

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 06:17 AM

Get the Lithuanian scum out of Tynecastle .They have made fools of us all these lat 5 years .Romanov`s rantings border on madness .The club is an ongoing freak show . What is Deans doing now ? No more murmerings of take overs .Him ,Gary MacKay .Foxy Foulkes brought this upon us .Don`t give me this rubbish we`d be playing at Murrayfield or Hearts would be finished .Hearts will never be finished the blind loyalty of the fans prove that .We`d have been better off taking our chances with the pieman than have the likes of this bleeding the club dry .making fools of the players and fans .They might have some good young players but for how long .Do you think any young boy would sign in the future for them as Romanov is there ?. He has to go as soon as poss .No other anwer .

• Report Unsuitable

37

bring them on

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 04:04 AM

It's fairly obvious that they will get paid and this will be a non-story.

• Report Unsuitable

36

seenitawb4

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 03:32 AM

LoL taking to myself hehehaha of course i meant the walloper at #34 ;-p

• Report Unsuitable

35

seenitawb4

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 03:28 AM

#35 another bitter stay away hobo who taps the keyboard before he engages the solitary brain cell.....go read subject matter on Scotland on Sunday thread, then come back and apologise for the sh@t you've just spaffled...is it a pre-requisite that you must be a certified goon before you can support the hubz??? more tools on here than in a mechanics workshop !!!

• Report Unsuitable

34

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 02:27 AM

I see, referring to the Celtic game, that Hearts' players are still refusing to play until they are paid. Unknown source says they want to leave in February and Hearts get nothing for them. Nice enterprise bargaining ;O)

• Report Unsuitable

33

seenitawb4

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 01:18 AM

T!T just in case you missed (ignored) on the other thread, oh to be educating parasites..."might have spurned him on" in context...in treatment by HMFC OWNERS...TO REJECT DISDAINFULLY OR CONTEMPTUOUOSLY; SCORN...ARCHAIC DEFINITION: TO KICK...IN CONTEXT TO KICK ON !!! T!T YOU MUST BE THE THICKEST PLANK ON THE PLANET (AND SKINNED) AND CERTAINLY NO ENGLISH O'GRADE CERT HOLDER, JUST A PLAIN AULD BITTER NUMPTY !!! HOHOHO MERRY XMAS XX

• Report Unsuitable

32

seenitawb4

Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 12:05 AM

#31 INANE: SILLY; STUPID; NOT SIGNIFICANT....SYNONYMS: VACOUS-EMPTY-SENSELESS-BLANK-FOOLISH-VACANT....MORE OR LESS SUMS YOU UP T!T.....INNANE GOD ONLY KNOWS THE DEFINITION , BUT AT A GUESS....CLUELESS INTERNET PARASITE WITH SOCIAL INTERACTION DEFECIT....DEFINITION SOURCED FROM THE MOMMY-MOMMY NATIONAL CAR-P-RICK-U-LUM HOHOHO MERRY XMAS XX

• Report Unsuitable

31

tommy-tommy

Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 10:02 PM

Comment removed by moderator

30

Baldrick

Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 09:50 PM

toomy tommy. Do you have a degree in Ennui? Predicable performances from the Edinburgh duo today. Both scored 0. Hearts played with tremendous courage and not a little skill. Unlucky not to get a point. Hibs were hopeless and the crowd was abysmal. As I say, predictable.

• Report Unsuitable

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 3

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next >
• Show all

Logged in as:

Comment here. Start typing your comment here:

Post comment

Please adhere to our Community guidelines

Your view

Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.