Episode 273 – Yeah but, no but… – Scarves Around The Funnel

Richard Brownlee

December 12, 2023 at 22:11

Laurie, Mark and Scott

I listen, almost religiously, to your podcast every single week. I have been a Hearts supporter for 40 years, used to have my ST, but I moved abroad 10 years ago. I try to scavange Social media and listen to anything Hearts related, that I can find, and to try and stay abreast of what is happening.

I still watch every single game that Hearts play. I am not going to lie, I was one of those who advocated for SN from day dot, and bought into the belief that he would create a team, who would fight and moan for every ball, and decision, on the park. A team which would embody the way he played the game himself, and would never accept being second best, or go into a shell when playing teams of a higher stature.

I guess I wasnt one who necessarily bought into the lack of experience being a major disadvantage when he was appointed. To be honest, Craig Levein, and laterally Robbie Neilson, both had us in trouble, at various points, and they were both experienced managers. My own thought process was that experience doesnt necessarily hide deficiencies when it comes to managing a footballing team, and experienced managers are not without their mistakes. On the flip side, I also concede it is a high risk strategy when appointing someone with little, or no experience.

Football supporters can be fickle at the best of times. I almost laugh when I hear that the JKB media poll, who had over 80% of votes for SN, is brought up by Andrew Mckinlay in recent times, as almost a push back on the fans and supporters of the club, for being part of the problem. I would imagine a good few of these same people, who dug deep, and still do to this day, to make sure that there is a football club for future generations to support, would disagree with AM’s sentiment.

I will wholeheartedly admit I, along with others, may have been completely wrong about SN, with hindsight. That said, “fans” dont get to speak to the players, dont get to see training sessions and certainly dont get to hear SN, or ask him questions, when he is interviewed, so of course, their decisions are almost going to be ill informed. A point almost missed by Mr Mckinlay.

To my main point, and the last thing I want to do is be any more pessimistic than what is already apparent, but I honestly do not think changing the manager, at this present time, will do anything more than further expose an undercurrant of deep lying, persistent issues, and further paper over the cracks that is now becoming obvious in terms of how the club is being run.

We are literally run as a Corporate entity. Off field, it has been nothing short of magnificent. However, we are a football club, and it was interesting to hear both Mark, and Scott say, that we have no identity on the pitch, and that is one of the main problems that we have currently.

I would like to take this one step further and suggest that we have lost our identity, first and foremost as a football club. Its almost like we are more concerned about how we are perceived to the wider footballing community, than how we are feared as a footballing entity.

We are slowly turning into big business, generating more revenue streams, and top line turnover, than we have ever done in our past. Sadly, and IMHO, all at the cost of slowly losing our identity and what HMFC has held and carried at the heart and sole of the club for all of the years since its creation.

This is down to the powers at be, and no one else. I do not see the same push for accountability in the boardroom, as I do the desire to create revenue streams and focus on the financial side of the business. I get the football club is a business, and has to be run as a business, but chopping and changing managers, at this present time, is just papering over the cracks as far as I am concerned.

Levein, Cathro, Mcphee, Neilson, Daly, and now Naismith. You could probably argue that Neilson (first time around), and (early, second time around) was the only manager, out of 6 managers, that had any relative success. With that type of record, and where all of the managers have came from in the last 10 years, forgive me for thinking we may literally go from the frying pan, into the fire if we make a further change now.

Tough question – At boardroom level, who is raising their own neck, above the parapet, and saying to everyone else it just isnt good enough. Is there anyone actually saying this ?

It feels like to get a gig at Hearts nowadays, its almost who you know, rather than what you know, and its all too comfortable for my liking.

I have worked for many businesses in my life, and as much as business performance is measured, culture is also measured. You get the culture right, you get the performance metrics that you need. I would suggest this is a big part of our current problem right now, and it is almost being missed through all of the managerial scrutiny.

Anyway. Apologies, as I may have digressed a bit in terms of my points, but I almost feel better just for saying it. If there are problems in any business, you work it out from the top down, and not the bottom up, and I guess that summarises my main frustration at the moment.

You, and the boys do a good job with the podcast. Keep it up and thanks for taking the time to read my letter

Richard

One Reply to “Episode 273 – Yeah but, no but…”

Richard Brownlee
December 12, 2023 at 22:11

Laurie, Mark and Scott

I listen, almost religiously, to your podcast every single week. I have been a Hearts supporter for 40 years, used to have my ST, but I moved abroad 10 years ago. I try to scavange Social media and listen to anything Hearts related, that I can find, and to try and stay abreast of what is happening.

I still watch every single game that Hearts play. I am not going to lie, I was one of those who advocated for SN from day dot, and bought into the belief that he would create a team, who would fight and moan for every ball, and decision, on the park. A team which would embody the way he played the game himself, and would never accept being second best, or go into a shell when playing teams of a higher stature.

I guess I wasnt one who necessarily bought into the lack of experience being a major disadvantage when he was appointed. To be honest, Craig Levein, and laterally Robbie Neilson, both had us in trouble, at various points, and they were both experienced managers. My own thought process was that experience doesnt necessarily hide deficiencies when it comes to managing a footballing team, and experienced managers are not without their mistakes. On the flip side, I also concede it is a high risk strategy when appointing someone with little, or no experience.

Football supporters can be fickle at the best of times. I almost laugh when I hear that the JKB media poll, who had over 80% of votes for SN, is brought up by Andrew Mckinlay in recent times, as almost a push back on the fans and supporters of the club, for being part of the problem. I would imagine a good few of these same people, who dug deep, and still do to this day, to make sure that there is a football club for future generations to support, would disagree with AM’s sentiment.

I will wholeheartedly admit I, along with others, may have been completely wrong about SN, with hindsight. That said, “fans” dont get to speak to the players, dont get to see training sessions and certainly dont get to hear SN, or ask him questions, when he is interviewed, so of course, their decisions are almost going to be ill informed. A point almost missed by Mr Mckinlay.

To my main point, and the last thing I want to do is be any more pessimistic than what is already apparent, but I honestly do not think changing the manager, at this present time, will do anything more than further expose an undercurrant of deep lying, persistent issues, and further paper over the cracks that is now becoming obvious in terms of how the club is being run.

We are literally run as a Corporate entity. Off field, it has been nothing short of magnificent. However, we are a football club, and it was interesting to hear both Mark, and Scott say, that we have no identity on the pitch, and that is one of the main problems that we have currently.

I would like to take this one step further and suggest that we have lost our identity, first and foremost as a football club. Its almost like we are more concerned about how we are perceived to the wider footballing community, than how we are feared as a footballing entity.

We are slowly turning into big business, generating more revenue streams, and top line turnover, than we have ever done in our past. Sadly, and IMHO, all at the cost of slowly losing our identity and what HMFC has held and carried at the heart and sole of the club for all of the years since its creation.

This is down to the powers at be, and no one else. I do not see the same push for accountability in the boardroom, as I do the desire to create revenue streams and focus on the financial side of the business. I get the football club is a business, and has to be run as a business, but chopping and changing managers, at this present time, is just papering over the cracks as far as I am concerned.

Levein, Cathro, Mcphee, Neilson, Daly, and now Naismith. You could probably argue that Neilson (first time around), and (early, second time around) was the only manager, out of 6 managers, that had any relative success. With that type of record, and where all of the managers have came from in the last 10 years, forgive me for thinking we may literally go from the frying pan, into the fire if we make a further change now.

Tough question – At boardroom level, who is raising their own neck, above the parapet, and saying to everyone else it just isnt good enough. Is there anyone actually saying this ?

It feels like to get a gig at Hearts nowadays, its almost who you know, rather than what you know, and its all too comfortable for my liking.

I have worked for many businesses in my life, and as much as business performance is measured, culture is also measured. You get the culture right, you get the performance metrics that you need. I would suggest this is a big part of our current problem right now, and it is almost being missed through all of the managerial scrutiny.

Anyway. Apologies, as I may have digressed a bit in terms of my points, but I almost feel better just for saying it. If there are problems in any business, you work it out from the top down, and not the bottom up, and I guess that summarises my main frustration at the moment.

You, and the boys do a good job with the podcast. Keep it up and thanks for taking the time to read my letter

Richard

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