28 Aug 2026 16:30:36
EHL, I'm interested to hear your opinion on DMs man for man marking strategy.
To me it's clear as day this is the major problem in lack of structure in midfield, being cut through so easily and players not having a clue what to do on the park because you can see some players doing it and others not confident in doing it which then means the whole thing falls apart.
If an opposition team or coach had any tactical nouse whatsoever I feel they will rip the man for man marking apart because they can pull out central players well out of position and create wide open spaces to play into.
I also believe this is why Hearts had quite a few players sent off last season because players would be having to make last ditch tackles because they had been pulled out of shape.
Difference was at least that Hearts team had a bit of dig and fight to still grind out results. We don't have that unfortunately
28 Aug 2026 17:39:01
Again, I haven't seen it deployed, so it's hard to have an opinion.
28 Aug 2026 17:46:02
Correct me if I'm wrong though, that's what he's trying to do though, right?
Btw, I'm not having a go, I'm in the camp right now that he needs time and I want to see what happens when the window is shut and players know they'll be here or elsewhere.
28 Aug 2026 18:04:39
If you have watched the games, then you can tell we aren't man marking, we aren't pressing, we are sitting off & being passive til teams get near our box, but by then it's too late.
28 Aug 2026 18:36:46
MacInnes said in his presser he doesn't know what we are doing, basically we aren't anything, so genuinely I've no idea what he is doing day to day if he doesn't know himself. Either that or players aren't listening, which is even more a worry.
28 Aug 2026 18:50:16
Would love to see defenders defending, midfielders creating, and strikers finishing, simple game really!
28 Aug 2026 19:21:24
Blue, I haven't seen anything in how we set up to indicate it's how he wants us to play, and based on how he's played throughout his managerial career, I'd be surprised if it was.