Time to 'leave behind' cup celebrations as new season dawns
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BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Dundee in dire need of creativity'
Dundee look in no rush to complete the first-team squad that Steven Pressley admits is shy of five expectation of a slow start has been set with the manager stating we may be in for more hurt before positive results come our performance in the season-opening home defeat by Hibs was ultimately too negative. We lacked urgency in getting forward and struggled to create. In possession we lacked cohesion and the decision-making was all over the what it's worth, Dundee looked solid out of possession in keeping a rigid shape. Hibs didn't carve out many chances and every goal, including ours, stemmed from defensive main positive was the standout performance of Luke Graham, who could be colossal for the team this season. The centre-back looks ready to steal weekly headlines in the vacuum left by fellow youth academy graduates Lyall Cameron and Josh is clear is Dundee are a team that need time to gel and require more quality to see through the rest of the campaign. Hopefully we'll see a much stronger team crafted for our trip to Rugby Park in two Rangers' failure to win on the opening day, our trip to Ibrox this Saturday is essentially a write-off from the fans' perspective. The last time we avoided defeat at Ibrox was in 2001, when we last recorded a victory against the Glasgow giants.I am fully braced for defeat, although I hope to see a more disciplined Dundee signing of Joe Westley may prove to be a coup over time as the young striker looks to have bags of potential. The priority now is to ensure Westley will be supplied with service as we are in dire need of creativity from midfield.
Scotsman
30 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Hearts right-back option being explored as two players stand out
Derek McInnes knows what is required defensively in the Scottish Premiership Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Deploying Michael Steinwender at right-back is an option Hearts will explore more in future, head coach Derek McInnes revealed. The Austrian is a central defender to trade but played comfortably on the right of a back four for the last 20 minutes of Monday's opening Premiership win against Aberdeen. Steinwender's pace and adaptability are attributes which impressed McInnes since pre-season began in June. Although a place in Hearts' starting line-up has been slightly difficult for the defender to achieve so far, he remains a valued member of the first-team squad. His ability to deputise at right-back could be useful with Adam Forrester poised to join St Johnstone on loan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Christian Borchgrevink, a summer signing from Norwegian club Valerenga, started the Aberdeen match at right wing-back but was substituted when McInnes changed formation in the second half. Steinwender was one of four replacements introduced at that point as Hearts switched from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2 system. They won the game 2-0 at Tynecastle Park thanks to an own goal by visiting defender Graeme Shinnie and a header from Stuart Findlay. The tactical flexibility of McInnes' squad could be pivotal to this season's ambitions. 'I thought about a back four from the start,' McInnes told the Edinburgh News. 'We mentioned it the day before the game. We obviously worked on it and we've been doing that during the pre-season and close-season games. We had a team in mind, if we were winning the game, with a system to play. Also, we had a team in mind if we were losing the game, just to try and open the game up a wee bit more. 'I felt, with getting Alan Forrest on and Kyzi [Alexandros Kyziridis], we would have that counter-attacking threat and we had it. We probably should have picked them off once or twice. Those two looked hungry and, to be fair, they've all done that. Everybody is itching to play their part. 'It's not just something that the players go through, it's something that they're comfortable with. Michael is out there at right-back, but it's something we spoke to him about. I think he can do it against wingers, particularly quick wingers, because he's as quick as anybody in the squad.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts' central midfielders Cammy Devlin and Oisin McEntee heavily influenced Monday's result with strong performances. Devlin's tenacity and energy were complemented by his composure on the ball. McEntee's strength and attacking runs made him an extra attacking weapon, most notably in the build-up to Hearts' first goal. Both players stood out during a high-octane fixture. With fellow midfielders Beni Baningime and Calem Nieuwenhof both working back from injuries, Devlin and McEntee are vital to Hearts. 'Obviously, we're two midfielders down at the minute with Beni and The Hoff,' acknowledged McInnes. 'When I saw Cammy go down on Monday, I feared the worst, to be honest, because he's been arguably my best player throughout pre-season. He's been outstanding. 'I thought him and Oisin dovetailed well. We need Oisin to be something and he showed what he is. He's running about, making tackles, being visible, being relevant in the game, getting in the box, putting balls into the box. Just that kind of perpetual motion, that's what we're looking for.' Hearts top of the Scottish Premiership - but improvement needed Monday's victory pushed Hearts top of the Scottish Premiership on goal difference after the first round of matches. No-one at Tynecastle will get carried away, least of all McInnes. Ahead of Sunday's trip to Dundee United, he is already identifying areas where his team need to improve and wants more composure during frenetic periods. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Obviously, the objective is just to win the game,' he stated. 'You want to win the game with a good performance and deserve to win the game. I thought we were better than they were in the first half, a bit more evenly matched in the second half. I thought every time we made good decisions, got into good areas and involved our strikers a bit more, we looked a threat. Lawrence Shankland's disallowed goal was top-drawer and there was a wee bit of psychological blow from that, so we had to go again. 'In terms of what we asked of the players and what we put on them, they gave us that and a wee bit more. I hope the Hearts fans will see a lot more of that this season. Whether we're on point and polished 100 per cent and playing at the top of our ability, you've still got to be showing a willingness to work, a willingness to put teams under pressure and a willingness to try and win the game. 'We don't want to be coy, we don't want to be cowed and feel inferior at any team we play. We want to make sure that we are confident in what we're trying to do. I think we've got a lot of that. What we're asking the players to do is: When there's that fire and ice, when you're rattling about and pressing and winning the balls and it's the wind swirling and all that, just take a breath and make the decision. The best players always make the right decisions in these moments. 'I still think we can be capable of a bit more concerted pressure, particularly here at Tynecastle, when we've got teams hemmed in. Don't rush the cross, don't lash it over the stands, don't shoot when it's not on to shoot. Try and stay calm in these moments. Try to boss it and pen them in. Try to have the confidence, not just to hope to score, but expect to score in these moments. These are little things we can get better at. Just that decision-making and a wee bit of quality. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's early in the season. I don't think there's a team in the world that, after five competitive games, will be anywhere near where they want to be. What we want is to be there and there's an acknowledgement that we can be better.' READ MORE: Hearts defender set to leave
Scotsman
40 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Transfer news: Hibs icon linked with shock Newcastle United move as Liverpool ace wanted by Premier League rival
Aston Villa star man linked with transfer out as Liverpool youngster potentially off to West Ham Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Former Hibs icon, now Aston Villa captain, John McGinn could be headed for the exit door at Villa Park. McGinn, who joined Villa from Hibs in 2018, has been linked with a move to Premier League giants, Newcastle United. During his time at Hibs, 'super' John McGinn helped the club win their first Scottish Cup trophy in 114 years, as well as helping the side win the Scottish Championship in 2017. McGinn's performances for the Hibees earned him his first Scotland cap and nearly a decade on, he is the undisputed fan favourite of the tartan army. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As it looks as if McGinn's Villa departure is imminent, there is another Scottish star man potentially headed for a move elsewhere south of the border, let's take a look at the latest Scottish transfer news: Newcastle target John McGinn transfer as manager seeks midfield reinforcements Newcastle United have turned their attention to the Aston Villa captain, due to the lack of depth they have in midfield after Sean Longstaff's £12m move to Leeds United. It is not the first time McGinn has attracted interest this summer, as Everton were also linked with the 30 year old earlier in the window. According to MailSport, Villa manager, Unai Emery doesn't want to lose his captain, but with the big squad The Villans currently possess, McGinn's minutes on the field might be at risk. Furthermore, with the Scotsman's work-rate, tenacity, reliability and general style of play, he already looks like a man who would relish playing under the Champions League lights of St James' Park. McGinn has two years left on his contract at Villa, therefore if The Magpies are seeking his signature it may be an expensive one, but after seven years at Villa, maybe it's time for 'super' John McGinn moves on to his next chapter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad West Ham show interest in Scotland winger Ben Doak Ben Doak has been a revelation for the Scotland National Team in recent years. His performance against Croatia and Manchester City defender, Josko Gvardiol, gave the tartan army a new hope that they had found their x factor winger, all for him to get injured before the next international break. The Liverpool youngster had a successful loan spell with Middlesbrough last season and it appears he has caught the attention of West Ham United boss, Graham Potter. Following the departure of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham, The Hammers are yet to replace the Ghanian and are still on the lookout for a winger. According to football-talk, West Ham aren't the only team trying to sign Doak, as Wolves, Ipswich and Crystal Palace are also on the hunt. The 19 year old Scot has bags of potential, scoring three goals and registering seven assists in the Championship last season. With Doak being left footed and playing on the right hand side, perhaps he could be the next Jarrod Bowen for The Irons, as the English winger looked to be playing a more central striker role towards the end of last season. Transfermarkt value Doak at £12m, but after Liverpool rejected a £20m bid from Palace in January, West Ham might need to spend more than they anticipate for the young prospect.
