Maroon Tinted Specs
@maroonspecs.substack.com
Offering misguided musings on Heart of Midlothian FC since 2015. From the wandering mind of @ilobb.bsky.social. Now on Substack. Subscribe via maroonspecs.substack.com. #HMFC
Pinned
At what point do you stop plugging a starter pack on here? Not sure how many more have made the maroon and white migration from the other place in the last few weeks. go.bsky.app/H4mm751
Full Bloom: Hearts ride to the top off investment and analytics www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Full Bloom: Hearts ride to the top off investment and analytics
The Edinburgh side host Celtic on Sunday five points clear, boosted by the Brighton owner’s access to ‘the best dataset in the world’
www.theguardian.com
October 26, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Full Bloom: Hearts ride to the top off investment and analytics www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Reposted by Maroon Tinted Specs
Hearts could open an eight-point gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership this weekend if they defeat Celtic.
Backed by Tony Bloom’s analytics and clever player recruitment, @mattfurniss.bsky.social looks at how the Edinburgh club could change the landscape of Scottish football.
Backed by Tony Bloom’s analytics and clever player recruitment, @mattfurniss.bsky.social looks at how the Edinburgh club could change the landscape of Scottish football.
October 22, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Hearts could open an eight-point gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership this weekend if they defeat Celtic.
Backed by Tony Bloom’s analytics and clever player recruitment, @mattfurniss.bsky.social looks at how the Edinburgh club could change the landscape of Scottish football.
Backed by Tony Bloom’s analytics and clever player recruitment, @mattfurniss.bsky.social looks at how the Edinburgh club could change the landscape of Scottish football.
Revised my earlier findings to @sked21.bsky.social's query about the last time we kept the same lineup three times in a row. Looks like it was the 2020-21 season between 6 March 2021 v Dundee and 20 March 2021 v Arbroath.
October 5, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Revised my earlier findings to @sked21.bsky.social's query about the last time we kept the same lineup three times in a row. Looks like it was the 2020-21 season between 6 March 2021 v Dundee and 20 March 2021 v Arbroath.
It may be recency bias at play, but I'm struggling to think of many Hearts goals I've seen at Tynecastle that would rank above Kyziridis' yesterday.
September 28, 2025 at 10:50 AM
It may be recency bias at play, but I'm struggling to think of many Hearts goals I've seen at Tynecastle that would rank above Kyziridis' yesterday.
Strange feeling around that win yesterday. Considering Hearts wins at Ibrox are like hen's teeth, the elation should be off the charts. I never expect anything from that fixture. And yet this Rangers side is such a bin-fire just now that I would've been incredibly disappointed if we hadn't won.
September 14, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Strange feeling around that win yesterday. Considering Hearts wins at Ibrox are like hen's teeth, the elation should be off the charts. I never expect anything from that fixture. And yet this Rangers side is such a bin-fire just now that I would've been incredibly disappointed if we hadn't won.
🌎 🇨🇷 | In the wee small hours this morning, Kenneth Vargas opened the scoring for Costa Rica with a cool, composed finish less than a minute into their World Cup qualifier against Haiti. He also set up his side's second goal on the night. Hope yet for his Hearts career?
September 10, 2025 at 11:07 AM
🌎 🇨🇷 | In the wee small hours this morning, Kenneth Vargas opened the scoring for Costa Rica with a cool, composed finish less than a minute into their World Cup qualifier against Haiti. He also set up his side's second goal on the night. Hope yet for his Hearts career?
If I had a pound for every time I saw a Scottish football pundit say something along the lines of "£10m won't be enough for Hearts to challenge the Old Firm", I'd probably have enough to match Tony Bloom's investment. We should welcome this widespread ignorance (wilful or otherwise) of Bloom's work.
August 16, 2025 at 9:32 AM
If I had a pound for every time I saw a Scottish football pundit say something along the lines of "£10m won't be enough for Hearts to challenge the Old Firm", I'd probably have enough to match Tony Bloom's investment. We should welcome this widespread ignorance (wilful or otherwise) of Bloom's work.
Reposted by Maroon Tinted Specs
Shades of Rousset 1996 about Schmeichel's error today. Only difference is Rousset's mistake wasn't the main catalyst for the eventual defeat.
May 24, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Shades of Rousset 1996 about Schmeichel's error today. Only difference is Rousset's mistake wasn't the main catalyst for the eventual defeat.
Quite strange seeing him on our side. Hopefully turns out to be a good fit.
May 19, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Quite strange seeing him on our side. Hopefully turns out to be a good fit.
Deserves credit for stepping up when required but this is for the best. Despite a period away from the club, he was always part of that Levein "boot room" legacy that seemed to linger around every head coach appointment. First clean break we've had in a decade.
We can confirm the Liam Fox will leave Hearts at the end of the season.
Thank you for everything, Liam ❤️
📖 Read more, including an update from CEO Andrew McKinlay, here ➡️ tinyurl.com/yc563sbc
Thank you for everything, Liam ❤️
📖 Read more, including an update from CEO Andrew McKinlay, here ➡️ tinyurl.com/yc563sbc
May 17, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Deserves credit for stepping up when required but this is for the best. Despite a period away from the club, he was always part of that Levein "boot room" legacy that seemed to linger around every head coach appointment. First clean break we've had in a decade.
Watching that Aberdeen team slide to fifth place, I simply cannot overstate how galling it is to have not beaten them in four attempts this season. Thelin will be gone before the year is out.
For all the recent positivity around Hearts just now, there's a lingering irritation that we've not beaten this honking Aberdeen side in three attempts.
May 17, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Watching that Aberdeen team slide to fifth place, I simply cannot overstate how galling it is to have not beaten them in four attempts this season. Thelin will be gone before the year is out.
Massive missed opportunity for a final day heel-turn from McInnes: steps into the home dugout, shakes everyone's hands, then plants a couple of chair shots on Kyle Vassell and Bobby Wales, before putting on a Hearts jacket and stepping into the away dugout; JR on the PA system damning him to hell.
🚨 Hearts and Kilmarnock have reached an agreement on Derek McInnes.
McInnes is set to become the new head coach but will remain Killie manager until the end of the season.
www.heartsstandard.co.uk/news/2515848...
McInnes is set to become the new head coach but will remain Killie manager until the end of the season.
www.heartsstandard.co.uk/news/2515848...
May 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Massive missed opportunity for a final day heel-turn from McInnes: steps into the home dugout, shakes everyone's hands, then plants a couple of chair shots on Kyle Vassell and Bobby Wales, before putting on a Hearts jacket and stepping into the away dugout; JR on the PA system damning him to hell.
Constantly refreshing YouTube hoping to see a live reaction video from @sked21.bsky.social and @craigcairns.bsky.social.
April 26, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Constantly refreshing YouTube hoping to see a live reaction video from @sked21.bsky.social and @craigcairns.bsky.social.
Right decision for me, though I'm genuinely surprised they've pulled the trigger at this stage. Nice enough guy who clearly cared, but there were far too many on-field red flags by the end. The thought of handing him a full summer was giving me Cathro-like dread all over again.
Club Statement: Critchley & Garrity depart
We have today parted company with Head Coach Neil Critchley and his assistant Mike Garrity.
The club would like to thank Neil and Mike for their efforts during their time in Gorgie and we wish them well for the future.
📖 ➡️ tinyurl.com/mxy4n96f
We have today parted company with Head Coach Neil Critchley and his assistant Mike Garrity.
The club would like to thank Neil and Mike for their efforts during their time in Gorgie and we wish them well for the future.
📖 ➡️ tinyurl.com/mxy4n96f
April 26, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Right decision for me, though I'm genuinely surprised they've pulled the trigger at this stage. Nice enough guy who clearly cared, but there were far too many on-field red flags by the end. The thought of handing him a full summer was giving me Cathro-like dread all over again.
Footballer swinging his leg to kick a loose ball is now considered reckless. Dear Lord.
The Scottish FA refereeing view on Cammy Devlin and Michael Steinwender's red cards
🗣️ "It's very understandable when you look at the images why you could reach a conclusion of reckless."
🗣️ "It's very understandable when you look at the images why you could reach a conclusion of reckless."
Cammy Devlin's red card in Hearts v Aberdeen deemed 'reckless' by Willie Collum
Cammy Devlin was one of two Hearts players shown a red card in the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen.
www.heartsstandard.co.uk
April 26, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Footballer swinging his leg to kick a loose ball is now considered reckless. Dear Lord.
It's a nailed-on red card. We'd be screaming for it at the other end.
35-yards out from goal, two Hearts defenders tracking back yet the clown that's refereeing this semi says that's an automatic red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity. It's a yellow card - nothing more.
April 19, 2025 at 4:40 PM
It's a nailed-on red card. We'd be screaming for it at the other end.
Hard to get remotely excited about the rest of this season now. The only thing that can save it is a cup win and there's been zero evidence that these players are capable of seeing off Aberdeen in the semi, let alone Celtic in the final. A proper damp squib of a campaign.
April 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Hard to get remotely excited about the rest of this season now. The only thing that can save it is a cup win and there's been zero evidence that these players are capable of seeing off Aberdeen in the semi, let alone Celtic in the final. A proper damp squib of a campaign.
People will talk about the red card but it doesn't alter the reality that we (in keeping with the general theme of this season) failed to take one of the many chances we had to go ahead with 11 men. Take one of those and the red card never happens.
April 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM
People will talk about the red card but it doesn't alter the reality that we (in keeping with the general theme of this season) failed to take one of the many chances we had to go ahead with 11 men. Take one of those and the red card never happens.
Craig Halkett has been at the club two seasons longer than Cammy Devlin and has made one appearance fewer. A stat that elicits little to no surprise.
"I'm in the best shape I've been in in a long time, This injury has just all been focused on getting back as quick as I can without rushing anything.” 💬
🆕Craig Halkett on advice from ex-Hearts star on latest road to recovery | @craigcairns.bsky.social
www.heartsstandard.co.uk/news/2506614...
🆕Craig Halkett on advice from ex-Hearts star on latest road to recovery | @craigcairns.bsky.social
www.heartsstandard.co.uk/news/2506614...
Craig Halkett on advice from ex-Hearts star and being 'in best shape in a long time'
Craig Halkett returned last week as an unused substitute.
www.heartsstandard.co.uk
April 5, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Craig Halkett has been at the club two seasons longer than Cammy Devlin and has made one appearance fewer. A stat that elicits little to no surprise.
I have my own reservations about Neil Critchley but the reaction to the Celtic result from some fans, after a respectable run of form prior to this, has been predictably embarrassing. You'd think he was the first Hearts manager to have received a doing there. See where we are in a couple of weeks.
March 31, 2025 at 11:31 AM
I have my own reservations about Neil Critchley but the reaction to the Celtic result from some fans, after a respectable run of form prior to this, has been predictably embarrassing. You'd think he was the first Hearts manager to have received a doing there. See where we are in a couple of weeks.
The jury was always out on Oda for me but I thought he would've got more of an opportunity under NC when you consider others who have had more game time. A likeable enough player whose goals to minutes ratio was actually pretty respectable in the end (seven in the equivalent of 23 full matches).
March 26, 2025 at 10:20 AM
The jury was always out on Oda for me but I thought he would've got more of an opportunity under NC when you consider others who have had more game time. A likeable enough player whose goals to minutes ratio was actually pretty respectable in the end (seven in the equivalent of 23 full matches).
Hard not to get a bit emotional listening to this episode. I know it's not a catch-all excuse for every shortcoming since, but it's also worth being occasionally reminded how close we were to oblivion and how much better off we are now. Never take it for granted. open.spotify.com/episode/0whO...
9. While Romanov Burns
Romanov: Czar of Hearts · Episode
open.spotify.com
March 15, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Hard not to get a bit emotional listening to this episode. I know it's not a catch-all excuse for every shortcoming since, but it's also worth being occasionally reminded how close we were to oblivion and how much better off we are now. Never take it for granted. open.spotify.com/episode/0whO...
Critchley's record in the traditionally "big" games is becoming a little concerning now. While there may be mitigating circumstances in isolated games, that's no wins from eight meetings with Hibs (3), the Old Firm (3) and Aberdeen (2) combined.
March 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Critchley's record in the traditionally "big" games is becoming a little concerning now. While there may be mitigating circumstances in isolated games, that's no wins from eight meetings with Hibs (3), the Old Firm (3) and Aberdeen (2) combined.
Everything that's wrong about this Hearts team on show today. Complete inability to punish teams when we're on top (first half) and then the standard 45 minutes reserved for absolute toothlessness and cowardice (second half).
March 2, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Everything that's wrong about this Hearts team on show today. Complete inability to punish teams when we're on top (first half) and then the standard 45 minutes reserved for absolute toothlessness and cowardice (second half).