Hearts have a new head coach in the door and he won’t be short of things to do in the early moments of his tenure.
Neil Critchley has been appointed as the successor to Steven Naismith. He arrives in Gorgie with coaching experience at Aston Villa and Liverpool, alongside stints as manager at Blackpool and QPR.
Having not won a game so far on the domestic scene - their sole victory coming in the Conference League away at Dinamo Minsk - victory will be sought this weekend in the Premiership vs St Mirren.
What tasks will be sitting in Critchley’s in-tray for him to be getting on with at Hearts? We take a look at nine possibilities as the new era gets underway in Gorgie.
1. Meeting senior players
Getting intel on what the group he's working are like from within the changing room will give Critchley a gauge on where things are at. He's already started in this regard, with Craig Gordon revealing chats with him while on Scotland duty. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group.
2. Get away from bottom
A poor start to the season means Hearts find themselves in the lower reaches of the Premiership table. There will be ambitions to be the third force again but first off, Critchley will just look to get away from the wrong end, starting with a good result vs St Mirren on Saturday. | SNS Group
3. Euro progress
Interim boss Liam Fox guided the club to a good start in Europe with a win away to Dinamo Minsk. It provides a great platform for Critchley to try and get Hearts through the newly-revamped league phased in the Conference League. | AFP via Getty Images
4. Winning over sceptics
Perhaps most crucial. It's not fault of his own, but the reaction to Critchley's appoint has been divided. Winning over the doubters will give him some time to mould this team how he sees fit. | SNS Group