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.
5. A settled system
Predecessor Steven Naismith flipped between three and four at the back systems in the latter days of his Hearts reigns. Amid poor form, Critchley may look to get the players into a settled system and with clear defined roles before any thoughts of experimentation. Photo: Ross Parker - SNS Group
6. Installing confidence
It's only natural that after a run like what Hearts have endured in the league, confidence is bound to take a hit. That leaves Critchley with the task of getting this group believing and feeling good about themselves. | SNS Group
7. Bleeding in the youth
Fox handed a major chance to young right-back Adam Forrester during his interim reign. One of Critchley's goals will no doubt be to install a clear pathway from the academy to the first team. | SNS Group
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8. Sporting director info
Critchley will be working within a clearly-defined sporting director model. It's not something that will be foreign to him having been at clubs before that have employed this, but with Graeme Jones yet to arrive officially in the role from the SFA, getting to grips fully with the system may be on the agenda. | SNS Group