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Changes are subtle so far at Hearts with pre-season preparations now in full swing. A cluster of Riccarton youth academy graduates have joined the first-team squad for the summer, hoping to establish their credentials for game time when competitive action begins next month. Some tactical tweaks are also evident from two friendly matches to date.

New signings will arrive in time and it is fair to say those are eagerly-awaited both inside and outside Tynecastle Park. For now, the management team of Steven Naismith, Frankie McAvoy and Gordon Forrest are working with what they have available and seeking incremental improvements.

Inverted full-backs was a theme during the final seven matches of last season whilst Naismith was in charge as interim manager. That is set to continue this term. It is a tactic which suits defenders who are comfortable on the ball, such as the Hearts right-back Nathaniel Atkinson and left-backs Alex Cochrane and Stephen Kingsley.

Stepping into a central midfield role to provide added momentum during attacks is something many top-level coaches around the globe favour. Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, is of course the most famous protagonist. Hearts fans should perhaps not expect quite the level of tiki-taka displayed at the Etihad Stadium, but there is a clear intention to dominate possession and build cohesive, purposeful attacks.

McAvoy outlined some of the issues surrounding the inverted full-back tactic which arose during Sunday’s 1-1 friendly draw at Dunfermline. “In the last seven games of last season, we tried to do that. Naisy, Gordy and myself, we have tried to work with players on covering areas of the pitch and trying to find space,” he said. “Sometimes it's not easy, particularly when teams sit in, but those are the bits we have to get better at. Can we find that pass, work it down the side.

"We got the goal on Sunday but we didn't do enough of that in the second period, in terms of just finding that pass to link it back and then play down the sides. Luke [Rathie] gets his goal but there were a few other times when we were looking for him to get forward more. Young James [Wilson] came off the touchline at times. He makes one great run in behind when he is in one-on-one with the goalie.

"That's the last part that we need to try and get right. We had a lot of good spells with the ball, keeping it and moving it, but the biggest thing is that final part – scoring goals. We need to make sure we keep working at them for that to come.”

Head coach Frankie McAvoy has explained some of the tactical changes at Hearts. Pic: SNS

Further practice will come in all areas, not least set-pieces. A slight alteration to how Hearts defend free-kicks and corners was visible at East End Park on Sunday. It is designed to eradicate the kind of cheap goals conceded last season.

“If you watch us in terms of set-plays, we have changed our set-up,” admitted McAvoy. “That looked a wee bit better [against Dunfermline] because we were a wee bit probably soft at the back end of last season in terms of defending set-plays, but we looked a wee bit better on Sunday. We need to continue to keep working on that and building the bridges.

“You will see we are a wee bit zonal – part zonal and part picking-up. It's just about them [players] going and dominating their areas when it comes in. We are happy with how that has gone in the last couple of games but it's early days. We will see how things progress over the next three or four weeks.”

The attention to detail described above is all part of the learning process for the young players aiming to secure a spot in Hearts’ senior squad. Defender Luke Rathie, 18, scored the goal against Dunfermline, whilst 16-year-old forward James Wilson and 19-year-old midfielder Aidan Denholm also featured in front of 3,083 travelling fans from Edinburgh.

“That's what it's about. Sometimes they need to come in and see what it's about,” said McAvoy. “I felt the support was magnificent, great numbers. That's a big thing for a young boy. Come in and see what you can do. It was a pre-season friendly but we have a firm belief that, if they are good enough, then they will get chances to play.

“There were a couple of wee errors on Sunday from some of them with some of the things we have worked on. They need to understand and realise that we have to get that nailed as quickly as we can. Five weeks down the road, we are playing for points and wins. That's what is important.”

McAvoy is keen to stress that the pathway is open for teenagers who show their capabilities within the first-team environment. Ultimately, new signings is what supporters hanker after. “Yes, of course. We need to add a bit and we are trying. We are working really hard behind the scenes to get things moving, but it takes a bit of time to get the right ones,” he added.

“Hopefully people can see how we are trying to play. At times on Sunday, it was a wee bit messy in the second period but we will continue to try to play that way. We want to try to dominate the ball as much as we can but be a wee bit more threatening going forward. Five weeks down the line, hopefully it comes together and we are able to put on a good show for the fans and win games.”

Frankie McAvoy explains changes to Hearts tactics and set-pieces for the new season