All things considered, it’s not bad. This is a club that two years ago was still playing in the Scottish Championship, while last year’s European adventure was the first since 2016. This is a fanbase that’s had to get used to underachievement in recent years, so finishing just behind an Aberdeen side that didn’t have the rigours of European football and spent a fair bit on their first-team squad themselves is hardly an embarrassment.
But then again, they had a ten-point lead on the Pittodrie side just earlier this year. Allowing such an advantage to slip from their grasp, especially with the carrot of group-stage European football for the second consecutive season dangling in front of them, is always going invoke a lot of disappointment.
The collective highs and lows of this campaign are condensed into these 11 awards...
. EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - MAY 20: Josh Ginnelly celebrates making it 1-1 during a cinch Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen at Tynecastle Park, on May 20, 2023, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)
There has been a share of both highs and lows for Hearts this season. Picture: SNS Photo: Mark Scates - SNS Group
. Best Player - Lawrence Shankland
An easy selection this one. The striker has struck a whopping 28 times in all competitions this season and is still very much in the hunt for the cinch Premiership top goalscorer award with a game left to go. Aside from his goals, his hold-up and link play have been terrific. He’s often been one of the best players on the park even when he’s not scoring. Photo: Craig Foy - SNS Group
. Most Improved Player - Josh Ginnelly
This is a tough one because the second and third best players this campaign without any doubt have been Alex Cochrane and Josh Ginnelly, both of whom could stake a real claim for this honour. Cochrane was a dependable option at full-back and left-sided centre-back last term, but he’s really stepped up his game after signing permanently. He’s much more of an attacking threat, where his energy in bombing forward gives a different dimension and helps get the team up the park quickly. But Cochrane’s signing last summer was celebrated, whereas there wouldn’t have been much consternation had Ginnelly been sold or allowed to leave a year early. He’s transformed since being converted into a striker with an excellent goals-to-games ratio, having been looked upon as an inconsistent and often ineffective winger. Getting him tied to a new deal should be top of Hearts’ list of priorities (behind hiring a new manager) this summer. Photo: Mark Scates - SNS Group
. Best Team Performance - 6-1 win versus Ross County
A funny one this. Even though there was a 5-0 win over Aberdeen, two 3-0s against Hibs and a 3-0 triumph at Motherwell, Hearts didn’t play particularly well in any of those matches. They just defended stubbornly and were clinical in attack. A game where everyone excelled was Steven Naismith’s first home fixture and the 6-1 thumping of Ross County. The football was high octane, attacking and relentless. Photo: Mark Scates - SNS Group
5. Best Goal - Stephen Humphrys v Dundee United
There’s absolutely no doubt about this one. Some very fine goals have been scored. There’s Josh Ginnelly’s recent postage-stamp beauty against Aberdeen, Shankland’s thunderous finish in the cup game at Easter Road, and Barrie McKay’s pass-and-move masterpiece in the win over St Mirren. But for pure mouth-on-the-floor, dumbfounding awesomeness, it has to be Stephen Humphrys scoring from his own half against Dundee United. The technique was flawless as he smashed it with arrowing precision, but he’d already ran away from two players by that point! An unbelievable piece of skill. Photo: Ross Parker - SNS Group
6. Apex Mountain - Winning at Easter Road in the Scottish Cup
The high point of the campaign came at Easter Road in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. It was the ninth game in a ten-match unbeaten run. It was the ninth unbeaten against Hibs. It put Hearts into the fifth round and an away trip to Hamilton with dreams of a return to Hampden on the horizon. And it happened at a time where they were establishing a healthy lead in third place and on course for another European adventure. Of course, we all know what happened next. Photo: Craig Williamson - SNS Group
7. Snake's Belly - Defeat at Hibs
Back to Leith for the lowest point in the season. With a run of five straight defeats seeing the sacking of Robbie Neilson, the onus was on the players and interim boss Steven Naismith to react positively in the previous league derby. Instead, they were lacklustre again, falling to a 1-0 defeat which saw the away fans hurl abuse at their team when the full-time whistle went. Photo: Paul Devlin - SNS Group
8. The Paulo Sergio Award - Josh Ginnelly moved up front
The best tactical move from a Hearts manager this season was Robbie Neilson moving Ginnelly from a winger to a forward. He’d been used in the position a few times last season though that was only when there weren’t any natural strikers available. Plus, he was largely playing by himself with his back to goal, therefore not as effective in the role. Pairing him with Shankland was a masterstroke and, while Neilson’s tactics in 2023 left a few question marks regarding other areas of the team, this move ultimately saved Hearts from plummeting further down the table this year. Photo: Roddy Scott - SNS Group