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Tynecastle officials have drawn up a list of names

Hearts have drawn up a list of eight candidates from which they intend to pick their new manager. The Edinburgh club are in talks with several individuals and expect to appoint a non-Scottish coach as they venture down a different route after their last two managers, Steven Naismith and Robbie Neilson.

The Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay delivered an update on the recruitment process from the club’s base in Azerbaijan ahead of Thursday’s opening Conference League tie against Dinamo Minsk. He has received more than 100 notes of interest in the job and admitted that one of the bookmakers’ favourites, Arnar Gunnlaugsson, is not a name on Hearts’ list.

Jamestown Analytics are working with Tynecastle officials during the search for Naismith’s replacement as talks continue with the British entrepreneur Tony Bloom about a potential investment deal. McKinlay is conducting managerial interviews along with Hearts’ new sporting director, Graeme Jones. They hope to progress to a shortlist of names next week and move towards a final appointment at some point this month.

“We had around about 100, I wouldn't go as far as saying applications, but notes of interest,” explained McKinlay. “Some of them are application CVs, some of them are direct from individuals, some of them are through third parties. Then you get the whole thing about different agents saying they're acting for the same manager, which is an issue. Then you get ones in particular around maybe managers that wouldn't want it publicly known.

“So they don't actually say they're applying, but they just say, ‘I act for X’. So there's about 100 of those. We also have our own views on managers that we've been keeping an eye on or looking at. And now, of course, we have the third part of it, the analytics firm also have a view on managers.

“So what we've done is everything's been fed through the analytics piece. As at the back end of last week, we've got a long shortlist, probably seven or eight, and we are now speaking to individuals on that list. Now, what will happen is some of those individuals might drop off. It's just the nature of it. Once you start speaking to them, they might have expressed some interest, or it might not have been as much interest as it seemed. Some of them drop off.

“We're now speaking to people. I had one conversation yesterday, which was myself and Graeme Jones with one individual. I've got two more today. Then I'm hoping to have a few more over the weekend, so that we can get to a stage where hopefully next week we can get down to a shortlist, which we'll then take to the board with a recommendation, or allow them to speak to a couple of people and see where we get to.

“Now that makes it sound like it'll be sorted out next week. It's never as straightforward as that. That's just where my head is at the moment. It's bound to drag on a bit. We're bound to hit snags here and there. Once you then get down to negotiating contracts, you have some people that are in work, some aren't in work. So it's very difficult here and now to know how long that'll take. It's progressing. We had a good conversation with someone yesterday. I’m looking forward to conversations today that Graham and I will have.”

Hearts are currently bottom of the Scottish Premiership and remain winless after 10 competitive matches in what is the worst start to a season in the club’s history. Asked if the new manager would be Scottish or not, McKinlay outlined that Hearts are seeking someone with a different profile. “Probably non-Scottish, but not 100 per cent on that yet. There's a mix after that of people from different countries. What I would say is the list doesn't contain anyone that I've seen quoted anywhere, I don't think. Which is good. We'll see how long that lasts. It's probably what you'd expect.

“It's not the same old, same old, to use that phrase. Although I think sometimes that's a bit disrespectful to managers. I've got no issue with some of the managers that are being mentioned, it's just not what we're looking for. We're looking to go down a different route. You also have to get managers. It's all very well with analytics, but then it's our job to make sure we get someone that fits in with our culture. Someone that I can work with, someone that the sporting director can work with.

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“Our structure is that the manager reports in to the sporting director and they have to have a good relationship. There are all those sort of things you need to tease out of the individual which the analytics just can't do. It's a fascinating process. The other thing, of course, is you need someone that's prepared to work with analytics going forward. Because that's going to be a big part of what we do when it comes to our recruitment.

“I guess it’s a move ahead in the sense of Steven was a young rookie manager. The ones we're speaking to - the way the analytics is done is it looks at managers who have improved teams where they've been. So by definition you have to have had some experience. On that basis, it's a different profile from Steven. Is it a different profile from Robbie? Maybe not. I have no idea how Robbie's numbers would come up on the analytics. So yeah, it's different from that perspective.

“Because Aberdeen have got a Scandinavian manager [Jimmy Thelin], I think that's flavour of the month. He's doing brilliantly, so why wouldn't it be? I'm not saying we won't end up with a Scandinavian manager but you've got to be very careful that you don't suddenly go for: ‘Oh well, that seems to be what works this month, so that's what we'll definitely go for.’”

There is no interest in Gunnlaugsson from Tynecastle. “No, that's not a name that we're looking at,” confirmed McKinlay, adding that Jones’ involvement in the process is a significant. “Yeah, huge. It's made a big difference actually. He has a different perspective from me on certain things, and that was a concern obviously when Steven went. Graeme doesn't officially start until the end of November but the Scottish FA have been really good and we've reached an agreement - a formal agreement that he's able to help us with this. That's working really well. It's massively important for that.

“He brings a different experience. Also, given that the person will be working with him going forward, you want to make sure that that works. Yesterday I'm doing the interview from here, Graeme was actually in Liverpool yesterday. He was visiting Richard Hughes, sporting director there. So he's doing a lot of work at the moment in the back, visiting loads of other people and getting a few ideas from other people. He'll also speak to other clubs like Liverpool. It's one of them where analytics has been a big thing for them over the last few years.

Hearts in talks with new manager candidates as they aim to go down a different route