Hearts sporting director Graeme Jones reveals Tony Bloom talks and transfer timeline

With a sports science and performance background, Graeme Jones is understandably not used to football’s cut-throat managerial hiring and firing. The Hearts sporting director heaved a sigh of relief with the club’s appointment of Derek McInnes as head coach on Monday. Yet there is no time to relax with a summer transfer window about to open.

Jones left his performance director role at the Scottish Football Association last September to take up his current position at Tynecastle Park. He led Hearts’ pursuit of a new coach after Neil Critchley’s sacking four weeks ago, aided by club ambassador and former manager Gary Locke. The number of potential candidates spoken to reached double figures, with McInnes the standout. Both men are now working in tandem in an effort to reshape and reboot a team which finished a disappointing seventh in this season’s Premiership.

Whereas previous manager hunts were conducted by Joe Savage, Jones’ predecessor, and chief executive Andrew McKinlay, McInnes is very much Jones’ recommendation. He is perfectly content with the decision. “It's good to get to this point and it's good to get to the point with the person that was my number one choice. So it is a relief,” he acknowledged. “My wife was probably happy and obviously, with the season being over now, a little bit of calm can return. The relief is there but it's more the happiness and the excitement and the fact that we've got Derek.

“There was a lot [of people spoken to], it was double figures. It became clearer as the process went on how much Derek stood out. So yeah, it was quite a tiring process but we're there now.” McInnes commented on Jones’ infectious enthusiasm for bringing Hearts success, which drew a wry smile from the man himself. “Once he gets to know me, it wears him down,” he joked.

“What's nice is that there has been a really genuine connection from the minute we met. As we all know, you get that with certain people where you just have a genuine connection. The fact that I had that gives a lot of confidence when you're trying to work with someone so intimately every day, that means that what's possible for me will be really exciting. Already the connection is good. We're not the same. I'm not a coach and he's hugely experienced as being a coach. So my skillset and Derek's skillset I think will complement each other perfectly. I hope it'll create something pretty good.”

From the Scotland national team to hiring the next Hearts manager for the SPFL Premiership

Jones is comfortable with the level of responsibility afforded him by the Hearts hierarchy. “I've enjoyed it, actually, the autonomy in the process,” he said. “It's been hard and I've learned a lot. Like in all situations, when you use something for the first time, you learn so much. But I've really enjoyed it and I'm loving the job. It was going to take a pretty special job for me to leave the Scottish FA, but this has proven to be that special job. I can only see positives and important milestones coming in the future, and I'm working hard to get to that.”

The remit for the new head coach centred around Scottish football experience within Hearts’ budget. It was no real surprise that led to McInnes, who signed a four-year contract after leaving Kilmarnock. “When I thought about it and discussed it with the board, for me it was really clear that we're appointing somebody who's proven in Scotland,” explained Jones. “Derek is a proven successful coach. He's a proven leader. He's managed all different levels at clubs and been successful at all. So the four years are a clear statement of our belief that Derek is the right person to take us forward and achieve the success that we're striving for.

“At the beginning, you try and stay as open-minded as possible. I knew that I wanted to speak to the best candidate in Scotland and that was Derek. So that was clear in my mind. Obviously, Jamestown Analytics provides their output of all the different options across the board that can help support my decision-making. But it was clear that I wanted to speak to people within Scotland and also those from outwith Scotland. It was important and I was open-minded. But after I'd spoken to Derek, it became clearer.”

Jones outlined some of Hearts’ summer plans and suggested that football business won’t be relenting too much. The club want a number of new players and also plan to move several existing squad men out of Riccarton. “I'll be still in every day for the next month at least, so it's going to be busy,” he admitted. “There's going to be various things coming in the coming week that we'll be putting out and we'll be hard at it. I mean, Derek has already started the process for looking at the recruitment and where we're being improved and working in partnership with Jamestown on that.

“It's going to be busy, but exciting as well. It's just a look at the areas we need to strengthen and then looking to achieve as many as those that we possibly can. Obviously, in these situations, we can't just bring in lots of players. We also need to have some players move on in order to maintain that squad harmony and balance.”

Lawrence Shankland’s Hearts future and Derek McInnes’ input

Lawrence Shankland’s contract talks are ongoing but both Hearts and McInnes want him to remain. “Yeah, I think it's been reported as well,” said Jones. “There have been discussions there and we're keen to keep Lawrence. It's just whether we are able to keep him will be the big factor, but he's definitely part of our plan should he want to stay and if it's achievable for us. Those discussions are ongoing and there will be a cut-off point. As it stands, we're still hopeful that we'll manage to keep Lawrence. But if he doesn't stay, it's not for the lack of trying on our part.”

McInnes demonstrated a willingness to work with Jamestown from his initial conversations with Jones. It is a fundamental for any Hearts manager given the club’s partnership with the London-based data analysts. McInnes will choose which of their player recommendations to pursue, which is a key point in the whole process.

“They were great. We talked to Derek about how the system works and what the remit is,” revealed Jones. “He was just really excited, as I was when I found out what it was. Our system, in line with Jamestown, will help create a squad, but Derek's the one that will create the team and create a successful team. The partnership between myself and Derek is fundamental to that. Jamestown supports that and helps us inform our decisions from there.

“Myself and Derek are vital to the process of ensuring that the players provided by Jamestown are the correct fit. And that's obviously on the human part. Jamestown can't tell you about the human being. They can tell you on the analytics side. So myself and Derek, that's the fundamental part to us, to make sure that the squad that we create is filled with the right sorts of personalities and the right sorts of players that fit Derek's style and the positions that he wants. That's why my relationship with Derek is so important, because we're the ones that will steer those decisions.”

There is pressure on Hearts to get all of this right. Season 2024/25 left fans disgruntled, some favour McInnes’ arrival and others are less certain. Jones endured enough verbals aimed at the Tynecastle directors’ box in recent months to fully appreciate the public frustrations. He knows he will be judged on how the McInnes era transpires.

“Yeah, that's the thing that I learned from Scotland,” he commented. “Unfortunately, with Scotland, you get some tight moments in time. I've never been of the mentality to get set back by those situations. It just really makes you try harder and strive even more, and that's what the process has been over this last month and a half or so, where it's been quite difficult. But it's just really captivated my focus to work even harder and make sure we get to the point where we're putting our best foot forward with the team and with the head coach, and I think that we've done that.”

London visit to see Brighton chairman Tony Bloom and Jamestown Analytics

Crucially, Jones has visited Jamestown in person and held face-to-face discussions with Tony Bloom. The multi-millionaire Brighton and Hove Albion chairman is awaiting approval on a £9.86m investment proposal which will secure him a 29 per cent stake in Hearts. He wants to conclude the deal as quickly as possible, with fans currently voting via the Edinburgh club’s owners, Foundation of Hearts.

“I think he's quite a serious guy,” stated Jones. “What I noticed from Tony is he knew a lot about the club, and he knew a lot about the inner workings of the club and a lot about the direction of where we're looking to go. So, he takes a real interest. That's a real positive for me, because if he's taking that interest, then he is serious. Obviously, our partnership and relationship with Jamestown Analytics is a good one, and I hope it's continuing to be a good one. What fruit that can bear from there is exciting to see.

“I've been down to Jamestown and met Tony. My day-to-day dealings is with the guys at Jamestown Analytics, they're obviously in the same building, but it's a really positive relationship that's in place. I really enjoy every day working with them, and again, if Tony's investment comes through and the Foundation of Hearts approve it, then it's a really exciting moment for the club.”

So what are Hearts’ targets under this new regime? McInnes stated he wants silverware. Regular European football is also important. Jones did not give much away. “Not specific targets,” he said. “We're very much aligned in what we consider to be success, and we'll be striving for that. Whether there'll be bumps along the road, and obviously it's not going to be plain sailing over the next year or two years, but as long as we maintain the focus of what we're wanting to do, I think those milestones and that success will be met.”

More player signings are imminent following Tuesday’s Edinburgh News exclusive that several deals are in the pipeline. Hearts want as many new recruits in place as possible before pre-season training commences next month. Their transfer timeline will stretch up until the window closes, though. “In an ideal world, you want everything done as early as possible. It's why we moved so quickly on Christian Borchgrevink, but it's not always possible,” explained Jones.

“We will be active all the way through the transfer window. Obviously, it's dependent on our ability to make sure that we balance the books, which is really important. So, we will, I would envisage, be relatively active in the coming weeks or so, and then we'll continue to be active right the way up until the end of August to ensure that we've got as good a squad at Derek's disposal to put the best team out possible.

“It's not a specific number [for new players]. It's just we're looking for our positions to be covered and balanced as best we can. And that's probably what we're looking to address just now to create that balance within the squad. As I say, we've already been active and will be active in the coming weeks to address that balance. But it's really about getting the balance first, and then trimming accordingly or adding accordingly from there so that the specific number isn't, at this moment in time, the relevant point.”

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