Hearts title challenge is no flash in the pan as Tony Bloom and Jamestown earn praise amid European challenge
A former Scotland manager has been talking Hearts amid a good start under Wouter Vrancken.
Gordon Strachan senses Hearts’ title-pushing ambitions won’t be a one-off - as long as they can juggle European duties with domestic endeavours.
The Jambos lost out on Premiership glory during last season’s final game of the season against Celtic under previous head coach Derek McInnes. He has been replaced by Wouter Vrancken, with key stars like Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin, Alexandros Kyziridis and Beni Baningime amongst those to depart, but the Tynecastle side are still motoring along.
They have qualified for the league phase of the Conference League, sitting second in the top flight, amid an eight-game unbeaten run across all competitions. Hearts have been a club transformed since investment from Brighton and Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom brought Jamestown Analytics into their recruitment department, leaving ex-Scotland boss Strachan impressed. He feels last year’s success can be repeated in the future but managing their Conference League campaign alongside it will prove a key test of their mettle.
Will Hearts challenge for the league again?
Strachan said: “With their performances last year, you would probably say they were the best team consistently through the league last year. Celtic somehow managed to hang in there with players coming back, Daizen Maeda coming to form, Alistair Johnston getting back playing and Martin O’Neill taking over. So that kind of helped them. But I think the most consistent team was Hearts - and not winning the title was such a big blow for them.
“I was really worried about Hearts this season, but they've had smashing results in the last two or three weeks, so they’ll be a threat again. Rangers and Celtic will understand they’ll be in for a game when they play Hearts, that’s for sure, they can be pleased with themselves.
“Whether they can win the league, I really don't know. And I don't think Europe is going to help them. They're celebrating and quite rightly so, getting into Europe.
Will Europe impact Hearts?
“But the consequences of getting into Europe is all these games that come flying at them. This could be the thing that actually affects their challenge.
“I don't think last year was a flash in the pan. How did that happen? I think we knew how it happened. Tony Bloom came in with the analytics and Derek McInnes came in, you know, and McInnes was getting the best of the players they’ve got there, because good players come in like Claudio Braga, Alexandros Kyziridis, and stuff like that.
“Their best players were Beni Baningime, Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland who'd been there before, and who were good players already. Derek just added them together. So it wasn't just the analytics stuff. It was a bit of analytics, plus common sense football and good players. So all added together, it put this wonderful, wonderful side together. So you still need that no matter what you have in analytics.
“You know, if you look at it. The best players were already there apart from Braga, who was outstanding. So if you add analytics plus good football knowledge, then you have that wonderful side.”
Gordon Strachan was speaking to Midnite as part of its ‘Built Different Index’ launch | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly