Jamestown Analytics era fully upon Hearts in Wouter Vrancken arrival as pundit sends Tony Bloom transfer plea
The Belgian has arrived as Hearts manager this week.
Kris Boyd believes the era of Jamestown Analytics is now fully upon Hearts after the arrival of Wouer Vrancken.
The Belgian comes from his homeland to replace Derek McInnes as head coach at Tynecastle. Investor Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics software plays a key role in recruitment in Gorgie and it has taken centre stage this summer with the likes of McInnes, Lawrence Shankland, Beni Baningime and Frankie Kent all making way.
In their place come Sabri Guendouz, Malachi Fagan-Walcott and more as part of an extensive recruitment drive after a second-placed Premiership finish last season where Hearts came within minutes of title glory. Vrancken guided Sint-Truiden away from relegation and then to Europe most recently on top of experience at clubs like Gent and Mechelen.
How big a role does Jamestown Analytics play at Hearts?
Former Rangers striker Boyd believes the analytics are now fully bought into at Hearts. He told The Warm Up: ”Vrancken been announced as the new Hearts manager. It's an interesting one that. He’s taken Sint-Truiden from relegation candidates up to Europe. It's going to all change at Hearts. You can see with the players that have been moved out already, and this is really the first time that Jamestown Analytics are now taking full control of Hearts.
“He's Belgian, he's managed and coached in the league over there, and it's a league that they've got a lot of understanding of. He's experienced as well. You never know. A new style, I'd imagine, at Hearts. It’s totally different.
“You go back to Derek McInnes, when he took over last season, they had the League Cup. They've now got Champions League qualifiers and that's where they're going to have to try and get confidence ahead of the start of the Scottish Premiership season. It's totally different. The expectation has changed now as well.”
Can Hearts challenge Celtic again for the league?
Celtic hero Chris Sutton was also on the panel and with Brighton and Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise thriving under his guidance, he believes Bloom’s software needs trusted, as a new era beckons. He added: “With a new coach coming in, he does need time to implement his style. Derek McInnes knows Scottish football like the back of his hand and has that understanding and coached Hearts in a certain way. Derek was a pragmatist.
“They'll be interesting in terms of the overturn of players. There have been players who have moved on, players who have come in at Hearts, but also with European football. Is the squad going to be able to cope? He'll be desperate to get off to a flyer but it's not as easy as that.
“I think that's where I do think that there needs to be the sort of trust in Tony Bloom. It's alright trusting Tony Bloom when you're fighting for a title, but Derek McInnes has moved on, you get a new coach in and things may be different. So this guy needs time to embed his ideas and then it's a wait and see. Can they challenge for a title again? Well, maybe, if Celtic don't pull the finger out. “