Pressure and scrutiny at Hearts: Frankie Kent opens up on players' attitude and dealing with the situation

Three straight defeats and a draw from four competitive games is not good reading for Hearts. Season 2024/25 has started slowly, leading to inevitable questions even this early in the season. Scrutiny and pressure is now part of daily life for the first-team squad at Riccarton.

SNS Group

Thursday’s Europa League play-off first leg in the Czech Republic offered encouragement that Hearts will soon be back to victorious ways. A measured, disciplined display against Viktoria Plzen saw the visitors create chances, exploit space and defend well until the dying seconds, when Daniel Oyegoke’s unfortunate own goal handed Plzen an unlikely victory.

The opening-day Premiership draw against Rangers has been followed by losses to Dundee, Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup and now Viktoria. Hearts players know they are under the microscope, but also that they have the required mindset and attitude to cope with the situation.

“We appreciate the pressure that we're under and the scrutiny that we're probably under because of the start,” explained defender Frankie Kent, who returned from a toe injury to become one of Hearts stronger performers in the Doosan Arena. “We know that we've got more than enough to turn this around and get back in the right direction. 

“That's starting on Sunday [at Motherwell] and then following up with the [Europa return] game on Thursday. Now, it's a cliche thing to say, but it's all about Sunday now. We need to get back into it, back onto the league form and then take every game as it comes.”

The elation engulfing Viktoria’s players and staff at Oyegoke’s misfortune underlined a sense of achievement after the Czechs scrambled for an advantage for the trip to Edinburgh. “You could probably see it from the stands. I’m not saying it was comfortable because it wasn't,” admitted Kent.

“Obviously, we had to defend at times and it was hard. We had to work really hard to make sure that we stayed in the game and did what we did. But the sickening thing is probably that it felt good and it felt comfortable. We spoke afterwards and the boys enjoyed the game, enjoyed the performance, enjoyed having to work really hard for each other and we did that for all of it. 

“I know it's a very cliche and traditional thing to say but that is the case at the minute. We just need to keep working hard and it'll come. We are gutted, obviously. There was about 20 seconds left or whatever it was. Take it, move on but we couldn't be prouder of the performance. It was a step in the right direction considering the way we've performed the last couple of games and what we have to play for next week.”

Hearts are understandably keen not to lay blame at Oyegoke. “Of course, he is down. He's in that position,” said Kent. “I think we've all been there as players. It's one of those things that happens in football. He didn't mean to do it. It's just one of them. He's tried to do the right thing and that's our luck at the minute. We just said it in the changing room and it just seems like our luck. Things aren't falling for us but it will change and we're working hard to make sure it changes.”

The second leg at Tynecastle on Thursday is already drawing comparisons with last season’s Conference League qualifier against Rosenborg. Hearts returned from Norway with a one-goal deficit to overhaul and went 1-0 down on the night before an inspired comeback for a 4-3 aggregate victory. They want a similarly frenzied atmosphere to welcome Viktoria.

“We were in that position last year with the Rosenberg game, so we know what we've got,” said Kent. “We know that crowd will be behind us and especially at Tynecastle. It can all change and it can be brilliant. So, there are things to look forward to. It is really and truly on a knife edge.

“It's on us. It is. It's a tight game and I know obviously the one goal is a difficult one to take. We'll obviously see how everything went but at the same time it's on us. It's on our home ground. We know how good we can make the game and make it a very special night and that's what we're aiming to do.”

Kent is now looking to play more matches to work on sharpness after missing the Falkirk match through injury. “I’m all right. I'm not going to lie, I was blowing a little bit [on Thursday]. “With my little niggle last week with my toe, I didn't really train. I got back out there and had a few energy gels at half-time to get me through. Once I get back into the swing of everything in terms of game after game after game, I'm fine. 

“I think it was just difficult with the little niggle last week, not really training for a week, and then going into that game. The first half was really high-tempo with how they were attacking. Obviously, it's new for me as well in terms of coming to a team like this and playing this level of player and getting used to how they want to play.

“I think you can probably see that, in the second half, we got used to what they were doing and settled down in the game. Probably, in the last 10 or 15 minutes of the first half, you see that we were growing into the game and we had a few chances. I feel like we took that into the second half. I feel like, in the second half, we had a few chances as well.”

Before Plzen arrive in Edinburgh, Hearts must focus on the league trip to Motherwell. Kent agrees they need a win for many reasons. “Yes, definitely. It's about just making sure we go into the game right and get back in the right direction and just keep working because it's difficult being in these situations. 

“We had it a little bit probably with a sticky at the start of the last season, but we know there's more than enough in that changing room. I think you see it on Thursday, where the performance is obviously set up in a different way to play over the two legs. On a one-off game we're fine and we'll just take it into Sunday: Take the positives, stay confident, know what we've got in the changing room, know what we've got as a team and keep working.”

Whilst the Englishman’s European career is very much in its infancy, his goalkeeper on Thursday was setting a new Hearts appearances record in UEFA competitions. Craig Gordon, at 41, is still setting new heights. “Yeah, brilliant. We said that after the game because he was getting drug-tested. We were saying: ‘Yeah, I think he does need that because he's 41 and still going,’” joked Kent. “No, he's done really well again. Fair play to him. It's all about him. His longevity is unbelievable, isn't it? Credit to him.”