The SPL remains in its early stages of the season, but there is a growing concern that Hearts are already set for mid-table mediocrity this campaign. They are currently closer to the bottom spot than they are to the leading sides in the division, and despite having one of the better managers in the league they have looked void for ideas throughout their early games.
Craig Levein oversaw another big summer of transfer activity, with a fair share of big names brought in the hope that they could bridge the gap between Hearts and the sides above them. However, it already looks to have backfired at this early stage. The signing of Conor Washington was expected to bring a clear goalscoring threat, while the addition of Steven Naismith on a permanent basis was meant to be a step in the right direction.
Hearts conceded far too many goals last season and didn’t score nearly enough for them to bridge the gap. Their 17 defeats were five more the Hibernian in fifth spot, while they lost five fewer games than Aberdeen who took the final European spot. Whether those areas of concern have been addressed remains to be seen, but with veteran defender Aaron Hughes having retired there have been concerns in defence throughout the season.
Glenn Whelan was brought in to fill that void of experience, but he is yet to show the quality that saw him carve out an established Premier League career with Stoke City. However, there is little doubt that given time he will come good. No player can play in the top-flight for as long as he has and not have the quality to back it up. Meanwhile, Joel Pereira was brought in on a season-long loan from Manchester United to be the club’s number one choice. The young keeper is looking to make his mark this season, but he will need to do better than he has done over recent weeks. But, once again, there is little doubt in the quality that he possesses.
The amount of goals that the club are conceding this season is a grave concern. With nine goals conceded in their opening six; that’s more than one per game. It’s little surprise that the club are outsiders to finish in a European place, when their start of the season is on par with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Meanwhile, Hearts aren’t finding the back of the net themselves on the frequent basis that is needed in the SPL to remain competitive with the best sides.
However, over recent weeks, there have been signs of improvement, and the tactics of three at the back seem to be working. The first win of the new season came against Hibernian, and it was much needed as the pressure on the manager began to mount. Washington was dropped for this match, and it was undoubtedly the best performance of the season from Whelan. Aaron Hickey was the hero that day, while Uche Ikpeazu led the line instead of the summer recruit from Sheffield United.
It will be interesting to see whether Levein sticks with these tactics moving forward, or whether he will once again change in the hope of getting the best out of the players that he has brought in over the summer months. However, it is worth remembering that Hearts typically do well when they keep the same line-up for a consecutive run of fixtures.
This was the case last season when Hearts went the first seven matches of the season unbeaten. The problems began to come midway through the season when the manager started making changes. Levein should stick with the players on a week-by-week basis that have done a solid job for him previously. If the boss trusts them, then they should be given every chance to keep the shirt that they have earned.
