Hearts' summer of hurt: losses and a new start under Vrancken
After losing the league title on the final day and seeing key players leave, Hearts suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat in new head coach Wouter Vrancken's first match.
Hearts fans have endured a painful summer since May 16. First, they missed out on their first league title in 60 years in the dying moments of the season. Then, captain and top scorer Lawrence Shankland left for Rangers for free via a clause in his contract. Head coach Derek McInnes also moved to Ibrox, followed by talisman and fan favourite Cammy Devlin.
In response, Hearts quickly appointed Belgian coach Wouter Vrancken, formerly of Racing Genk and linked with Anderlecht and Burnley. He was named Belgian coach of the year and promised an attacking style described as "chaos within a structure".
However, in his first match in charge on Tuesday, Hearts were thrashed 4-0 by Sturm Graz, effectively ending their Champions League hopes. The scoreline was harsh, as Hearts created two good first-half chances – Pierre Landry Kabore shot straight at the keeper and Alexandros Kyziridis missed when one-on-one. But by then they were already 4-0 down, with poor finishing and defensive lapses.
Joel Sked, editor of Hearts Standard, said early impressions are positive but patience is needed given the upheaval. Fans remain cautiously optimistic, having endured the worst of the past two months.
