Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken faces a pivotal four-game home spell at Tynecastle following a 6-1 Europa League defeat to Benfica in Lisbon. The upcoming run of fixtures will determine whether the Belgian manager is given the time required to establish his mark at the club.
Hearts turned Tynecastle into a fortress last season during a campaign that nearly secured a historic title triumph. Unbeaten on their own patch in league business last term, Vrancken is still settling into his role in Gorgie as the club prepares for four consecutive matches at home over the next month.
The impending stretch includes domestic home matches against Dundee United in the league on Sunday, Inverness in the Premier Sports Cup, and St Johnstone in the league. Hearts are expected to win all three domestic fixtures to help stabilize the atmosphere around the club.
Benfica will also visit Tynecastle during this four-game series, although Thursday's 6-1 loss in Portugal rendered Europa League qualifying virtually impossible. Benfica player Andreas Schjelderup scored the sixth goal for the hosts from the penalty spot.
European competition has proven a write-off for Hearts following the heavy loss in Lisbon and a six-goal aggregate defeat to Sturm Graz. Hearts also opened their league season with a 2-1 loss away to Aberdeen, where they led 1-0 and held control before losing control in the latter stages of the match.
Domestic Pressure and Fan Sentiment
Vrancken needs positive results from the upcoming home matches to win over players and supporters. Hearts are still working to recover from the psychological damage of coming within three minutes of the championship at Celtic Park in May.
A season ticket-holding friend of the writer compared the final-day failure at Parkhead to Hearts' loss at Dens Park in the 1985-86 season. The supporter stated that what unfolded at Celtic Park was much worse, equating the current mood among Hearts fans to something approaching PTSD and noting that he and his matchgoing friends remain unconvinced by Vrancken.
The 47-year-old head coach must manage squad reconstruction, injuries, and emotional fallout from last season. Failing to secure results at Tynecastle will place Vrancken under intense scrutiny ahead of the season's first Edinburgh derby at Easter Road in Leith.
