Football Season Guide

Hearts didn't have the season many Jambos supporters hoped they would've last term, after finishing behind rivals Hibernian in sixth place. A top six place was the target, but it wasn't done as convincingly as many would've liked or expected. Craig Levein has been working on a huge rebuild over the summer, as he looked to replace the outgoings of key men such as Demetri Mitchell, Manuel Milinkovic, and Joaquim Adao to name a few. A mammoth 14 new players have came to Tynecastle so far, with some more acquisitions expected before the end of the transfer window. It's clear that Levein is still looking to clean up some of the mess left behind by former manager Ian Cathro, and retaining Austin MacPhee is an early-season boost for the club. The recruitment drive has many supporters and neutrals excited to see what Hearts will offer this campaign, with established front-men coming in such as Steven Naismith and Steven MacLean - the former returning on loan after his previous loan spell from Norwich last year. There's a real battle to be number one this season also. With Jack Hamilton and Jon McLaughin departing. The race is on for new recruits Zdenek Zlamal, Colin Doyle and Kevin Silva for the jersey. Jake Mulraney looks to be first-choice down the left, and he's had some bright pre-season appearances with his pace and directness. Ryan Edwards will also add some dynamism in the midfield that was lacking last season, after he joined from Partick Thistle. Many of the new signings however are unknown quantities. Oliver Bozanic, Peter Haring, Uche Ikpeazu, Bobby Burns, Olly Lee and Ben Garuccio are all untested at this level, but will provide some real squad depth as Hearts look to challenge Hibernian and the rest of the top six this year. Levein still polarises the Hearts supporters, but he can go a long way to repairing any damage with a successful season.