Hearts’ faces of tomorrow
“The Board is remaining focused on transforming the business into a much more youthful, enterprising, entertaining and financially viable club.” The words of Sergejus Fedotovas should be music to the ears of Hearts supporters.
The next six months will witness a revolution at Tynecastle which, if managed properly, could not only preserve the club’s existence but also excite its paying public. Financial arrears of around £36million will take years to overhaul but there is no denying a more stable and self-sufficient Hearts benefits all of Scottish football.
Fedotovas and Vladimir Romanov have formulated a plan centring around streamlining all areas of the club, with specific attention on the playing staff. Almost 60 players are currently employed to service just two teams – Paulo Sergio’s first team and Darren Murray’s under-19 side. The phrase top-heavy doesn’t quite cover it. Cuts are essential to reduce costs with wages currently running late for the second successive month.
With that in mind, Hearts appear ready to prioritise their kids by opening the first-team doors. Fedotovas’ question-and-answer session published on the club website at the weekend confirmed the need for change. Many established stars will be moved on between now and next summer and replaced with graduates of Riccarton. Some teenagers, like Jason Holt, David Smith and Jamie Walker, are already being loaned out to gain first-team experience and prepare them for promotion.
If the transformation goes as planned, we could be looking at an entirely different Hearts in just a few months. One which supporters will identify with, appreciate and very probably be excited by if it is underpinned by raw talent and more efficient financial management. Challenging for Europe whilst debt levels increase and threaten your club’s future seems senseless when compared to nurturing a homegrown team containing the vibrancy and enthusiasm brought by academy pupils.
The extent of the downsizing will depend on how many buyers Romanov can source for established players under contract. Nevertheless, 12 first-team members are out of contract between January and June next year, offering a prime opportunity for Fedotovas and Romanov to prune the Hearts squad. Rudi Skacel and Janos Balogh become free agents in January when their current deals expire, whilst Marian Kello, Suso, Eggert Jonsson, Kevin Kyle, Stephen Elliott, Ryan Stevenson, David Obua, Calum Elliot, Gary Glen and Jamie MacDonald are all out of contract in June. Some, like Jonsson and MacDonald, could be retained to smooth the transition. Others, like Suso and Obua, won’t be.
Ready to step in to the breach are a clutch of aspiring youngsters. Ryan McGowan, Scott Robinson, Gordon Smith and Arvydas Novikovas already have decent experience of senior football and are established members of Sergio’s first-team pool. Jason Holt, David Smith, Jamie Walker, Mark Ridgers, Kevin McHattie and Dylan McGowan – Ryan’s younger brother – are academy products who are now eager to fight for SPL points.
Hearts acknowledge that young players are now the future, with many clubs across Scotland and beyond realising their importance. They can be reared to understand their club’s principles and appreciate the value of a first-team shirt. To them it represents the holy grail, the gateway to prosperity. They cost a fraction of an experienced signing and, on occasions, can secure significant fees if transferred on.
In addition, supporters easily identify with a kid honed within their club’s own system and will be visibly more patient with that player when he transcends to the first team. When an experienced new signing arrives he is often branded good or bad within a few games, whereas fans appreciate the enthusiasm of youth products and will give them more time to adapt.
At Falkirk, teenagers dominate the first team every week. “Playing so many youngsters is not something that fazes us or makes us fearful. We actually enjoy the challenge,” said manager Steven Pressley, a former Hearts captain. “You can mump or moan about it but our club is based around developing young players. They never cease to amaze us.”
Falkirk, like Hearts, promoted proteges largely because of budget cuts last summer. Their kids have flourished by beating Rangers and Dundee United to secure a place in the League Cup semi-finals. They are also in the Challenge Cup final and sit second in the First Division.
Financial profligacy has inflicted endless pain on Hearts followers with debt threatening to spiral beyond control. Much of it could be attributed to inflated salaries for average players, and far too many of them at that. Think Larry Kingston and Mirsad Beslija. Hearts’ wage bill peaked at 126 per cent of turnover in 2010 and Romanov stated then that youth was the way forward. He never quite followed through, though, as a host of experienced free transfers arrived in the intervening period. There is now a far more pressing need to make Hearts a far more attractive prospect in order to sell his majority shareholding.
Of course, this blueprint is not without flaws. Young footballers are notoriously inconsistent and Hearts supporters may require to be extra patient over performances and results whilst kids undergo their top-team initiation. Short-term pain but long-term gain, if you like.
The physical aspect cannot be overlooked either with academy graduates often needing to bulk up to survive in the brutal world of the SPL. Holt, last season’s SPL Under-19 Player of the Year, would be a prime example although there is no denying his credentials for performing at the highest level.
So, by this time next year, the Hearts team could be something along the lines of: Mark Ridgers in goal; a defence of Ryan McGowan, Dylan McGowan, Andy Webster and Kevin McHattie; Jamie Walker, Holt, Scott Robinson and Arvydas Novikovas in midfield, with David and Gordon Smith in attack. Add Matthew Park, Robert Ogleby, Denis Prychynenko and Jordan Morton into the mix and you have a very youthful, dynamic and home-grown senior squad.
Ridgers, a hulking, imposing shot-stopper, could have the ever-reliable MacDonald as competition for the goalkeeping slot should the latter extend his contract. Dylan McGowan is a defender very much in the mould of his elder brother with a gritty but cultured approach to his football. McHattie is a specialist left-back who likes to get forward and possesses presence, pace and sound distribution.
In midfield, Robinson’s aggression and drive would complement the skill and craft of Holt, with the direct running of Jamie Walker a useful addition on the flank. David Smith is a powerful runner up front with a fine scoring record at youth level. His namesake Gordon has been waiting patiently all season to prove his worth and will be eager to seize any opportunities after the New Year.
Of course, some experienced faces will be retained to nurture their younger counterparts and offer a steadying influence. The others will all leave in time, but downsizing does not necessarily mean Hearts going downmarket.
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Comments
There are 17 comments to this article
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View From The Shed
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 01:34 PMThe significant words for me are "if managed properly". The current Board and management certainly can,t lay claim to having done that so we can only hope that reference is being made to whoever takes over HMFC. I think now all Hearts supporters know that hard times are ahead and there are going to be some highs and lows as the youngsters find their feet in the SPL. Hibs this past two seasons are a classic example.Too many inexperienced youngsters with no real quality experienced players to guide them.In time they may come good but we may have to suffer some before that happens.On an optimistic side these young lads will have something to prove and with the right coaching and experienced players alongside them they might just come good and take everyone by surprise.We can only hope that Sergio can pull off the same semblance of success Alex McDonald and Sandy Jardine had with a patched up,thrown together side.
Don't call me geezer
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 03:24 PM#15 Have to agree. His posts are mainly illegible and are generally repeated to win arguments that are mostly of his own creation. I used to comment fairly regularly (as "Down with Everything"), but have lost interest in the new format and the repetitive pash being spouted day in and day out on these forums. Nothing that Tott and TommyTommy (opposite extreme) say on here makes one iota of a difference to our plight. I prefer to remain (mostly) silent and wait and see how this mad charade all turns out.....be there on saturday though as these poor paper millionaires need my hard earned entry money to pay their wages.
Billy Budd
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 03:03 PMPmsl. #1. How far up yer ain erky can ye go. There are a few beauts on these forums but you top the lot
cam2644
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 02:27 PMFedotovas and Vladimir Romanov have formulated a plan.... this same paper carries stories that Vlad is no longer interested and cares nothing about what's now happening.Such plans are nothing new -back in the 70's Bobby Seith had a ·babes policy· and it's been regurgitated frequently ever since.
The Special One
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 02:03 PM"The Board is remaining focused on transforming the business into a much more youthful, enterprising, entertaining and financially viable club.” Translation of corporate waffle and soundbites for the layperson : We will keep taking as much cash out of the business and play cheap as chips kids who will give it all they have got until the market recovers and we can bunt the ground and minimise our losses. Why should anyone believe this Board and its autocratic chair ?
John T Chance
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 01:26 PM#10 & 11 "You talk kek" Unfortunately my friend, as your posts so adequatly show, so do you.
Vietnam Veteran
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 01:18 PMHi lads me again! - im back - 7talko'thetoun - why dont you stay away from Edinburghs only teams posts then - you talk kek.
Vietnam Veteran
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 01:15 PMHi lads me again! - Hearts shall never be run like Hibs - Look at our ground - look at our debt - we are HIBERNIAN FC WE HATE JAMTARTS BUT WE LIKE DUNDEE - especially Albert Kiddo.....
John T Chance
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 12:53 PMSorry, should read "Hearts to BE run
John T Chance
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 12:52 PMVery very long article which could have been summed up by using one sentance. "Hearts to run from now on like Hibs, as a business". #7 Think you will find any lack of postings from Hibs fans on their threads is that there is not a whole lot to comment on at the moment. Both articles are merely space fillers. There were plenty of postings when Calderwood was in charge and fans had something to say about him and the performances of the team under him. I think you will find the next flurry of posts will be when the new manager is announced. Its as simple as that. PS Does anyone know if Vlads £50 million tag valuation of Hearts includes the debt being cleared. Or is he saying he wants the 50 and that any knew owner would also inherit the debt (taking the cost of a buy out to around 85 million). Please tell me its the prior as even he cant be that crazy to think they are worth the latter. Can he?
Hen Broon
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 09:30 PMOne HIBS poster on each of todays EEN Hibs articles & too many to count on the HEARTS thread........now far be it for me to draw conclusions but a cynic might suggest that so called Hibs fans are more interested in their perception of HEARTS demise that their own clubs future.........its not just the number of posts or posters it is the venom within their contributions that leads me to question their motives. Perhaps someone could explain why this might be as the concept of worrying more about anyone other than HEARTS is totally foreign to me.
Hen Broon
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 09:19 PMNeil............I take it that you realise the difference in numbers is down to the fact that the Hibs supporters are conspicious by their absence ? The thread that tells it how it is as opposed to a moira or Bathgate article that tells it as they would like to think it is . Sad but true. The Hibs posters do not even bother posting on the Hibs thread.
neil7908
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 07:08 PMWow, a very positive article about the Jambos future from the 'Hibsman' and it gets...4 posts. No wonder they dont write many of them if this is the kind of interest it generates!
Duncan D' Orderly
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 05:00 PMAt last - something positive from the EEN!! Intresting reading too. HHGH! The future is Maroon!!
Hen Broon
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 02:28 PM#2 Currently (never mind after the cull) who has more ACADEMY players in their squad than HEARTS? Which other SPL club has brought through foreign graduates? Which other SPL club are procuring youngsters from other academies(NB all questions). No defined criteria but seems like a reasonable one to me. Hence appears to me HEARTS lead the way.NB: Hibs & Utd both have excellent ACADEMIES (now & in the past). Time will tell if ,as & when our new younger squad will deliver & sadly the will indeed be broken up thereafter.....at this point is is the ACADEMY's job to provide the replacements. EG Hibs.....what happened post RiordanThomsonBrown? Fair gap to the current group of Hanlon Booth & Wothersppon(all excellent prospects)....however pretty sure there is more to come after watching the 19's DERBY.....STANTON in particular.
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