Hearts: How Robbie Neilson and Joe Savage have improved the age and balance of the squad through smart transfer business

The 3-2 defeat to Raith Rovers in the Championship feels like a long time ago for Robbie Neilson and Hearts.

Hearts boss Robbie Neilson. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

Since that Tynecastle Park loss in January, the club team have lost just three in 25, while the squad has undergone some necessary tweaks, namely the age profile of those signed this summer.

The XI which started against the Rovers had the second highest average age for a Hearts team since records collected by London Hearts began from the 1946/47 season.

In fact, of the five oldest starting XIs, three are from last season. Therefore it is no surprise that the 2020/21 Championship-winning squad is the second oldest with an average age of 28.75 since 1947, behind Tommy McLean’s 1994/95 side which was in relegation trouble.

The ages breakdown of the Hearts squad. Picture: SNS

It was something Neilson was aware of coming into the transfer window.

“We were the oldest team in the Championship last season which for any Hearts team shouldn’t be the case,” he told Scarves Around the Funnel in May.

“We want a young, energetic team. But you also want to have the stability and experience of senior players within that. I think Hearts last season, it was the flipside. We probably had too much experience, too many senior players and didn’t have that energetic player we needed.

"Hopefully in the summer the idea is to recruit below a certain age, to give us that usefulness.”

A breakdown of the Hearts players, the positions they fill and how many years they have left on their contract (- denotes loan).

Decreasing the average age

The age which was mentioned was 26.

Barrie McKay’s arrival brought the number of recruits to eight. All are 26 or under. McKay and back-up goalkeeper Ross Stewart are the oldest at 26 with the average age 23.38.

Ten players over the age of 26 departed or retired, including Christophe Berra, Steven Naismith, Elliott Frear and Aidy White.

Even before Cammy Devlin, Ben Woodburn and Taylor Moore have been involved regularly, plus Finlay Pollock to come back into the first-team fold, the average age of the starting XI in the league this season has decreased by a year.

It may not be a significant jump, but that wasn’t what was essential. The team needed a better balance in terms of the age profile.

Through the diligent work of Joe Savage and Neilson, that has been achieved.

As you can see from the graph, more than half of the team are in what can be viewed as their peak years, between the ages of 24 and 29.

There is plenty of experience in Craig Gordon, Liam Boyce, Gary Mackay-Steven and Michael Smith, four first-team players who are all 30 or above, while many of those in the peak bracket have plenty of games under their belt.

Equally, it is encouraging to see the players 23 or under outnumber those 30 or older. Looking at those individuals, it isn’t a case of the squad being padded out by youngsters. Alex Cochrane and Beni Baningime have already proven themselves as key components.

Cammy Devlin and Ben Woodburn will be expected to follow suit, while Pollock made such an impression during pre-season a loan move was ruled out because he can contribute.

And there will be opportunities.

Prime cuts

This isn’t a Hearts squad of old. It’s different. There is no fat on it, just prime cuts. Twenty-two first-team players.

As well as bringing down the age, Neilson talked about the need for a more streamlined squad, something noted by Michael Smith.

“It’s a smaller squad than recent years but in some ways that can help,” he said.

“Smaller numbers in training mean we can concentrate on things better, rather than going out training with 25-30 players when all you can do is play games without upsetting people.”

As the line-up graphic shows – with the number of years left on their contract included – the squad doesn’t need to be teeming players for there to be depth and competition.

Neilson wanted to recruit for two formations. The 3-4-3 which is the team’s default and 4-3-3 which Hearts have played during matches.

Compared to a few weeks ago, there is much more quality behind the starting XI with the great competition in the centre of the pitch especially.

On initial observation it might look like the squad is light at centre-back. However, all three of Alex Cochrane, Peter Haring and Michael Smith can drop into the backline.

That versatility is key when carrying a slightly smaller squad. Again, it is also something Neilson desires from the players in his squad.

After the 2-1 win over St Mirren in August, when asked about Aaron McEneff, Neilson told the Evening News he was keen for all of his players to be able to play different positions or roles within the two formations.

Area of concern

There are a number of areas of encouragement for Hearts fans, the management team and the players going forward as they return to league action at the weekend with the Edinburgh derby.

One area of concern is the number of players out of contract at the end of the campaign.

Nine first-team stars, including Craig Gordon and John Souttar, are on deals which expire. In fact, if the worst happens, Hearts would have to recruit a whole new defensive unit.

That is something the club will be monitoring and working on.

Going by the way Neilson and Savage have gone about their business this year, bringing the average age of the squad down, getting a better balance in terms of both age and positions, there would be little surprise if more smart business was carried out in the coming days, weeks and months.

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