Inside Hearts' switch to Celtic-style inverted full-backs and development of Atkinson-Oda partnership

Hearts fans got their first look at their team this season on Sunday in a friendly against Dunfermline Athletic and while very little importance should be given to the 1-1 scoreline, there is greater focus on how the team was set up, the deployment of certain players and tactics.

Nathaniel Atkinson, right, has a chance to stake a claim to be Hearts' regular right-back this season.

One of the most noticeable changes at Hearts since the departure of Robbie Neilson as manager and the installation of head coach Frankie McAvoy, technical director Steven Naismith and assistant coach Gordon Forrest is how full-backs are utilised. Under Neilson, Hearts would often play a back-five, or a flat back-four with the instruction for the right and left-back to be disciplined with their positioning. But the new coaching team is asking them to play in a much more forward-thinking manner, often looking forward and mimicking the deployment at Celtic of inverted full-backs. The idea is to add an extra player into attacking zones of the pitch, especially against teams that sit in. At Hearts, it is most noticeable on the right, where Nathaniel Atkinson and Yutaro Oda are developing a promising partnership.

Playing with inverted full-backs suits Atkinson, who has always looked most comfortable when asked to move higher up the pitch. His link-up with Oda, who takes up the forward position on the right, blossomed late last season and the duo are clearly working on their rapport in training. Most of Hearts’ best work against the Pars came down the right, with Atkinson – a midfielder in his youth – moving centrally into midfield and dovetailing nicely with the Japanese.

"It's enjoyable,” Atkinson said of playing as an inverted full-back. “It's different to the last couple of seasons, but I'm used to that at my old club Melbourne City. That was our style of play. I think it gives us different types of variety in attack. Especially for me, I enjoy doing that. Back in my younger days I was a midfielder, so I'm not uncomfortable there. It gives a different avenue for the boys to play.”

Atkinson is developing his relationship with Yutaro Oda down the right flank.

Atkinson feels him and Oda are getting better with each passing week – with the help of a translation app as well as coaching. “Every day we get closer,” the 24-year-old Australian said. “I find out different things about him, he finds out different things about me. It's good to understand the person before the footballer and I think we've been working at that. I look forward to more minutes with him. Oda is getting better with his English. But we've got a translation app, you speak into it, it's good. It's important for him too, to be part of the group.”

Following the departure of the veteran Michael Smith, Atkinson is the only senior right-back at the club. Hearts are expected to strengthen that part of the team, but the pre-season fixtures give the Australia internationalist a chance to stake his claim as the regular in that position for the first time in the 18 months he’s been at Tynecastle. “There will be players coming in – we obviously need some more players,” added Atkinson, who returned later to training following international duty last month. “We've lost Michael so we are going to have to replace that position. But I've got that opportunity to make it my own. That's my goal.”