Former Hearts captain Christophe Berra believes his old club can sustain a Premiership title challenge this season, insisting the Jambos are only going to get stronger as the campaign progresses.
Hearts sit five points off the top of the table, currently occupied by Celtic, after a summer of significant upheaval that saw a new manager, new coaching staff and a host of player departures. Berra, a central defensive stalwart over two spells at Tynecastle, says the club has already exceeded his own expectations.
A solid start despite changes
Asked whether Hearts could mount a league title challenge once more, Berra said: "I think so. They surprised a lot of people with the way they've started the season, me included. Not that I doubted the players they have in the building."
He acknowledged the scale of the transition, noting: "All the disappointment of last year, all the player turnover, a new manager, new coaching staff, new style of play. If you strip it back, we are five points off Celtic, so it's been a solid start."
Berra praised the entertainment value of Vrancken's side, adding: "If you ask any Hearts fan, they've been well worth their money this year. They've been entertaining, scored goals. Yes, they've given up chances as well. But name me a team so far that's solid defensively and score lots of goals."
European demands and squad depth
The looming Conference League campaign, running alongside two domestic fronts before the turn of the year, creates a packed schedule. Hearts have also reached the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, setting up an Edinburgh derby at Hampden.
Berra noted that European fixtures have historically posed problems, but he is encouraged by the depth assembled through the club's Jamestown recruitment model. "The big question mark will be over those weeks playing in the Conference League on a Thursday," he said. "The benefits of Europe are amazing – gaining that extra money and playing in those glamour ties. What it does is put an extra strain on the squad. Playing your games Thursday to Sunday is difficult."
He added: "You look at the past few seasons – Hearts, Aberdeen have found it tough. But Hearts has got a bigger squad now. A squad that's built differently, using the analytics so they have recruited well. Hopefully that will stand them in good stead."
Defensive concerns and recruitment
Injuries have made it difficult for Vrancken to nail down a settled backline. The Belgian has used six different central defensive partnerships in 15 games, managing two clean sheets – against Stenhousemuir and Dundee United.
Berra compared the new regime favourably to the previous one under Derek McInnes: "Last year, Derek did his thing and the team were incredible, really hard to beat. They were grinding out games at the times you need to, no matter what style you're playing. The new manager likes to attack, to create chances, be aggressive on the front foot, to dominate."
He highlighted the work rate of Calvin Miller and James McPake, saying: "They are great going forward but work their socks off the other way. That shows they're buying into everything the manager is doing."
Berra acknowledged the absence of Craig Halkett through an Achilles injury, and suggested further recruitment could be on the cards. "There have been moments in games when goals are avoidable, as the manager has highlighted," he said. "Sometimes you just need to deal with those one-versus-one situations. He's probably not fully settled on his preferred back four, so he's still figuring that out. They're probably going to do some recruitment as well."
He concluded: "But, knowing the players who are there, they have turned up every week and done Hearts proud."
