In the music industry, it is called second album syndrome. Others dub it the sophomore slump, after students whose first-year enthusiasm gives way to second-year malaise under the pressure of increased expectations. In Scottish football terms, it is a bit more blunt: one-season wonders, flash in the pan, back to being poor.
It is the stick that one half of the capital is desperate to beat Hearts with in the coming season. And it is a pressure that Derek McInnes’ side have brought on themselves after a sensational season that somehow saw them finish empty-handed despite leading the Premiership for seven months and right up to the 87th minute of the final day.
It is a challenge the club is right up for, according to sporting director Graeme Jones. He said as much when he broke cover two weeks ago to state: “While we never got the fairytale ending this time, we will get it in the future. I am hugely enthused by the levels of what we have got to this season but also what might be capable next season with the recruitment we have got in place already and what we plan to have going forward. As the team evolves this summer, I would hope that we are going to get that improvement and hopefully some silverware as well.”
Let us not forget Tony Bloom’s bullish boast a year ago. He got so close to delivering on his vow to “disrupt the pattern of domination” in Scottish football after just one year. Now he needs to help Hearts take the next step, which means silverware. Otherwise, progress will be viewed as stalled.
To do that, the Tynecastle side are going to have to buck a recent trend that has seen the side that overperforms in the Premiership one season fall way short the next. It has happened to Aberdeen, Hibs, and Hearts themselves in the recent past, with the drain of European campaigns sucking the life out of their domestic hopes.
Avoiding the Slump
So how do they avoid that, especially after starting the summer with the loss of talismanic skipper Lawrence Shankland, as well as top operators Frankie Kent and Beni Baningime? How do they keep up with the Old Firm should the Glasgow duo, as expected, flex their muscles in the transfer window? The answer, as always, lies in recruitment.
Bloom and his Jamestown supercomputer got off to a flier last season after his algorithms produced a clutch of hidden gems that sparkled in Gorgie under McInnes' masterly management. But can they back it up? This summer, perhaps more than last, will be the true barometer of the power of Bloom’s analytics.
Summer Signings So Far
It has got off to a solid start with the addition of Calvin Miller, the most productive winger in the Premiership last season, from Falkirk, and Josh McPake, who was one of St Johnstone’s brightest sparks as they won the Championship. Yet it is the signings of the unknown – Amadou Ba-Sy from Rouen in the French third division, Tom Renaud from Versailles at the same level, and the imminent arrival of Malachi Fagan-Walcott from National League champions York City for £750,000 – that will be the true gauge of Jamestown’s value.
And that is before getting to the biggest task of the summer. McInnes still wants a goalscorer, someone to fill the Shankland void. And, like it or not, that is where fans will be looking for Jamestown to unearth this summer’s rough diamond.
If last season was anything to go by, then the Jambos’ loyal should have faith. Claudio Braga was the flag bearer after arriving from Norwegian second-tier side Aalesunds. His PFA and SFWA player of the year gongs speak for themselves. Oisin McEntee, plucked from Walsall, brought energy and defensive nous, equally important whether deployed at right back or in a holding midfield role. Alexandros Kyziridis’ form might have dipped after an explosive start, but his electric performances on the wing were still enough to win the Greek a first international cap this week. Tomas Magnusson will forever be remembered for his last-gasp derby winner in February, but his influence and power in the engine room often went underrated.
Even if Jamestown “does not do goalkeepers,” the signing of Alexander Schwolow was as important as any, and the German produced a rock-solid foundation for the Jambos’ title tilt. Get five signings so right in any window, and you are winning, even if there are question marks over the rest. Christian Borchgrevink struggled with injury, Elton Kabangu failed to follow up on his promising first season, Sabah Kerjota produced big moments but all too fleetingly. Pierre Landry Kabore caused chaos to opposition defences but sometimes to Hearts’ attack too. Edouardo Ageu was the record signing that barely featured due to injury, but Derek McInnes is not normally one to throw out platitudes willy-nilly, and he was consistent in his message that Ageu will be worth the wait. Jordi Altena looks the real deal going forward, but can McInnes trust the full-back defensively? Islam Chesnokov looks set to exit after just six months after failing to settle. And Rogers Mato… you forgot, did not you?
But over the piece, the track record held up after year one. If Jamestown can work its magic again in the next 12 weeks, then Hearts under McInnes might just have an even bigger hit in production.
