Former Hearts forward Ryan Stevenson was vociferous in his criticism after Hearts crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers following a 6-0 aggregate hammering from Sturm Graz. The defeat, a 2-0 loss at Tynecastle in the second leg, marked the club's heaviest ever two-legged European exit and left Stevenson questioning the direction of the new-look side.
"Worrying", "freefall" and "rude awakening" were all bandied around in the immediate aftermath as new boss Wouter Vrancken's tenure got off to a rocky start. Hearts, who just 73 days prior came within minutes of a historic title win at Celtic Park, have lost their talisman, central-midfield enforcer and manager this summer, according to Stevenson. The departures of Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin and Derek McInnes to Rangers, along with a glut of other players leaving, have left the club with 11 new additions who looked disjointed in both legs against their Austrian opponents.
“Ryan Stevenson slams Hearts after 6-0 aggregate Champions League exit to Sturm Graz, warning of 'freefall'.”
"Hearts just look as if it's just a new squad flung in together, with the manager too, trying to find their way," Stevenson said. "You don't get time in football, it's game after game after game. If you don't get results, we all know what Tynecastle is like. It can be electric, but can they deal with the stadium turning? Are they big enough characters to deal with that?"
Despite conceding six goals across two legs, Hearts impressed going forward in spells but lacked a clinical touch, failing to score from a combined expected goals value of 2.6. With only a couple of competitive games under their belt, there was a sense of unease around Tynecastle, where many fans left well before the final whistle. The defeat was Hearts' first at home in 15 months, and supporters can be forgiven for expecting more from a side assembled with the aid of lauded recruitment tool Jamestown Analytics.
"It's early days, but if you look at that squad, you have to be a big character to go out when things aren't going well to demand the ball and drag the team forward," Stevenson added. "How long does the manager get if they come under pressure? What do Jamestown do? Do they stick their heels in? And then it becomes ugly. It's like an absolute freefall, it's totally a new team."
Stevenson warned that if results don't improve, he would give it to mid-September, and "it would not be nice." Hearts still have a chance at Europa League or Conference League football, but the early signs under Vrancken have sparked concern among supporters and pundits alike.