Turbulent times at Tynecastle
MARKS OUT OF 10: 4
LEAGUE: 10th, 44 pts (2011-12 - 5th, 52 pts)
SCOTTISH CUP: Fourth roundLEAGUE CUP: Runners-up
MOST USED FIRST XI: Jamie McDonald, Ryan McGowan, Andy Webster, Marius Zaliukas, Kevin McHattie, Jason Holt, Mehdi Taouil, Ryan Stevenson, Andrew Driver, Callum Paterson, John Sutton
OVERVIEW: Frankly, the Jambos' main priority was really just to get to the end of the season in one piece, given the problems they're facing off the field, as Vladimir Romanov's business empire crumbles. Performances on the pitch have not been great, though in fairness the squad is very young and many of the more experienced campaigners have missed long periods through injury. It's hard to say whether there has been an improvement under Gary Locke's stewardship since he replaced John McGlynn, but time will tell...if, unlike most of his predecessors, he gets any.
HIGH POINTS: Getting to the League Cup final must count as a success, though they did get beaten in the end. A come-from-behind win over Ross County just before the split probably saw the best 10 minutes of football by the team all season, producing three goals.
LOW POINTS: Failure to win any of this season's five Edinburgh derbies will rankle hugely with the support. Losing three times to relegated Dundee was pretty shocking as well. And isn't there something morally reprehensible about convincing your supporters to buy worthless shares just to raise enough money to make it through the second half of the campaign?
STAR MAN: Given the youth and inexperience around him, Hearts could have been even worse off without the nous and consistency of veteran central defender Andy Webster. He's not quite the player he seemed to be during his first spell at Hearts, but he's still one of the best in his position in the SPL.
ONE FOR THE FUTURE: Out of all the kids who have brought into first team action far, far, far too early, midfielder Jason Holt looks like the one most likely to be something special. His goals against Inverness and Ross County were both superb.
WASTE OF SPACE: Reserve goalkeeper Peter Enckelman played only 70 minutes for the club, but it was a hapless 70 minutes at Celtic Park and he was punted in January...not just because the club couldn't afford to keep him on.
THE BOSS: John McGlynn might have been a 'Hearts man' but he was really appointed as 'the cheap option'. His long ball style didn't help him make a lot of friends, particularly when he tried using the diminutive Callum Paterson as a target man. His welcome was so worn out that he wasn't even given the chance to manage the team in the League Cup final. The jury is still out on Gary Locke, but putting the youth team coach in charge makes sense when you're mostly playing the youth team.
PROSPECTS FOR NEXT SEASON: Since I'm not a specialist in the economics of Lithuania, I'll have to defer. We already know that most of the older players, including Darren Barr and Marius Zaliukas, will be away. The mid-season share issue was only supposed to get the club to the end of the season intact, so goodness knows where the cash to bring in new players will come from unless a takeover comes to fruition. It's more likely than not that the number of players in the squad over the age of 21 next season will be in single figures, which in itself would make the team vulnerable to a relegation battle, so god help them if they start with a 15 point deduction.
FIRST TEAMERS DEFINITELY LEAVING: Darren Barr, Danny Grainger, Fraser Mullen, Michael Ngoo (end of loan), Denis Prychynenko, Gordon Smith, Mehdi Taouil, Danny Wilson (end of loan), Marius Zaliukas
NOT IN THE MANAGER'S PLANS: none
UNLIKELY TO SIGN NEW DEALS: Arvydas Novikovas, Andy Webster (unless the club find a lot of cash down the back of the sofa)
L.
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