Hearts have endured a "summer of loss, grief and rebirth" after narrowly missing out on their first league title in 60 years.

Key figures have departed: captain and top scorer Lawrence Shankland left for free, followed by head coach Derek McInnes. Talisman Cammy Devlin also departed for Rangers, illustrating that Hearts are still vulnerable to being "pillaged by the big two in Glasgow."

New head coach Wouter Vrancken, lauded as a continental coup and Belgian coach of the year, experienced a difficult debut, with Hearts losing 4-0 to Sturm Graz. Despite the scoreline, underlying attacking stats from the match showed potential, though inefficiency in attack and defensive frailties were evident.

Editor Joel Sked noted that while Vrancken appears to be a "really good head coach," "some patience" will be required given the recent turmoil. Fans remain "cautiously optimistic," having weathered significant upheaval.