Devlin hadn’t even left when a new head coach was already installed. The appointment of Vrancken was swift and the early signs looked encouraging.
He arrived as the reigning Belgian manager of the year, had steered Racing Genk to the brink of a league title, and had attracted attention from Anderlecht and Burnley.
Alongside an outstanding résumé, his previous playing philosophy in Belgium was put under the spotlight. It wasn’t quite billed as all-out attack, but it was unmistakably the kind of football supporters want to watch.
Unpacking his tactical vision at an early fans’ forum, he described his approach as wanting “controlled chaos”.
His first game in charge offered mostly the chaos, with very little of the control.
Even so, the 4-0 defeat doesn’t entirely reflect how the match unfolded. The attacking numbers showed Hearts were by no means outclassed by their Austrian opponents.
They carved out two first-half openings that should have been finished, but Pierre Landry Kabore struck the ball straight at the goalkeeper and Alexandros Kyziridis pushed his effort wide when clean through.
Before they could build any more chances, they were already four goals behind. Wasteful in attack, ripped apart at the back. A nightmare debut.
“First impressions indicate Hearts have a genuinely excellent head coach,” remarked Joel Sked, editor of Hearts Standard, on a recent Scottish football podcast. “At the same time, given everything that’s occurred, patience will be essential.”
Patience tends to be rare in football nowadays. For every Ange Postecoglou, there is a Wilfried Nancy. For every Jens Berthel Askou, a Russell Martin.
It is far too early to know which camp Vrancken will land in, but in the main, Hearts fans are staying cautiously upbeat.
They’ve been through it all across the last two months; nothing can catch them off guard. Not even this.
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