Hearts’ players stood just nine minutes away from securing a historic achievement and writing their names into club folklore.
They were remarkably close to ending four decades of Old Firm supremacy. The long-time league leaders were level with defending champions Celtic in Glasgow as the match approached the 87th minute.
They appeared poised to hang on, but Daizen Maeda’s late strike sparked wild celebrations inside Paradise.
Unpleasant scenes unfolded after Celtic scored their third goal deep into stoppage time. The Hearts players went directly to the team bus before later appearing outside Tynecastle with tears streaming down their faces.
The core of that side has since been dismantled. Manager Derek McInnes has left for Tynecastle, accompanied by captain and key figure Lawrence Shankland and influential midfielder Cammy Devlin.
Belgian coach Wouter Vrancken has joined from Sint-Truiden, but his opening spell has been turbulent.
A crushing 6-0 defeat against Sturm Graz ended Hearts’ Champions League qualifying campaign. Supporters at Tynecastle are now hoping the club’s data-driven recruitment strategy can help restore the team to the impressive level it reached last season.
Former forward Ryan Stevenson said Hearts currently resemble a completely new group assembled alongside a new manager, with everyone still attempting to settle and establish a clear direction.
He added that football offers little time to adjust because fixtures arrive one after another.
Stevenson warned that poor results could quickly change the atmosphere at Tynecastle. While the stadium can be inspiring, he questioned whether the players possess the strength of character needed to cope if the crowd turns against them.
He suggested that if performances fail to improve by the middle of September, the situation could become deeply uncomfortable.
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