How Robbie Neilson has taken Hearts from SPFL promotion to resurgence – scout report

Since Robbie Neilsons return as manager, Hearts have won promotion to the Scottish Premier League, reached two consecutive Scottish Cup finals, and qualified for UEFA Europa League for the first time since he was a player for the Jambos back in the 2004/05 season.

But prior to his re-appointment, it had been a tumultuous ride for the Edinburgh club. Relegated amid a COVID hit 2020 when 81% of all 42 professional clubs voted to cancel the season – a decision chairman Ann Budge challenged, costing the side £646,000 in court bills – Hearts endured an uncertain pre-season hampered by pay cuts, lockdowns, a ban on training (despite Hull City and West Ham being able to use their facilities) and uncertainty over which league they would play in.

In this tactical analysis, in the form of a scout report, we’ll see how Neilson has got the Hearts team pumping after a bloodless season led them to the bottom of the Scottish Premier League to immediate promotion and finishing third in the SPFL, a position they’ve occupied for the last two seasons. This will be an analysis of the tactics implemented by the manager at Hearts.

Formations used

A fundamental part of Neilson’s tactics is to pass the ball into areas of the pitch rather than to specific players: this allows for a more flexible attitude towards formations, with seven types being used so far this season. Hearts have lined up with 4-2-3-1 against Livingston, Dundee United, and Riga, 3-4-3 against Kilmarnock and St Johnstone, and a more conservative 4-4-1-1 and 5-3-2 in the Europa League against Basaksehir and Zurich.

Clearly, Neilson is not precious about using particular formations. In their Championship season, the Hearts manager was happy to use two holding midfielders in an attempt to dominate the centre of the pitch and a flat-back four in the 2020/21 season, relying mostly on a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1.

In defence, Hearts were solid, only losing four games in a season that saw skipper Craig Gordon keep 11 clean sheets in a row. In attack, they were a little one-dimensional as they relied mostly on the right wing as Aidy White was often unsuccessful in a two versus one situation on the left.