The Preview: Shankland can help McInnes win Gorgie popularity contest

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

It's fair to say that Hearts supporters tend to be a tough bunch to please. Indeed, even when things are ticking along nicely, grumbles of discontent always find a way to cut through the cheers in and around the streets of Gorgie.
Derek McInnes will find out soon enough.
The reception to the former Kilmarnock manager's appointment at Tynecastle was lukewarm at best. A steady operator, yes. But not the kind of exotic name to get the pulses racing.
However, a few months in, he seems to be winning over the majority of his doubters.
McInnes genuinely seems excited about the prospect of getting the club back to where it belongs. Keeping hold of Lawrence Shankland will have no doubt helped in that respect.
The captain found the back of the net just nine times last season, which was a pretty dire return considering his lofty standards.
For much of the campaign, he looked like he would rather be anywhere else but at Tynecastle. Not unlike most of the fans.
But the 29-year-old remains the club's point of difference at the top of the pitch.
McInnes left no one, including under-fire chief executive Andrew McKinlay, in any doubt he wanted Shankland to sign a new deal to stay at the club. If McInnes can get the right kind of service to Shankland in the penalty box, the goals will surely flow.
For so long, Hearts have been overly reliant on their talisman, which explains why the club have gone out of their way to bolster their attacking options in the transfer market.
It remains to be seen whether the influence of Jamestown Analytics on the recruitment side of things will pay off. In all honesty, it might be a few years before anyone sees the fruits of that labour. But the early signs are promising.
Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis have been brought in from Aalesund and Michalovce respectively, with the former already looking sharp in pre-season matches against East Kilbride and St Mirren.
Throw in Elton Kabangu — who's joined following a successful loan from Union Saint-Gilloise — and teenager James Wilson, who should kick on after making the breakthrough last year, and the Hearts front line looks in decent nick.
Who knows? Perhaps McInnes can finally get a consistent tune out of Kenneth Vargas too.
The additions of defensive midfieler Oisin McIntee and centre-half Stuart Findlay also look like solid investments at the other end of the park.
Of course, the departure of James Penrice to PAOK was a huge blow. The lad was a real chink of light in an otherwise miserable campaign for the team last year. Kudos to him for backing himself to thrive in a more testing environment.
McInnes would have loved to keep him around, but he'll likely get a decent share of the profits to reinvest on the park.
Nevertheless, the squad looks in decent shape for the challenges which lie ahead. And having no European football to worry about may end up being a blessing in disguise. It wasn't much use to them last season.
Some fans still twitch at the mere mention of Petrocub.
Their lack of involvement on the continent for the first time since the summer of 2021 means they are in the somewhat unfamiliar position of making an appearance in the Premier Sports Cup group phase, which gets under way this weekend.
McInnes will make his competitive bow against second-tier Dunfermline Athletic in the 5.15pm kick-off, as his Pars counterpart Neil Lennon returns to the ground which holds plenty of memories — fond and otherwise — having ruffled a few feathers as Hibernian boss many moons ago.
He'd love nothing more than to spoil the big welcome party.
Miller proves he is a class act
When it comes to Lennon Miller, it's no longer a question of if he will leave Motherwell, it's a matter of when.
Frankly, it's astounding that he's still in the building.
Speaking during his preview of this weekend's season opener at Clyde, new Fir Park boss Jens Berthel Askou admitted that interest in the 18-year-old shows no sign of going away.
Which is all the more reason for Motherwell fans to enjoy him while he's here. In fact, it wouldn't be a shock if an appearance at New Douglas Park this afternoon turned out to be his last in claret and amber.
It's testament to his character that he hasn't kicked up any fuss over the past few months. Then again, why would we expect anything less? A class act in every sense.