The Derek McInnes transfer approach that will have to change at Hearts

He said: “I think of the best Hearts teams that I've come up against... When you come to Tynecastle, you get hit between the eyes pretty quickly, both physically and with aggression and a pace and an intensity. Sometimes I feel, when teams come here now, it's a bit sanitised. Once the kick-off goes, teams enjoy it, bed themselves into the game. I'd like it to be the opposite."

Only if he'd whipped out a guitar and started signing The Hearts Song could it have been a more fitting example of music to the ears of the club's supporters. By and large, they haven't been happy with the football on display for a good few years, thinking it too methodical, too pedestrian, too much knocking it around between the centre-backs 60 yards away from goal.

McInnes also dissuaded fears about his upcoming relationship with Jamestown Analytics, the data analysis company owned by Brighton owner and soon-to-be-Hearts-investor Tony Bloom.

He said: "I think it's clear that the Jamestown Analytics system operates well at the clubs. I think there's a body of work there and evidence here that it does work. After going into the explanation of it, I feel so invigorated and excited by it. When we're looking for places in the squad to be filled then we feel we've got that real lead and advantage over every other team."

With his feet barely under the desk, his recruiting partners had already found him a shiny new toy in the form of Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis, signed on a free from Michalovce in Slovakia. He joins Christian Borchgrevink, a Norwegian full-back who will sign in the summer, as two players already in for next season. Both have, presumably, have been found thanks to Jamestown. Neither have any past experience of the Scottish (or even British) game.

That's not something typically worth highlighting, other than the widely-accepted assumption that signing someone fresh from abroad brings a greater risk in the transfer market. However, it's particularly relevant in this regard because it is something already a little out of McInnes' comfort zone.

You see, Derek McInnes, in his 18 years of management, has on only two occasions signed players who haven't had any prior experience of British football. Those were Ronald Hernandez and Jon Gallagher, both of whom were picked up in the 2019/20 season by Aberdeen and, if we read between the lines a little, seem to have been presented to him by Dave Cormack and his US soccer links. Gallagher, Irish-born but spent the latter part of his childhood and played in the United States, came straight on loan from the Atlanta United, while Hernandez ended up there on loan, before signing permanently, when it didn't work out at Pittodrie.

McInnes has had no problem bringing in foreign players. He's signed the likes of Collin Samuel, Filipe Morias, Fran Sandaza, George Elokobi, Chidiebere Nwakali and Kevin van Veen, to name but a few, along with a boatload of Irishmen. But other than those mentioned previously they've all had past experience of British football.

To put this into context of both a) how unusual this is, and b) what he's now walking into, Hearts signed more players without prior UK experience in the last transfer window alone (Elton Kabangu, Sander Kartum and Michael Steinwender).

This is nothing wrong with preferring such an approach to squad building. In fact, you'd say it's worked quite well for McInnes across his career. He got St Johnstone promoted and kept them up, never had Aberdeen finishing outside of the top-four in a nine-year spell, and managed to get Killie promoted at the first time of asking and back into Europe within two years. 

When bringing in prior-unknowns from abroad there's typically a higher ceiling but lower floor for their potential. You can unearth a gem that none of your competitors knew about, but there are other variables to consider which could lead to them being a dud regardless of talent. Do they fit the Scottish style of football? Can they adapt to Scottish football culture? Would they feel at home in Scottish life in general? Would they make friends around the dressing room and integrate themselves fully with a potential language barrier?

Most of these you don't have to consider with British or Irish players since the style of football, and culture they're used to if they're from outwith Scotland, is a lot more similar. In the past, when McInnes has signed foreign players, he's opted for those who've already proven themselves capable of answering those questions. Now he's stepping a little into unknown territory.

It is also something, however, that he's addressed in today's newspapers.

He said: "I'm looking forward to working in different markets and different ponds, obviously. Even some players that have been put to me are players that wouldn't ordinarily be on the horizon.

"I do think it's important that we bring players from different countries and the like. But I believe, and I spoke strongly about this to the board, that there has to be a culture within the Hearts dressing room that when players come from outwith, that they know this is how you act at Hearts. I mean, even you look at Brighton, Danny Welbeck, Lewis Dunk, James Milner. There's players there that stay at Brighton for a reason. They're all there for a reason to bring and help bring these ones on."

Once again, it's McInnes saying all the right things

Along the signing policy, the 53-year-old has also preferred to work in an environment where he's very much the old-school, patriarchal boss, who extends his reach around all aspects of the club. That's unlikely to be the case at Tynecastle where he'll be expected to work more within the structure, concentrating fully on first-team affairs.

Perhaps this is exactly what he needs to reach his full potential as a manager, to be pushed out of that comfort zone. Or perhaps he'll soon come to resent his new situation. It's certainly a bigger gamble for Hearts than many in the media would have you believe. But as far as first impressions go, it couldn't have gone much better.