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Hearts are flying due to the investment from Tony Bloom and Jamestown Analytics, but Michael Stewart believes the manager is ‘the most important’ acquisition. Hearts’ 3-1 win against Celtic on Sunday put them eight points clear of their Glaswegian rivals, after their best start to a top flight season in two decades. The Jambos now face a trip to Paisley against St Mirren on Wednesday night, against the only side to have defeated them this season. With Jamestown Analytics working wonders, the likes of Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis have been superb additions to the squad, however existing players such as Cammy Devlin, Lawrence Shankland and Craig Halkett have also been integral to their success so far. It is for this reason that Stewart believes Derek McInnes is the most indispensable member of the rampant Jambos outfit, because of the way he’s integrated the old with the new. The former Hearts captain spoke on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club, alongside Alan Hutton and Johan Mjallby. “At Hearts there is genuine synergy, you’ve got a manager who is probably for me, the most important addition that’s happened to Hearts. You can talk about the signings, you can talk about Tony Bloom, or all these other things but Derek McInnes has been the most important addition to Hearts because, he’s a figurehead, he’s a leader, he knows what he’s doing and then all the other wee components will come together. “I’ve heard so much about Tony Bloom and that he’s revolutionising Scottish Football, that may be the case in years to come but at the moment, this has really been built on the back of what is a Scottish core. We’ve just spoke about Craig Halkett and Stuart Findlay at centre-half, the core of the team that was already there. “And now adding on that little bit of extra Jamestown stardust with Alexandros Kyziridis and Claudio Braga. This is not a side that’s been revolutionised by Jamestown Analytics and look where they are, so there’s plenty scope for growth as well. Stewart went out to praise the Hearts defence, that have conceded just two goals in their last six. He said: “they’re incredible, even when you look at the strength and depth of the defence now. You’ve got Jamie McCart that’s sitting on the bench, you’ve got Frankie Kent who’s injured at the moment and Michael Steinwender, who’s having to play right back if he’s getting a game at all. There’s strength and depth defensively there. “But Halkett and Findlay are as good as anyone in the league at the moment. There’s no messing about. They’s strong, they know how to defend, they sense the danger and they’re a positive threat for Hearts in an attacking sense at set pieces, which is a hugely influential part of the game as a whole. “Hearts have got a great balance at the moment as they also have attacking threat. Lawrence Shankland leading the line, Braga working his socks off and Kyziridis giving them that illusive width that Hearts have been crying out for for years.” Your next Hearts read: Predicted Hearts team v St Mirren with possible changes to the starting line-up
