New Hearts manager Wouter Vrancken has vowed to irritate Celtic again this season, after the Gorgie side ran the Champions close in the title race…
Martin O’Neill stepped into the fire once more for the club last year, when it looked as if it might have been a bridge too far, winning an unbelievable domestic Double.
At times, with a varied confluence of issues engulfing the club, it seemed as if it would be a campaign that would be infamous and live long in the memory for all of the wrong reasons. However, thanks to O’Neill and his trusted backroom staff of Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, the club managed to avert disaster and stay top of the pile in Scottish football.
Despite this, Vrancken is aiming to emulate last year and become a permanent nuisance for the Hoops going forward.
Speaking recently on challenging the Bhoys for the Premiership going forward, he said: “I hope to put in the football we want to see as quickly as possible. And what I noticed in our game with St Mirren is they want to play football, but not overdo it and take stupid risks.
“This is very good that we found this balance and let’s hope that we can keep it. We have to read situations, but I like to try to have the football in place as soon as possible.
“And then it’s about the results. We want to be annoying the Glasgow teams and trying to hurt them. We’re trying to over-achieve ourselves in how we do things and how we play football.
The 47-year-old former Mechelen and K.R.C Genk boss inisisted it is very much a fresh and exciting challenge that he is faced with in Edinburgh, but that he is extremely hopeful and can’t wait to get started. “And it’s all totally new,” he said, as reported by Scottish Sun.
“I’m really curious and excited to go further. Hopefully we can do it,” Vrancken enthused.
Celtic will have to be wary heading into this campaign, as last season we skated way too close to the edge, allowing Tony Bloom and Hearts to grab the initiative for most of the year.
It all stemmed from a poor recruitment drive and frustrations being expressed due to this constant uphill battle inside the club on transfers.
Martin O’Neill needs to be properly backed this year to help stave off any potential challenge from Tynecastle or indeed Ibrox, for that matter.
Paul Gillespie
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