Steven Naismith, Hearts’ head coach, urged Jambos fans to give the new players time to settle into Tynecastle. Several were given game time on Saturday during the 2-1 defeat by Sky Bet League One side Leyton Orient at Tynecastle.
Musa Drammeh, Daniel Okegoke and Blair Spittal started and Yan Dhanda and Ryan Fulton were introduced after the break.
Naismith (pictured) said: “The first two or three months are about getting used to the surroundings and the pressure and everything about it, but that is one aspect of it which you want to pass quickly.”
Saturday, he added, was a good test, and he said: “I said before the game that they (Orient) would cause us problems in the way they played, which they did. That is good but you could tell the sharpness was not there and we could have scored more goals. It was about getting minutes.
“There were some good bits and some of the younger boys had an opportunity to stake a claim to make the squad for the season.”
Premiership cracks Spurs are in Edinburgh on Wednesday. Yes, they have given their Euro 2024 and Copa America players time off, but former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is still expected to fly north with a strong squad.
It’s the London club’s first official pre-season test but Spurs did play a closed-doors friendly against League One side Cambridge United on Saturday when big names including James Maddison, Timo Werner, and captain Son Heung-Min all played for sections of the game.
Hearts open their league campaign with a home joust against last season’s league runners-up, Rangers, at Tynecastle on Saturday, August 3 (12.30).
A reminder to fans. The kick-off against Spurs is at 7pm.
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