Show-stopping victory crucial for Vrancken

[BBC] The month of August always sees an influx of arrivals into Edinburgh, with each newcomer looking to make a lasting impression. Following the win against Dundee United, Wouter Vrancken and his Jamestown Analytics-assembled squad put on quite the show this festival season. Despite what some defiant Jambos might tell you, it was important for our new gaffer to pick up a victory quickly. For one afternoon at least, Hearts looked less like a production finding its feet and more like a Fringe sellout that had already found its audience. It was encouraging to start so well and Tom Renaud's stoater of a strike and Calvin Miller's VAR-awarded penalty settled any nerves about another winless afternoon. There were so many positives from the game: four different goalscorers, including three players making their Tynecastle league debut; a first clean sheet for Beau Reus and his makeshift back four; much-maligned pair Jamie McCart and Blair Spittal bouncing back with solid performances. I get accused of being a "happy clapper" just as much as being told I'm "so negative I can't be a Jambo" when it comes to articulating how I feel as a fan, but we should be encouraged about the season ahead. After Vrancken deployed a 4-2-4 formation in possession away to Benfica, I'm presuming we won't play with the handbrake on domestically. If that's the case, we should be involved in plenty more high-scoring matches. With Alexandros Kyziridis now gone in a £1.7m deal after arriving on a free just 12 months ago, it's another encouraging sign Hearts' data-led model can work. Given Josh McPake's encouraging performance, crowned with the fourth goal, we may already have a ready-made replacement on the left flank. In a week of discussion about the future of Scottish football, it was particularly pleasing to see strong performances from McPake, Miller, Spittal and McCart. There's no doubt we'll need to do more to help academy players such as James Wilson become first-team regulars, but I hope Vrancken continues to build around a strong Scottish core. I hate the term 'free hit', but that's exactly what Thursday's return fixture against Benfica is. The truth is we're unlikely to see Champions League calibre opposition in Gorgie for many years, so we should simply enjoy the occasion, both as supporters and as a team.