Demanding schedule will gauge Hearts progress

[BBC] With the domestic season on pause, it is time for Hearts to take a breath and reflect on what has been a whirlwind start to the season. For new head coach Wouter Vrancken, there was precious little time to settle in before the European qualifiers arrived in mid-July. Since then, Hearts have played 15 matches in just 61 days with a record of six wins, four draws and five defeats. On paper, that might not look particularly spectacular. But four of those five defeats came in the opening four matches, highlighting just how much progress has been made since the difficult early weeks. There have been plenty of reasons for optimism. The six victories included Vrancken's first Edinburgh derby, while the dramatic penalty shootout success over Rapid Vienna - after Hearts had been reduced to 10 men - provided another memorable night for supporters. That result also secured European football through to December and helped change the mood around the club. When an unnecessarily long international break finally ends, the focus will turn towards an equally demanding schedule. Hearts will play 16 matches between their return to action and the end of the year. There is a League Cup semi-final at Hampden against city rivals Hibernian, home and away league meetings with both Rangers and Celtic, plus another Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle. And that is before you factor in six Conference League matches, with trips to Turkey, Switzerland and Cyprus. It is a tough run but also offers an opportunity to measure just how far this Hearts side have developed under Vrancken. For now, though, there is a genuine sense of anticipation around Gorgie. The difficult opening weeks have given way to progress, European football has been secured and big occasions lie ahead. If the first part of this season is anything to go by, the next few months could be quite a thriller.