Wouter Vrancken already 'under pressure' at Hearts amid 'Tony Bloom involvement' - Keith Wyness
Wouter Vrancken is already feeling the heat at Hearts after a difficult start to his tenure as manager.
That is according to former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that expectations are totally different for the Jambos after last season's title race.
The Edinburgh outfit began their season with four consecutive defeats in competitive action, including chastening nights against Sturm Graz and Benfica in Champions League qualifying.
However, Wyness believes that their 4-0 win over Dundee United last weekend could be vital when it comes to helping Vrancken build some credibility.
The Belgian boss claimed his first win for his new club at the fifth attempt, with that result expected to ease any early worries that had emerged at Tynecastle.
Nevertheless, Wyness is adamant that there is already "pressure" on Vrancken and Hearts to perform after last season, with fans across the Scottish Premiership expecting them to go again.
'Tony Bloom involvement' changes everything for Hearts
Aberdeen's former chief Wyness - who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004 and now runs a consultancy business advising elite clubs - believes that Tony Bloom's role at Hearts automatically brings more eyes onto them.
The Brighton owner also holds a minority stake in the Jambos, who use his Jamestown Analytics company to help with recruitment.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained how that involvement only adds to the pressure.
"There's no doubt there's pressure on Hearts to back it up. Was it a one-season wonder, or can they actually follow through and become a third force?" He said.
"With the Tony Bloom involvement, everybody was heralding this as the great success story. Yeah, he (Vrancken) has got pressure on him big time, especially following in (Derek) McInnes' footsteps.
"It's the usual Scottish stuff that everybody panics in the first few games of the season, starting to believe that this is going to be his cast when it isn't. He's got to get his squad together, and it's very early days.
"At the weekend I saw some signs that looked reasonable as to how he's approaching things. And he does come with a reasonable pedigree of attacking football. So let's not jump onto the bandwagon of judging things too soon.
"I think the Hearts fans will start to settle down and get used to it. It's going to be as usual with the transfer window; keeping players like Claudio Braga is going to be important, and who they can add as well."
When will Claudio Braga 'push' for Celtic move
Wyness told Football Insider earlier this week that he does not expect Braga to "push" for a move away from Hearts this summer.
The Portuguese forward has been extensively linked with Celtic in recent months, but Wyness feels that he will stay put at Tynecastle for now.
However, he outlined that next summer could see the 26-year-old change his stance entirely and potentially angle for a move elsewhere.
Braga is under contract with Hearts until the summer of 2028 at the moment, and his time with the Jambos is expected to reach a pivotal stage at the end of the season.