Hearts can forget Celtic and Rangers challenge with supercomputer plan as focus is avoiding the DROP - Ryan Stevenson

Tynecastle chief Andrew McKinlay revealed his hopes for the Jambos new analytics tool this week - but Hearts hero Stevenson reckons there's far more pressing issues staring his old side in the face.

Predicting challenges to the Old Firm in years to come is great - if you’re sitting where Aberdeen are right now. But the reality is that Hearts are heading in one direction as things stand. And that’s back to the Championship.

I read Andrew McKinlay’s latest boasts about hoping the new analytics tool at Tynecastle moving them to a level where they might be able to make a title tilt. And I have to say it made me cringe. It’s as if the chief executive doesn’t realise the severity of the situation right now.

Listen, what Brighton have done with data and analytics is brilliant. But you can’t be talking about splitting the Old Firm somewhere down the line when right now we have two points from eight league games.

McKinlay and his board should have full focus on making sure they get the next managerial appointment bang on after sacking Steven Naismith. If they don’t then no supercomputer in the world will have them near Celtic or Rangers.

This isn’t an attack on data, stats and analytics from a football dinosaur. I’m as excited as anyone to see what it can do for Hearts with the right people in charge. I’m close with Lee McCulloch who is working at Brighton just now. His job in their scouting department is to look closely at potential players coming in.

He gave me a brief outline of how the system works, without giving too many secrets away. It sounds amazing. You have to roll with the times and let me tell you, if you think I’m old fashioned with some of my views on football then Jig was exactly the same in his playing days. A proper man’s man, if you know what I mean!

He explained how the Brighton staff log in to a huge database every morning. They input all their data into a hub and everyone can see each other’s work. Everyone has their own job but they can all see what everyone else is doing.

In his department they can look at every single aspect of potential signings. Thousands of players will go through this system and you can’t argue with Brighton’s success rate in choosing the right ones.

So I agree with McKinlay that it might - might - be a game changer. But there’s far more important things to get in place first and it starts with employing the right manager.

Someone who identifies with the club, recognises the DNA of Hearts, who identifies with the playing staff and can build connections with everyone behind the scenes. It’s not about the computer. The most important thing will always be the person in charge.

Hearts need to have someone in position for the start of the week. Ideally before then. Give them a full week to work with the players before St Mirren arrive at Tynecastle for the next game after the break. They absolutely need to hit the ground running because the block of games between now and January is massive.

To be honest, Hearts won’t finish third now. I think they will struggle to get top six. But they have to make sure they don’t end up in a relegation battle. The squad is what it is until January and then they need to strengthen halfway through the season.

That’s just bad business because it’s an over-inflated market. Clubs will know Hearts are desperate so will bump up prices. Likewise the players will be able to demand higher wages.

At least there’s been a slight upturn in performances in the last week under Liam Fox. Any win in Europe is to be applauded. Let’s not ignore the fact Dinamo Minsk were rubbish. But kudos, it was a win. But then Hearts go to Pittodrie, the fans sold out the away allocation, and they lose again. They could and maybe should have won the game but the bottom line is they lost and it’s now two points from eight games and that is dire.

I saw Lawrence Shankland was getting it tight again at the weekend. I feel sorry for him. Everything is pinned on him. He’s an easy target for opposing fans and even our own fans. Which is unjust. To say he is not contributing is just rubbish.

There’s no getting away from the fact he’s not scoring anywhere near the volume of goals he got last season. But look at the last three games. Having missed a few against Ross County he still came up with the injury time equaliser. Then against Dinamo Minsk he produces a superb assist for Yan Dhanda’s winner. Again at Pittodrie on Sunday Shanks had the instincts to set up Frankie Kent for the equaliser.

If Kenneth Vargas had the same vision he’d have slipped Shanks in when both were clean through in the second half at Aberdeen - and then it would have been a different story. Instead Vargas tried a ridiculous chip and flunked it.

His decision making was shocking. We can only hope the big decision coming out of the boardroom in the next week hits the target.

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