The Premiership campaign is drawing to a close. Hearts will be wanting it to end now though, after what can only be described as a poor league campaign.
Over the course of the season, Jambos boss Craig Levein brought in a whole load of fresh faces, 20 to be exact. It would be borderline impossible for every signing to work well.
That’s how it has turned out to be, with the signings very hit and miss. We’ve ranked every signing Hearts have made this season, with the exception of Aidy White, from A-F. The full-back misses out as he has been injured since arriving at Tynecastle and can’t be graded.
Some players have passed with flying colours, while others need a look at what went wrong.
Colin Doyle- C
The Irishman is a decent back-up keeper but not as good as Zdenek Zlamal. He had a brief run in the team before his howler away to Motherwell cost him his place in the team.
Zdenek Zlamal- B
A solid player all year round for Hearts, Zlamal’s great shot-stopping and commanding of his box has helped the Jambos defence to no end. He’ll be Levein’s number one next year.
Jimmy Dunne- A
The Burnley loanee was terrific in his brief loan spell at Tynecastle. Fans would love to see the defender back in Gorgie after starting the season so well.
Conor Shaughnessy- D
Average is what comes to mind when describing Shaughnessy. Not great, not bad either. The defender has been passive for the Jambos and won’t be a great miss when he returns to parent club Leeds United this summer.
Clevid Dikamona- C
The Jambo soldier hasn’t done anything wrong, but his lack of games cost him a B. It’s bewildering he hasn’t had many more matches, with the Tynecastle support eager to see him get more minutes at the back.
Ben Garrucio- C
Injury ended his football for the year, but Garrucio grew on fans as the season progressed. His ACL may cost him dearly, with a return still months away.
Demetri Mitchell- F
The Manchester United loanee was brilliant last season, but he was awful in his second spell in maroon. Mitchell was a shadow of his former self before injury finished his Hearts career.
Peter Haring- A
A contender for Hearts’ best signing, utility man Haring has been outstanding this term. Levein should look to build part of his team around the Austrian.
Olly Lee- C
Having started so brightly, Lee has disappointed in the second half of the season. He’s went from technical wizard to slow and passive in a matter of months. His performance against Inverness in the Scottish Cup has scraped him a C.
Oliver Bozanic- C
The Australian describes most of Hearts’ signings. Average with flashes of brilliance. Bozanic is a useful squad player, nothing more.
Ryan Edwards- F
He’s played okay in the last two games, but that doesn’t prevent him from getting an F. Edwards has been missing all season.
Sean Clare- B
Clare was poor before January, but has been reborn after the winter break. He is starting to show why Levein brought him to Tynecastle.
Jake Mulraney- B
A similar situation to Clare, Mulraney was awful before the winter break. He has since became a key part of the Jambos’ left flank.
Bobby Burns- C
He has potential but Burns is still very raw. The Northern Irishman’s performances have been decent, however, he badly needs regular football.
Steven Naismith- A
Is there a grade higher than an A? If there is, Naismith should get it. He carried Hearts earlier this season and has been a massive miss since his injury. Levein’s main summer priority should be keeping the Norwich City loanee.
David Vanecek- F
Quite possibly one of the worst Jambos signings in history. Useless is being nice to the forward.
Steven MacLean- C
You can’t fault the veteran’s effort but his finishing leaves a lot to be desired. MacLean has his uses though and has looked great recently.
Craig Wighton- F
Wighton is competing with Vanecek for the worst signing award. At least he has showed some sort of glimpse he could be decent. Still, he is a striker, and has 0 goals. A straight F.
Uche Ikpeazu- B
Levein’s game plan is built around him, but for me, Ikpeazu has to do more in front of goal. Three Premiership strikes isn’t a good return, but his physical presence make him unplayable at times.