Former Heart of Midlothian midfielder Andy Halliday has backed Tony Bloom's Jamestown Analytics to come up trumps this summer, despite "concerns" surrounding several significant departures at Tynecastle.
Last season, under the guidance of Derek McInnes, the Gorgie side came within moments of securing the Scottish Premiership title at Celtic Park.
Despite signing five players for the upcoming season already, the respective exits of captain Lawrence Shankland and McInnes to Rangers have irked sections of the support, even though the latter's replacement is reportedly likely to be announced next week.
“Well, I think there'll be a lot of concern in the Hearts fanbase," Halliday said. "They were three minutes from winning a league and within two weeks they've lost their talisman, their captain, and they've lost their manager.
“But for me, that is exactly what they've got their investment in Jamestown Analytics for. This is where their expertise is. This is where they're brilliant. Buy low, sell high. How many top, top-level players have Brighton lost over the last few years and replaced and stayed where they are? Union Saint-Gilloise won their first league title for years.
“So for me, I think the concern within the club will not be as big as the concern outwith the club. I actually think it's really exciting for Scottish football to see who Jamestown Analytics bring in.
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"If they bring in their own guy, who could that potentially be?"
On Hearts potentially looking closer to home for McInnes' replacement in the Tynecastle hotseat, Halliday continued, "I don't think there have been as many eyes on Scottish football as there's ever been in the last season. There's still so much excitement about what could potentially happen going into next season.
“One thing's for sure, in Scotland we've almost turned our noses up at what's in front of us far too often. We've done that with players.
"Rangers are now reverting back. Celtic have now done it with their manager by getting in Martin O'Neill, who was right under their nose. Rangers have done it with their manager by getting Derek McInnes, who was right under their nose, in.
"Would John McGlynn be the answer for Hearts? For me, what he's done at Falkirk has been incredible.
"However, when you've got an investment company with years’ worth of analytics which have proved successful, I still think you can have plenty of hope.”
