For weeks, Hearts manager Frank Vrancken had been asking for patience from supporters and pundits alike, insisting that his team's underlying performances were better than the results suggested. A resounding 4-0 win over United appears to have finally validated that stance, offering the clearest evidence yet that his new-look side is beginning to click into gear.
The warning signs, in a positive sense, had been there for some time. Hearts endured a rough opening stretch of the season, including a 4-0 hammering by Sturm Graz in Austria, a follow-up 2-0 defeat in the second leg, a 2-1 loss to Aberdeen despite leading deep into stoppage time, and a chastening trip to Lisbon where Benfica's superior quality proved too much.
Yet a closer look at the underlying numbers tells a different story than the scorelines suggest. Remarkably, Hearts generated a higher expected-goals tally from open play in the 4-0 defeat to Sturm Graz than they did in the 4-0 victory over United. Their shots on target in that Austrian mauling were only one fewer than in the win over United. Even in the heavy loss to Benfica, where they mustered just 10 shots—their lowest total of the campaign—the underlying pattern of chance creation persisted.
Pundit Michael Stewart identified this as a