SNS GroupHearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay believes the club’s deal with Jamestown Analytics offers a “genuine chance” of eventually challenging at the top of Scottish football, and revealed that a move for a striker identified by the company’s data has already been approved.
The Tynecastle club finalised a deal last month that sees them partner with the firm whose analytics expertise has been behind the recent rise of high-flying Brighton, Belgian success story Union Saint-Gilloise and newly-promoted Serie A side Como.
McKinlay described the deal as “game-changing” and he said that he believes the right use of the Jamestown data and analysis could see Hearts rise to challenge the positions held by Celtic and Rangers, despite the difference in budget.
“Game-changing, to me, means that there is a genuine opportunity to compete with the teams above us in Scotland,” the chief executive said after the club’s annual general meeting.
“I’ve been very reluctant to say that, and I was criticised when I came in for saying I wanted to get back to being the third team in Scotland. I was criticised for having a lack of ambition.
“The reason I had that view was maybe from my background and my head led my heart. I felt the financial disparity was just almost impossible. In the same way that you look at Celtic in the Champions League, we’ve all got our level in the game and it tends to follow finances.
“So then you at what else you can do to challenge those top two teams. You look around and there are various examples in Europe, not just Jamestown but others, though Jamestown are the real gold standard of this.”
McKinlay cited Union Saint-Gilloise as “the best example” of what can be achieved, pointing to their rapid climb from the second tier to becoming title challengers and competitors in Europe.
He didn’t predict as swift a rise to challenging the traditional stranglehold on the league title held by Glasgow clubs but believes it can be achieved.
“I genuinely think, finishing second I want to do on the basis that we’ve been good, not on the basis that one of the teams above us have been bad,” he said. “Then, and it’s not going to happen overnight, with the use of their technology and using finances wisely and being as smart as we can be, I genuinely think we could challenge in Scotland.
“I can’t put a timescale on it. Jamestown have put their money where their mouth is in the way they construct their contracts. They are highly incentivised for us to do well and they are very excited about what we can achieve.”
Striker bid approved, and more new faces could join
SNS GroupA climb to the top of the Scottish game will involve squad-building and McKinlay acknowledged that the failure to add a striker in the summer along with Lawrence Shankland’s drop in form and other factors meant adding to the front line was a priority in the January transfer window.
Jamestown Analytics has identified targets and the finances have been signed off to make a move to bring in a forward next month.
“We have already approved as a board, the finances available to look at a particular striker,” McKinlay said.
“Not just one, often you don’t get your first choice, but we’re looking at a few all of whom have come from Jamestown.
“Other positions and other things we do might depend on who goes out.
I think we’re all aware that the priority is a striker. But we also have Calem Nieuwenhof coming back who will help in midfield. I’m a little bit concerned about some of our defensive injuries and it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve come to January [and added].
“The strikers will be the priority but the rest will be an ebb and flow.”
Recruitment is likely to have an international flavour, with the chief executive highlighting how the new partnership can identify opportunities outside the traditional markets.
Asked if bringing in a goalscorer in the mid-season window meant spending on transfer fees as well as wages, he said: “Potentially. It depends on markets and it depends on where you’re bringing players from.
“Different countries have different seasons and some people’s contracts actually might be out.
“Yes, if we were restricting ourselves to Scotland and England and we try to take someone out of their contract in January then I wouldn’t expect it to be very easy at all.
“So you’ve got to live within your means. We know what our budget is and we know what we will go to.
“That’s where Jamestown can really help you, in being able to identify ones that others haven’t, at levels that are hopefully realistic for us.”
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