The 2007–08 season was the 127th season of competitive football by Heart of Midlothian, and their 25th consecutive season in the top level of Scottish football, competing in the Scottish Premier League. Hearts also competed in the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
Season Overview Hearts began the season in a disappointing manner being defeated 1-0 in the Edinburgh Derby with Hibernian.
On 31 December 2007, Romanov announced that, following five successive defeats which saw the club fall to 10th (third bottom) place in the league, the club would be looking to appoint a 'British-style' manager who would have complete control over team affairs. Since then, Stephen Frail has been the caretaker manager, although it was not made clear at the time that Frail would be manager until the end of the season.
Hearts were defeated 1–0 in the 4th round replay of the Scottish Cup by Motherwell after a 2–2 draw on 21 January 2008. Rangers defeated them 2–0 in the semi-final of the CIS Cup on 30 January at Hampden Park. Hearts then sold their top scorer, Andrius Velička, to Norwegian side Viking Stavanger on 26 February 2008. A 0–0 draw with Kilmarnock on 5 April 2008 meant that Hearts failed to make the "Top Six" of the SPL, for the first time since the split league format was introduced in 2001.
Results and fixtures
Pre-season / Friendlies For the second consecutive pre-season Hearts visited Austria, although on this occasion the side also played four tour matches in Germany. Only one pre-season match was played in Edinburgh, a "glamour friendly" against FC Barcelona at Murrayfield Stadium, which attracted Hearts' largest ever attendance for a "home" match.
Scottish Premier League
Scottish League Cup
Scottish Cup
First team player statistics Squad information Last updated 13 May 2008 During the 2007–08 campaign, Hearts used thirty-six players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player. {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;" |- ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" rowspan="2" width="10%" align="center"|Number ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" rowspan="2" width="10%" align="center"|Position ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" rowspan="2" width="10%" align="center"|Nation ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" rowspan="2" width="20%" align="center"|Name ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2" align="center"|Totals ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2" align="center"|SPL ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2" align="center"|League Cup ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2" align="center"|Scottish Cup |- ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Apps ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Goals ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Apps ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Goals ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Apps ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Goals ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Apps ! style="background:maroon; color:white;" scope="col" width=60 align="center"|Goals
Appearances (starts and substitute appearances) and goals include those in the Scottish Premier League, League Cup, and the Scottish Cup.
Goal scorers Last updated 13 May 2008 PlacePositionNationNameSPLLeague CupScottish CupTotal1FWAndrius Velička1121142MFLaryea Kingston51063MFAndrew Driver5005FWChristian Nadé41054FWCalum Elliot22045DFChristophe Berra2103MFMichael Stewart3003DFIbrahim Tall30036MFDeividas Česnauskis1012FWGary Glen20027MFKęstutis Ivaškevičius1001DFEggert Jónsson1001DFChristos Karipidis1001MFAudrius Kšanavičius1001MFSaulius Mikoliūnas1001MFRubén Palazuelos1001DFMarius Žaliūkas1001 Total457254
Team statistics League table
Management statistics Last updated 13 May 2008 NameFromToPWDLWin%
Club Managers
Just prior to the season's commencement Anatoly Korobochka and Stephen Frail were confirmed as the club's permanent coaching team.
After several other discouraging results, the Scottish media began to scrutinise why the team was not matching supporters expectations, with one particular area of interest being the coaching structure. As neither Korobochka or Bulgarian assistant coach Angel Chervenkov spoke fluent English, a translator was required to aid management and team communication, a situation Frail admitted was "frustrating" and "not ideal" after a 1–1 draw with Gretna.
Stephen Frail was appointed manager on 31 December following a difficult start to the season, although it was not made clear at the time that Frail would be manager until the end of the season.
On 22 May 2008 reports came out that caretaker manager Stephen Frail was on his way out of Tynecastle as he was not part of the new managerial structure at Hearts.
Transfers Several Lithuanian players left the club during the close-season, while two more Audrius Ksanavičius and Ričardas Beniušis arrived on loan from FBK Kaunas. Other summer signings included Rubén Palazuelos from Gimnástica de Torrelavega and Michael Stewart, who returned to the club after two seasons with rivals Hibernian. Scottish international goalkeeper Craig Gordon moved to Sunderland for £9 million in early August. This fee meant that Gordon was the most expensive Hearts and Scottish player ever, and the most expensive goalkeeper in British football history.
Players in
Player From Fee Mark Ridgers Ross County£40,000 Laryea Kingston Akhmat Grozny£500,000 Mauricio Pinilla Sporting CPFree Michael Stewart HibernianFree Rubén Palazuelos Gimnástica de TorrelavegaFree Anthony Basso AuxerreFree Christian Nadé Sheffield UnitedFree Fernando Screpis FBK KaunasFree
Players out Player To Fee Julien Brellier Norwich CityFree Craig Gordon Sunderland£9,000,000 Takis Fyssas PanathinaikosFree Mirsad BešlijaFree Michal Pospíšil Sint-TruidenseFree Andrius Velička Viking FK£1,000,000
Loans in Player From Fee Ričardas Beniušis FBK KaunasLoan
Loans out Player To Fee Jamie Mole Queen of the SouthLoan Marc McCusker StranraerLoan Mirsad Bešlija Sint-TruidenseLoan Roman Bednář West Bromwich AlbionLoan Marc McCusker ClydeLoan David Templeton Raith RoversLoan Juho Mäkelä HJKLoan
See also List of Heart of Midlothian F.C. seasons
References
External links Official Club website Complete Statistical Record