Kingsley Expects Hearts to Improve During Busy Fixture Run

Heart of Midlothian vice-captain Stephen Kingsley expects the Edinburgh club to make further progress under head coach Wouter Vrancken as they prepare for nine matches over four weeks before the November international break. The Scottish Premiership side enter a demanding period with domestic and European commitments after losing just once in their first 11 outings, according to the source report.

Hearts sit third in the league but have drawn one and lost one of their latest two matches. Their upcoming schedule begins with a Scottish Premiership fixture against St Mirren at Tynecastle Park, followed by a Conference League opener against Danish side Nordsjaelland.

Kingsley believes the team's early performances under Vrancken have provided a foundation for further improvement. He pointed to the adjustments required when a new manager introduces different tactics and integrates new players.

"We said right from the beginning, when a manager comes in and implements a new style, where he wants it to go, with new players coming in, it's going to take time," said defender Kingsley.

The vice-captain said the team had made progress during its opening block of matches and now needed to build on those performances. His comments come as Hearts prepare to balance their domestic ambitions with their return to European group-stage football.

"I think we've made a lot of improvement in the first block of games that we had. I think we'd be expecting to kick on now," Kingsley said.

The European campaign presents an additional challenge, with Hearts scheduled to play league matches on weekends and continental fixtures during the week. Kingsley acknowledged that the packed calendar would test the squad but also described European competition as a positive achievement.

"Obviously we've done brilliant to get into the group stages of European football, so that's a big positive," he said.

Several players in the Hearts dressing room have previous experience of competing in Europe, according to Kingsley. That familiarity could help the squad approach the upcoming run with a clearer understanding of the demands involved.

"There's a few of the boys in the changing room that have had that before, a couple of seasons ago, so we know it's a tough schedule," Kingsley said.