The Phobians’ three matches into the new season have been made up of two defeats and a victory, all of which have been characterised by wastefulness in front of goal. Hearts were crying out for a clinical number nine all summer given their profligacy last season, yet here they are three weeks into the new season and nothing has changed.
Despite making countless signings this term, Hearts still lack a ruthless striker capable of making the difference in tight games. New recruit Kashala Ramos Wanet has shown plenty of promise since his arrival, but he has also exhibited the kind of immaturity and rashness in front of goal that you would expect from a budding striker.
Here are three things Koopman can do to beat Dreams FC on Sunday.
Play with added intensity again
What helped Hearts win the championship three seasons ago was there was ruthlessness at both ends of the pitch for 90 minutes. Seems like that's their job, right?
Well, it hasn't quite been the same story the subsequent seasons. Hearts have become notoriously slow starters and late finishers, but these are characteristics feeding into each other - they conserve energy, fall behind, then return to
maximum capacity to try and rescue themselves.
That trend is rather unsustainable and cannot continue. Admittedly, this strategy might be at least partly down to Koopman's lack of trust in the entire squad. Speaking of which...
Get the balls to Kashala
The new Hearts striker was a name not many were familiar with once his arrival was confirmed months ago, but a quick dive into his profile suggested Kashala was a physical and efficient forward. He scored a lot of goals for the Phobians during preseason and scored against Nsoatreman on Matchday 2.
However, only half of that initial evaluation manifested against Bofoakwa Tano last Saturday. How many times is Kashala going to be described as a 'handful'? It may be cliché, but that's exactly what he is.
He's an excellent channel runner and remarkably direct when he turns to face the opposition's goal. Defenders will detest his style, and his teammates will appreciate his running and capacity to hold the ball up.
Michelle Sarpong deserves and an opportunity
In football, it’s easy to magnify small issues and talk about them so much they can become a big one, but there’s no denying the lack of minutes given to Sarpong this season is a real problem-more so for the player than the club. Right now, Sarpong isn’t a dog or even a cat.
He’s a small horse, and as Mourinho once said, small horses need milk to learn how to jump- but you can’t learn without being given the chance- and if Koopman won’t be the jockey Sarpong needs, it’s time to find someone who will.
