Salah, a midfield crisis and a 7–1 hangover: Vrancken's Hearts head to Trabzon refusing to change course
Thursday 22 October 2026 · By Jamie Douglas
Hearts have barely had time to process Sunday's 7–1 hammering at Celtic Park, and tonight they face one of the toughest trips in the Conference League. Wouter Vrancken's side take on Trabzonspor at Papara Park (17:45 UK time) with a midfield ravaged by injuries and plenty of questions still hanging over them.
First, the damage from Glasgow. Hearts conceded twice from Celtic's first three corners and were 4–0 down after 38 minutes. Laurent Mendy pulled one back with a fine finish on 41 minutes, set up by Josh McPake, but a Jamie McCart own goal made it 5–1 at half-time, and Celtic added two more after the break. The Edinburgh Evening News called it Hearts' heaviest competitive defeat at Celtic Park.
The Evening News also counted four Celtic goals, the third, fourth, sixth and seventh, that came after Hearts lost the ball in the build-up. That fits Vrancken's own verdict. "Against individual mistakes, you can't do too much," he said. Asked whether he was angry, he replied: "Anger? No, not anger."
Not everyone was convinced. BBC pundits said he appeared to take "no responsibility", and Andy Halliday wondered: "If he was given the opportunity to play this game again, would he change anything? I don't think he's the type." Fans were split between "bad day at the office" and "no Plan B".
Vrancken isn't changing course. On the eve of tonight's game, he said Hearts would stick to their pressing game. "The only thing we did not do well enough against Celtic was our rest defence... and our quality on the ball," he added.
His bigger problem is bodies. Stuart Findlay (groin) and Oisín McEntee (calf) stayed at home, and Blair Spittal, Tom Renaud, Ageu and McEntee are all out from the same area of the pitch. "I've never experienced in my career injuries all in the same position," Vrancken said. Craig Halkett is also missing, though Christian Borchgrevink was expected back from an ankle problem.
Waiting for them is a Trabzonspor side in form. Thomas Reis's team won 4–2 at KuPS on matchday one and have won four in a row in all competitions, including a 4–0 win over Galatasaray. They also have Mohamed Salah, with nine goals in 11 games, and Fabinho.
Hearts took a point from their opening game, a 1–1 draw with Nordsjælland, so anything from tonight would be a real boost. James Wilson summed up the mood in the dressing room. "I'm not going into the game scared, I'm excited," he said.
Domestically, Hearts are third on 16 points, eight behind Celtic. Before Sunday they had lost only one of their previous 13 games in all competitions, so this is a sharp test of their response.
It's a demanding run, too. Hearts visit Motherwell on Sunday (14:00, Premier Sports), host Rangers on Wednesday 28 October (20:00) and face Hibs in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on Sunday 1 November (15:00). Their allocation for that derby has sold out.
One fixture has dropped off the list. The league trip to Dundee United, which was due on Saturday 31 October, has been postponed, and no new date has been set.
Tynecastle Park is the home of Heart of Midlothian, packed into Gorgie, a short walk west of Haymarket and just south of Murrayfield. Visiting supporters sit in the Roseburn Stand, the northern end behind one goal, also called the School End. The other goal sits in front of the Gorgie Stand, the home end on Gorgie Road, where the noisiest support gathers. The long sides are the rebuilt Main Stand and, opposite it, the Wheatfield Stand. The corners are open, so the ground reads as four blocks rather than a bowl. On the plan, north is at the top: the away goal is in front of the Roseburn, and the home goal is in front of the Gorgie.
The pitch is tight to the seats. It was lengthened in 2005 to meet UEFA measurements, which cost seats at both ends, and the touchlines still feel close. A match pitch here is about 105 metres by 68. The Roseburn is the smallest stand, a single steep tier, so even a modest allocation looks down on both goals. Most visiting clubs are given only a section of it — often around 650 seats in recent seasons — while Hibernian are usually given the whole stand under a reciprocal deal. Check the block on your ticket. Away entry is from McLeod Street. Arrive early: queues build, searches are routine, and some allocations are still paper tickets.
Skip the car if you can. Haymarket station is about a twenty-minute walk along Dalry Road and Gorgie Road, or a short taxi. Lothian Buses serve Gorgie Road, including the 1, 2, 3, 25 and 33. There is no stadium car park, street parking nearby is limited, and wardens are active on match days. Supporter coaches are often sent to Russell Road, north of the ground. If you are driving, leave time, and do not assume you will park on McLeod Street. The simplest way out is the same road back towards Haymarket.
Inside, the ground is compact and loud. Capacity is 19,852, all seated. The Wheatfield, Gorgie and Roseburn stands date from the mid-1990s, with roofs on steel arches and floodlights on the towers. The Archibald Leitch main stand was replaced in 2017 by a single-tier Main Stand of more than 7,000 seats, with a mostly clear roof, the tunnel at halfway and the dugouts either side. The Wheatfield holds just under 6,000 and rises at close to 34 degrees, about as steep as the rules allow. Sound stays in. Expect a strong home atmosphere, especially against Hibs, Celtic and Rangers.
Kiosks in the away end take contactless payment, and the toilets are inside the stand. Flags and a drum are sometimes allowed if they can be searched and will fit through a turnstile. Pyrotechnics are not, and nothing should be thrown. Stay off the track and the pitch. Wheelchair spaces exist in the Roseburn; book them through your own club. The surface is a hybrid grass pitch with undersoil heating.
Gorgie is a neighbourhood of tenements, shops and pubs along the main road. Have a drink before you walk down if you want one, then head for McLeod Street in good time so you are seated before the teams come out of the Main Stand tunnel. Tynecastle rewards the travelling supporter who turns up early, sits in the Roseburn, and takes the steep view across a pitch that never feels far away.