Daniel Stendel hopes last three matches don’t reflect ‘the real Hearts’ as he talks climbing mountains and the league table

In an attempt to suss out what he has inherited, new Hearts manager Daniel Stendel endured footage of recent matches and professed his hope that the performances on show do not reflect “the real Hearts”.

By MOIRA GORDON Tuesday, 10th December 2019, 10:34 pm

Daniel Stendel is unveiled as the new Hearts manager at Tynecastle. Picture: Craig Williamson / SNS

This season, though, such performances have been all too real, which is why he has been enlisted to turn things around.

The only time Stendel had been to Scotland prior to taking charge of the Gorgie squad yesterday, was to scale the heights of Ben Nevis, Given the mountain he has to climb at Hearts, as he attempts to steer them up and away from the relegation foothills, it’s as well the German coach enjoys challenging ascents.

Sign up to our daily newsletter The i newsletter cut through the noise Sign up Thanks for signing up! Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting...

Meeting the players and taking training for the first time yesterday, he gained greater insight into the magnitude of the task facing him and, while he recognises the level of difficulty, he also revealed a passion and a belief that he and the capital club can fulfil each other’s footballing needs

“It is not an easy situation but for me it is an exciting task. My first impression was that my players were very open to new opinions and new tasks in training. I hope we can see that in a game and that the last three games were not the real Hearts. I hope not! I hope we show that in the next game.”

Attempting to arrest the negativity that has seen the side stuck in the doldrums this season, Stendel has his own opinions on how the game should be played.

“The main thing is that I see passion on the pitch. The mentality is that we play on the front foot and we want to have the ball all the time. When we lose the ball we want to get it back as quickly as possible and when we get the ball we want to play very quickly to score. This, together with passion, I think is the reason we like football.

“I know some teams from the Scottish league but some people know the Scottish league better than I and they said this is the main thing in Scottish football so I think that I’m in the right place.”

Born and raised in the former East Germany, the 45-year old recalls the fall of the Berlin Wall as a teenager. Someone who spent most of his playing and coaching career in his homeland, Stendel opened up new horizons and broke down more personal barriers when he took on the job at Barnsley. Although that posting ended acrimoniously, with a contract row still raging, he left with the good wishes of the Oakwell club’s supporters, and as a more rounded and knowledgeable manager.

“I think this is important,” he said when asked about the value in understanding the Scottish football environment, “But, coming from Germany to Scotland would be more difficult than coming from English football to Scottish football. I think my style fits Scottish football.”

Discovering which of his players are capable of producing the football he demands and are willing to carry out his gameplan, is intriguing as he squeezes in five games between now and the new year. Those who can’t will be deemed surplus to requirements in January as finances are freed up to fund the re-shaping of the squad.

“The reason that I convince people to play in the style I want is my personality. It’s easier when you can explain how you feel,” he says of the man-management skills that served him so well when rehabilitating struggling sides at Hannover 96 and Barnsley. Tapping into the passion and emotion of players and fans will be key as he attempts to unify the Gorgie club.

“That’s the reason we play the game. If we’re in the stadium and no-one is celebrating when we score, it’s the worst thing that can happen. We love the game the same as the fans and we want the fans to be celebrating good games from us. I hope we can do it and make it very difficult to win against Hearts but we have to have unity between the team and the fans. That’s the main thing for me at every club I manage and also when I was a player. We need this for success.”

According to the man, who has arrived in Edinburgh without his coaching staff of Chris Sterne and Dale Tonge, although the plan remains for at least one of them to join him soon, if they can replicate the positivity of last Saturday – when his appointment was announced – at his first match in charge, against St Johnstone, at Tynecastle, this weekend, they will be on the right road.

“I got so many messages on social media before and after I signed the contract. We were all excited and you can see what the relationship can be with the supporters. I live my passion for the game and I expect the same from my players. When we play that’s what I expect and that’s why we can all have a good relationship.

“I think what I learned from my experience [at Barnsley, where fans adored him and even took him for drinks following his sacking] is that I need a club with a lot of passion. I need a really good support and when I see what can happen in this stadium, this is what I like.

“Managers and players get good money in this job but the reason why I started to play football, why I started to coach, was because of my passion for the game. The atmosphere is what I love. And I can get all of this here.”

Things will be tough, as he tries to put his stamp on the team and works at lifting the mood, but he is not shirking the challenge.