Andrew McKinlay’s heart might be in the right place – even if his Hearts most certainly aren’t. But it’s where the Tynecastle CEO’s head is at which is troubling Jambos fans desperate for a pointer to where the club is heading for their next boss.
Should McKinlay get this one wrong then it could very well be his noggin on the chopping block. The Gorgie supremo wanted to give the punters answers and chose club media to address some of the big issues facing him and the club three days after pulling the trigger on Steven Naismith with the club rock bottom of the Premiership.
Without naming Tony Bloom’s Starlizard analytics tool directly, McKinlay confirmed that a data company will play a key role in identifying the next permanent boss. Of course, that will be Brighton owner Bloom’s tried and tested system. But who might the supercomputer throw up to go alongside the more obvious names to replace Naismith?
Record Sportcreated our own digi algorithm to dig out seven potential candidates from across world football that could make it onto McKinlay’s short list.
Marcel Rapp
- Age – 45
- Club – Holstein Kiel
- Honours – Bundesliga 2 runners-up
Bio – Former Hoffenheim academy coach Rapp assumed legend status at German shocktroops Holstein Kiel after leading them into the Bundesliga for the first time in their history in May. After spending his playing career in the lower leagues Rapp moved into coaching at Hoffenheim taking caretaker charge of the club in 2020 before moving onto his current club a year later.
Year on year progress saw Rapp lift Kiel from 15th in Bundesliga 2 to a ninth-placed finish, then eighth before last season’s stunning promotion into the top flight finishing just a point behind St Pauli who’s manager Fabian Hurzeler has since moved to Bloom’s Brighton. Currently under contract until 2026 but with just one point from opening four games in top tier could be tempted by fresh challenge.
Arnar Gunnlaugsson
- Age – 51
- Club – Vikinger
- Honours – Úrvalsdeild league title 2021 and 2023. Icelandic Cup 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Bio – Despite a short stint with Dundee United two decades ago, former Bolton, Leicester, Stoke and Iceland forward will be a new name for many on these shores. But he’s carved a solid reputation in his homeland after winning league and cup doubles in 2021 and 2023 with Vikingur where he is again fighting for the title whilst also preparing for a tilt at the Europa Conference League.
Unsurprisingly named coach of the year in 2021 and again in 2023 he has won six honours in total in his six years in charge during which Gunnlaugsson has favoured a possession-based 4/3/3 style with wingers.
Kim Hellberg
- Age – 36
- Club – Hammarby
- Honours – various Swedish lower league titles
Bio – Currently on a 10-game unbeaten run in the Swedish top division with Hammarby, Hellberg’s stock is high. The young boss worked his way up the ladder in his homeland winning lower league titles with Kimstad, Kuddy and IF Sylvia before taking over IFK Varnamo and guiding them to 10th in their first ever top flight season then fifth last year.
He won plaudits for his innovative attacking style with Varnamo and was heavily linked with the Sunderland job in 2023. But Hellberg decided to stick in Sweden and replace Marti Cifuentes at Hammarby where he has lifted the Stockholm side into the top three and competing for European spots.
Eirik Horneland
- Age – 49
- Club – SK Brann
- Honours – Norwegian first division title 2022, Norwegian Cup 2023
Bio – In his third season as boss of Brann after a spell in charge of Rosenborg, Horneland has lifted the Bergen club from the second tier in 2022 to a second place Eliteserian finish last season. The weekend’s 4-1 thrashing of champions Bodo Glimt has brought a glimmer of hope they could yet be involved in a title fight this time too.
Major silverware was delivered for the first time since 2007 last season when a 2-0 win over Lillestrom secured the Norwegian Cup. Horneland – who has been praised for finding a balance between attack and defence in his 4/3/3 set-up – was voted equal fourth on World Soccer Magazine’s 2023 manager of the year behind Pep Guardiola, Luciano Spalletti and Simone Inzaghi.
Michael Skibbe
- Age – 59
- Club – Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Honours – Turkish Super Cup 2008, J-League Cup 2022
Bio – If it’s experience Hearts are after then German Skibbe could be an outsider. Pros – he has Sanfrecce out in front in the race for a first J-League title in a decade. Cons – that title fight means he would take come convincing to up sticks.
But moving around has never been a problem for Skibbe who has held 19 different coaching and managerial positions including four years as assistant to Rudi Voller with Germany from 2000 and spells in charge at Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt, Grasshoppers Zurich, the Greece national team, Al-Ain and now for the past two years Sanfrecce.
Graham Arnold
- Age – 61
- Club – unattached
- Honours – A-League title 2013 and 2017. FFA Cup 2017.
Bio – Another experienced head, Arnold is out of work after resigning as Australia boss last week. The veteran made his name with Central Coast Mariners, winning the league title in 2013 and repeating that feat with Sydney four years later where he secured the league and cup double.
But it’s with the national team he has gained worldwide attention and led the Socceroos out the group stage of the 2022 World Cup for only the second time in their history, beating Denmark on the way before narrowly losing to Argentina. Well known to Hearts stars Cammy Devlin, Kye Rowles and Calem Nieuwenhof, Arnold’s name will no doubt be mentioned. But after a poor start to the current World Cup qualifying campaign his star may be on the wane.
Kjetil Knutsen
- Age – 55
- Club – Bodo Glimt
- Honours – Eliteserien title 2020, 2021, 2023
Bio – A name which will surely be churned out by any supercomputer hunting for a supermanager after winning three of the last four Norwegian titles – the only three top flight honours in Bodo Glimt’s 108-year history.
Knutsen’s name is continually linked to posts in Britain among them Celtic, Brighton and Swansea in recent years. But the Norwegian – who has built his side’s success on the back of a high intensity pressing style – has remained loyal and is looking forward to a Europa League campaign two years after leading the club to the last eight of the Conference League and thumping Jose Mourinho’s Roma 6-1 on the way.