"We've got Alan Forrest, he came from Livi and he loves the Gorgie"
A simple and effective tune from the Heart of Midlothian faithful that has been growing in popularity and frequency in recent weeks and months. Forrest has gone from a peripheral figure to a key attacking protagonist.
Since the start of the year, he has been one of the most productive forwards in the league. He hit the back of the net in the win over Dundee on Saturday. At the start of the year, he provided a pair of assists in a Man-of-the-Match display in the 2-1 win at Livingston. He followed it up with another brace of assists in the come-from-behind victory over Dundee in Gorgie and a positive outing in the victory over Aberdeen.
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The three performances in January resulted in the cinch Premiership Player of the Month award. A deserving accolade for a player who has been one of the most improved in the league this season compared to last campaign.
That can be confirmed by the eye test, watching what he brings to Hearts on a weekly basis. Excellent work rate, selfless running and positive and direct attacking play which was demonstrated at the weekend. He sees space to exploit and he goes for it.
His form, his progress and his increasing importance to Hearts are backed up by the stats.
The above radar displays the 2023/24 season in blue against the 2022/23 campaign in red. The former engulfs the latter which emphasises the improvement of the 27-year-old.
And his age is important for a point made by his head coach. When asked what has been key to the improvement, Steven Naismith delivered a one-word assessment: "Consistency".
"He's always been somebody who has got good ability, more so in training, you would see it," Naismith explained. "Attitude, work rate are second to none but he then had the qualities in those moments, you see it a lot in training, but then in games, you would question: 'He was ineffective today'.
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"From when we took over last season, that was the biggest thing I said to him 'Al, you are a dream pro in terms of your attitude, how you work but you are not young. You are now at the point you need to be an experienced player who is a first-team player, not a squad player'.
"Al has done that every bit of his career. He went to Ayr, an opportunity and he becomes the main man at Ayr which gets him the move to Livi. Goes to Livi and becomes the main man at Livi. He then needs to do that here. He cannae just say 'I've got to Hearts'. He has got the quality to be a main player here and we are seeing that."
That Man-of-the-Match performance at former club Livingston had been on the horizon. He was compared to former Manchester United utility forward Park Ji-sung as we explained why Steven Naismith wanted a new contract for the player. That new deal would be signed, extending his stay until 2026. That new deal was deserved and has been welcomed by the support.
Forrest has, it can be argued, reached a point where he is undroppable. Steven Naismith likes to rotate in the final third so players are fresh for the key moments against defenders. Yet, it is hard to see how Forrest comes out of the team.
Naismith noted: "Knowing that when someone is on such a high, everything is easy for them so that fatigue isn't there because they are loving and enjoying every moment of it and you tend to find that's when they come up with big moments like at the weekend."
The player has been thriving within the team dynamic. And with the pressure that comes with being a player for Hearts.
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"It's about taking that responsibility," Forrest said. "If you are chosen, it's your mindset to go into the game and ask: 'How can I affect this game and add to the team any way I can?' Maybe it's getting to the byline and putting crosses in, or making runs to be in a better position to score a goal. I'm constantly looking to do that."
"If you are getting opportunities to play, it's down to you to stay in the team and for you to kick on. You've got to go in with that attitude in a game and be like: 'I'm going to score or I'm going to contribute.' You need to have that mentality. If you're going to get a run in the team and keep your place, I think you need to be doing that more often than not."
Naismith picked out Forrest's consistency. There is reliability and trust of Forrest, not only from the management team but the club's support. For the player, he believes he is becoming a bigger threat in the final third. He is just outside the top 10 of all Premiership forwards for key passes per 90 minutes and sixth for open-play assists.
The most impressive is his On-the-Ball-Value for dribbles and carries, a StatsBomb metric that measures how good a player is at moving the ball to high-value areas of the pitch and improving his team's chances of scoring. Forrest is second in the league, behind only Rangers' Ross McCausland.
In comparison to last season, he is getting on the ball far more often in the opposition box.
"I think maybe more running off the ball, more runs in behind," he said. "I've tried to add that into my game. When the striker drops deep, you need to go into that space. If I take up better attacking positions then maybe I can score a goal from them. I think I'm making more effective runs. I'd like to continue that and I aim to assist or score a goal."
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Since the start of the year, he has really kicked on and been keen to get into areas where he does impact the game in the final third. James Cairney showed this in the analysis of the win over Dundee at the weekend, Forrest taking the ball off Shankland to score.
He was instrumental in the home victories against Dundee and Aberdeen. He was constantly varying his position as he sought to take on the responsibility he talked about.
There would be the old-fashioned wide man. Getting wide, receiving the ball and taking on opponents.
The above was a warning before setting up Dexter Lembikisa.
He set the tone for the second half against Aberdeen with a driving run into the Aberdeen box and shot.
And then won a penalty.
Forrest's versatility and reliability are key assets. Naismith knows the player can do any job asked of him. But on the left of a 4-3-3 may well be is most effective position. That's because, as a winger, he can go inside or outside of a full-back comfortably. There is a stronger desire to cut in and shoot, while he takes up some really good positions infield and is astute at making runs across defenders.
It is a common sight to see him scampering behind an opponent with an arm outstretched, telling a teammate, usually Alex Cochrane where he wants the pass.
Against Livingston.
And Dundee.
Then Aberdeen.
His positioning in the build-up to that off-the-ball run against Aberdeen is key.
Another example of it against Dundee.
This is really smart play. Not only does he create space for the left-back out wide but he gets himself into an area that allows him to assess the situation before making the required movement, while also asking a lot of the opposition, namely who picks him up?
As well as being an industrious attacker, he is a clever one as well. Such positions allow him to move infield and get involved, as he did with the winning goal against Dundee at Tynecastle Park (below), or making runs into the box but also runs down the side and behind defences. Sometimes you will see him stand still to get the ball before turning and driving.
In essence, Forrest in his current form is a nightmare to play against. He could come up against one of his toughest opponents so far this campaign on Wednesday night when he faces St Johnstone's Luke Robinson again. He was kept quiet in the last meeting between the sides at Tynecastle. But the Hearts forward is in a better place. More confident, more consistent and playing a more crucial role in Heart of Midlothian's surge towards Europe.
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