Heart of Midlothian fans have had little time to process the season that has just passed. An emotionally draining campaign, where every minute of every game mattered, came to a deflating end, which brought its own emotions.
There was disappointment, frustration and anger at the manner of the final week of the season and key decisions going against Hearts, as well as defiance and pride at what they witnessed across the full campaign.
Statements and rancour then followed and just as everything seemed to calm down, news emerged that the club were set to lose Lawrence Shankland. Their most important player. To Rangers. For free.
Encouragement can be taken from the words of Tony Bloom. The Hearts shareholder, speaking at the end of the season, was in a bullish mood about the future for the club.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The Hearts fans are absolutely fantastic, and we will be back next season with a bang. We want to be competing to win the league every single season that we possibly can," he said.
The coming weeks and months are expected to be busy at Tynecastle Park with a host of incomings and outgoings.
The club already have players lined up and are continuing to work on deals ahead of the return for pre-season at the end of June, while confirmation of those who are leaving following the end of their contracts is expected in the coming days.
With the season over and the transfer window opening next month, we reflect on the Hearts squad and what could unfold...
Goalkeeper
Liam McFarlane (2028), Alexander Schwolow (2027), Zander Clark (2027), Ryan Fulton (2027), Craig Gordon (2026), Harry Stone (2026)
Schwolow is the undisputed No.1. The German was a shrewd addition this past season and provided the defence with a calming influence and plenty of experience.
He could be pushed by the highly rated McFarlane, who impressed on loan at Alloa Athletic last season. The young goalkeeper is viewed highly by both Hearts and Scotland. He will spend time with the national team at the World Cup as a training goalkeeper before joining up with Hearts later this summer.
What may have to be decided in time is if he will benefit more from another loan, even if short-term, before potentially taking over from Schwolow the season after next.
Fulton, who has largely been the third choice, is a popular dressing room figure, while Clark has returned from a loan at Doncaster Rovers but it is difficult to see where he fits in.
As for Gordon, another season wouldn't be out of the question, but it will depend on how he gets on with Scotland this summer, as well as how he is feeling with the nerve issue that has impacted his neck/shoulder.
Full-back
Jordi Altena (2029), Christian Borchgrevink (2028), Adam Forrester (2028), Harry Milne (2027), Stephen Kingsley (2027)
Right-back is likely an area that needs strengthening following the issues this past season. McInnes often opted for two players, Michael Steinwender and Oisin McEntee, whose preferred positions are elsewhere
Borchgrevink, who had been signed when Neil Critchley was still manager, fell down the pecking order and his availability wasn't consistent. He could depart this summer.
As for Altena, he has been viewed by McInnes as more compatible in midfield in the short term, with only six months of experience as a full-back in the Dutch second tier.
When the Hearts head coach spoke to Hearts Standard earlier this year, he noted the long-term plan for the Dutchman is at right-back/wing-back, but he also talked up his qualities in midfield, where he has impressed.
Either way, there will be a key role for Altena going forward.
In an ideal world, Hearts would also have a right-back version of Milne.
The left-back was a revelation last season. Entering the final year of his deal, fans would be keen for him to be tied down to a longer-term contract.
Kingsley demonstrated that he is a valuable squad player. He provides much-needed continuity and an abundance of experience at the club.
Centre-back
Jamie McCart (2029), Stuart Findlay (2028), Craig Halkett (2028), Michael Steinwender (2028), Frankie Kent (2026), Lewis Neilson (2026)
The club are currently well down the road with two centre-back additions and both are right-footed. MJ Kamson-Kamara and Malachi Fagan-Walcott are two younger defenders who have impressed in Northern Ireland and the English lower leagues, respectively.
Fagan-Walcott is viewed as a coup: his data is understood to be very impressive and he has some experience at full-back as well.
On the optimistic scale, Halkett won't be seen until the tail end of the season following his serious Achilles and calf injury.
It could open the door for Steinwender to play in his preferred centre-back role on a regular basis. The Austrian demonstrated why he is viewed highly by many in the club toward the end of the season when playing on the right of a back three or alongside Findlay against Celtic.
Findlay and McCart provide ample left-sided depth.
As for Kent, the 30-year-old is expected to depart after three years at the club, where he proved to be a reliable presence and a popular figure. He was the perfect signing following Halkett's injury a few seasons back.
Midfield
Ageu (2029), Tomas Magnusson (2028), Oisin McEntee (2028), Macaulay Tait (2028), Calem Nieuwenhof (2027), Blair Spittal (2027), Callum Sandilands (2027), Sander Kartum (2027), Cammy Devlin (2026), Beni Baningime (2026)
Let's address the elephants in the room. As things stand, Devlin and Baningime are set to move on when their contracts expire.
Hearts are keen to extend Devlin's deal but there is strong interest from abroad and MLS looks the most likely destination. Chicago Fire are believed to be one of the clubs coveting the player.
If both depart, they would leave a big hole in the middle of the pitch. They have been the club's most recognised midfield partnership across the five years, with more than 300 appearances between them.
It means Hearts will likely look to add at least two to bolster the options in the middle of the pitch. One is all but completed with the addition of Tom Renaud from French outfit Versailles. Links in Germany to Alexander Vogel are believed to be wide of the mark.
Magnusson is expected to play an even bigger role next season, while record signing Ageu should be a prominent figure, despite some recent speculation, when he recovers from a thigh injury.
Nieuwenhof's future is unclear, with the player not having featured competitively since the Premier Sports Cup group stage, while Kartum is another who could be on the way out once his loan in Australia with Wellington Phoenix ends in the coming weeks.
As for two younger members of the squad, Tait will have benefited from a year playing regularly at Livingston, whether that is staking his claim this summer or seeing what options are out there to continue to play regularly, as is most likely.
Sandilands will be part of the first team in pre-season. Homegrown, he had an excellent season on loan at Montrose and provides a goal threat from the middle of the park.
Wingers
Rogers Mato (2029), Josh McPake (2029), Alexandros Kyziridis (2028), Sabah Kerjota (2028), Islam Chesnokov (2028), Finlay Pollock (2027), Yan Dhanda (2027), Alan Forrest (2026)
Hearts, over the course of the season, didn't get enough production from their wingers. In fact, McInnes often had to find solutions and the correct balance on the right side.
It is an area of the pitch that could see movement this summer.
Halfway through the season, interested parties were keeping an eye on Kyziridis. The winger, who has earned his first call-up to the Greece national team, wasn't as productive in the second half of the season as he was in the first, but his quality is no doubt. If concrete interest does not materialise, he will remain a key player for Hearts next season.
McPake will join after a productive year with St Johnstone, while the club continues to move forward with a move for Calvin Miller, who also had a brilliant campaign, starring for Falkirk as they finished in the top six. No player created more goals in the top flight. He is a player who would fall into the 'ready to make an immediate impact' category.
Like Magnusson, Kerjota should have a bigger role next season after impressing when called off the bench. He'll be required to provide the defensive output that Kyziridis has throughout the season.
Mato was originally viewed as a summer addition and should benefit from six months of being around the squad and seeing the demands of Scottish football. Not featuring in the last 11 games and not being on the bench for the final three suggests that he may have to show more before he is deemed ready to make a big impact.
The most interesting case may well be Chesnokov. Hearts fought really hard to bring him to the club but he did not have the impact many hoped and expected in the second half of the season. There is transfer interest in the player which could see him leave six months after arriving.
Pollock is rated by McInnes but he needs to play after an injury-ravaged season. It could be a big summer for the 21-year-old. Forrest, meanwhile, is another who is set to depart after four seasons at Tynecastle Park.
Strikers
Claudio Braga (2028), Landry Kabore (2028), Elton Kabangu (2028), James Wilson (2027)
This is an area that may require the most TLC this summer.
Shankland, the club's top scorer, captain and talisman, has joined Rangers after invoking a break clause in the three-year deal he signed last summer.
Hearts are more than confident of doing just that with the search already well under way to identify targets. They are not only looking at Shankland replacements but further reinforcements to bolster Derek McInnes forward options, including the addition of a big, physical frontman.
Question marks exist over three other forwards. Braga had an unbelievably successful season with 17 goals and a raft of awards, even if he tailed off after the split, having essentially played for 18 months straight.
Fans won't want to lose the Portuguese forward, especially when Shankland departs. That will only happen if Hearts receive a significant offer. That could well be around or more than the club record fee received when Craig Gordon was sold to Sunderland.
Wilson faces an interesting summer. After his game time was limited in the first half of the season, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur on loan and joined their Premier League 2 side before returning once it ended. It is difficult to see the teenager penning a new deal after the past season to extend his stay at Hearts, which could force the club to cash in on him.
In an ideal world, a path would be laid out for him to become a first-team star at Tynecastle with a new contract.
Kabangu's future is likely away from Tynecastle Park. He made just three appearances in the second half of the season and wasn't in the squad for the last eight games.
Conclusion
It is going to be a busy summer.
