Gary Mackay: Patient signing policy paying dividends for Hearts

That proved extremely costly, both on the football park and financially, under previous managers. Thankfully, there seems to be a more measured approach taken this summer and so far it looks to be a worthwhile change of tack.

Some players will respond to joining a football club like Hearts, others will find it more difficult. Up to now we seem to have been careful and considerate with our recruitment.

I like Alex Cochrane in the left wing-back role. He looks a decent acquisition from Brighton and Hove Albion. Ben Woodburn from Liverpool is young and hasn’t played a huge amount of first-team football so this will be a big chance for him if his loan goes through.

It’s important we continue to bring the right types of players in but regardless of the individuals, the bottom line is the team ethic. You judge that team ethic at 5pm on Sunday when you see if we have managed to pick up three points against a strong-looking Aberdeen team that is likely to be challenging in the top three or four.

In Hearts teams I played in, and also in Jim McLean’s Dundee United teams, players were well rewarded for winning games. The way payment was structured under Wallace Mercer was that you had a decent basic salary, but if you were winning derbies and beating the Old Firm then your wage got a huge bonus on top.

That’s what you have to do in Scotland. At a club like Hearts, if you want to challenge, then you need to be beating the Old Firm and you have to beat your local rivals. The rest will take care of itself.

Maybe that’s not how the football club wants to work now. Maybe it’s different. I still believe a decent first-team salary with good bonuses is the right mix. It’s a great incentive when you win and realise afterwards that you are being paid accordingly for your success.

A message from the Editor: Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital sports subscription.