Hearts v Hibs ticket sales and form lines reinforce story of capital clubs going in different directions

Reedijk’s Beveren side had just won the second tier of Belgian football with an incredible 28 wins, four draws and zero defeats. In the Jupiler League, Vrancken’s impressive St Truiden finished third to secure European qualification. Both managers’ stock was high.

And both men, within days of respective glory, walked away from their positions. Vrancken was swiftly identified by Hearts’ Jamestown Analytics group as the man to replace Derek McInnes, while Hibs needed just over a week to confirm Reedijk as David Gray’s successor after parting company with the club legend last month.

A little delayed, but Vrancken and Reedijk will finally come head-to-head - and it is a fine stage, an Edinburgh derby in the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday afternoon.

This will be Reedijk’s first taste of the fixture. Vrancken guided Hearts to a 3-1 win over Hibs at Easter Road in early September and while the Gorgie outfit have not taken the Premiership by storm like last year, they are only eight points behind Celtic in third place.

They are far better off than Hibs, who trail the Jambos by 12 points and are only off the foot of the league by virtue of goal difference.

Reedijk has yet to taste victory as Hibs manager and Wednesday’s 1-1 draw away at St Mirren stopped the rot of three opening defeats under his watch. The 35-year-old Dutchman ultimately merits more time to instil his methods and practices upon this Hibs squad, but he has been dealt a rough hand by landing such a high-stakes fixtures so early in his tenure.

Vrancken, 12 years his senior, also endured a rocky start to his time at Hearts, but steadily his team has grown. Winning the first derby in Leith definitely helped. His side play attractive, brave, front-foot football and score lots of goals. They concede them as well, but most Hearts fans are enjoying the entertainment being served up by a group of players who are always looking to score.

Reedijk is striving for the same outcome at Hibs. The Scotsman understands that his work at Beveren worked its way into Jamestown’s algorithm when searching for McInnes’ replacement, but he never made the final cut. He has a reputation as a coach to watch in Europe, which is why Hibs were so keen to speak to him and then bring him in. But unlike at Hearts, the landscape is less fertile at Easter Road.

Hibs show their fragility

A team already regressing under Gray, Hibs have struggled with confidence and an ability to quickly take on the different, attack-minded approach of Reedijk. There have been glimpses of strong forward play, but defensively Hibs are fragile. Reedijk is yet to keep a clean sheet in his four matches and after taking a 78th-minute lead in Paisley during the week, they wilted a few minutes later.

Hibs qualified for Europe in the past two seasons but on current evidence, they have a relegation scrap on their hands. And they are far, far away from where Hearts are operating right now.

It is why many Hibs fans will head across the M8 on Sunday with a degree of trepidation. Notwithstanding the current form lines, history does not favour Hibs when it comes to facing Hearts at Hampden. They have never defeated their capital rivals at the national stadium and suffered one of their darkest days in 2012 when losing the Scottish Cup final 5-1 to the Jambos.

Hearts have plenty of Hampden heroes in this fixture: Rudi Skacel in the aforementioned final, a Paul Hartley hat-trick in a 2006 clash, a Liam Boyce penalty during Covid or most recently, a quite wonderful free-kick from Stephen Kingsley four years ago when Hearts prevailed 2-1.

Kingsley is likely to be part of the Hearts team this time around. They know they have the whip hand over Hibs, having won four of the past five derbies.

For all the plaudits Hearts got last season, their cup performances were a disappointment. They exited the Premier Sports Cup in the last 16 against St Mirren and fell at the first hurdle in the Scottish Cup against Falkirk. Not being involved may have assisted their title challenge, but Hearts are a club desperate for silverware - especially the League Cup, which they haven’t won since 1962. Since then, Hibs have snared it three times.

Fighting on three fronts and with a growing injury list, Vrancken will hope that fatigue does not catch up on his players. They looked tired at the end of Wednesday’s 2-2 draw against Rangers, conceding late on. They have played some big matches recently - Rangers, Trabzonspor and Celtic - and head to Switzerland next week to face Thun. This little spell of fixtures will set the tone for the rest of the year.

For Hibs, this match could be the mother of all catalysts, the rocket-fuel Reedijk requires to get his Hibs tenure up and running. Everyone at the club needs a boost. More and more supporters are turning on their hierarchy, in particular sporting director Malky Mackay, with dissenters unimpressed with last summer’s recruitment. Goals are a problem, with Hibs malnourished in the final third. Reedijk’s controversial decision to throw ageing centre-half Grant Hanley on as an emergency striker against Celtic recently told a story.

Hearts do not have that problem. Be it Claudio Braga, who is rediscovering his form, or Josh McPake, or Calvin Miller, they have multiple threats. Hibs will have to go some to keep them quiet. It is why Vrancken’s side are odds-on favourites to progress.

The ticket sales are also a barometer of optimism: Hearts have sold out their 23,500 allocation; Hibs still have 5,000 briefs to shift.

It may not be the top flight of Belgian football. In fact, the stage is grander, far grander than your normal Hearts v Hibs clash. Vrancken and Reedijk’s first meeting will have major ramifications for each coach and their respective clubs.

Get our daily football newsletter by clicking here