Went to Graz for 5 days in summer 2023. Proper hidden gem of a city, could be an all timer away trip if we are drawn against them.

Looking at their squad Graz look decent but not unstoppable like the caliber within the Turkish teams 

They’ve got a Georgian winger with 15 goals and the next best has 4

We're probably 3 or 4 players away from making an impact in the CL qualifiers.

Assuming we keep Braga and Kizy...2 CD's, an actual fit AM and a RB.

(05-18-2026, 11:58 AM)Groot Wrote: Looking at their squad Graz look decent but not unstoppable like the caliber within the Turkish teams 

They’ve got a Georgian winger with 15 goals and the next best has 4

The problem with these teams like Sturm Graz is you might not recognise many of their players but the level they do play at is still so much higher than us.  The players at these sort of teams are drilled athletes who are tactically very well organised.

We are way more than 3/4 players away from being a threat in the CL qualifiers, it’ll be nice to have these ties but for me even qualifying for the Europa League groups would be an extremely impressive achievement and we’d still be out our depth there.  Mad things can happen in football so it’s not impossible but we are so far off the level of CL football it’s pointless even contemplating imo. As JTA kicks in our level will improve but I do think we need to be patient because already it does feel like some hearts fans are getting carried away with the pace of this project and we have a tendency to demand knee jerk change when our expectations aren’t met.

I think Del will have us set up better to play any team in Europe than we've had for years, that and I don't doubt our recruitment drive will be put into overdrive now so we'll have players in the door ready for it. 

Will be some achievement to get through one round in the champions league but I wouldn't flat out rule us out with the way we're set up now.

(05-18-2026, 01:14 PM)Del-icious Wrote: The problem with these teams like Sturm Graz is you might not recognise many of their players but the level they do play at is still so much higher than us. 

(05-18-2026, 01:20 PM)Sarkozabal Wrote:

You can turn your nose up at it but Scottish footballs record in Europe at every level is abysmal apart from Rangers run to the final.

We don’t stand up to the teams in these leagues, they might not play amazing free flowing football but they are levels above us. That’ll change with JTa but there’s no denying that Scottish football has sunk far behind a lot of these average European leagues.

Did Dundee United not go close to putting Graz out this season?

(05-18-2026, 01:27 PM)Ray Winstone Wrote: Did Dundee United not go close to putting Graz out this season?

Rapid Vienna in the conference league.

We’d get out the conference groups with this squad no bother, not trying to say we wouldn’t stand a chance at any European level or against any European team Champions league is a totally different prospect though and even conference league has teams we’d struggle against.

How have Del's teams done in Europe previously? Presumably, as Scottish football teams, not well, but have there been any unexpected wins? Asking as while I love Del, he does strike me as someone maybe more suited to Scottish than European football.

(05-18-2026, 01:25 PM)Del-icious Wrote: You can turn your nose up at it but Scottish footballs record in Europe at every level is abysmal apart from Rangers run to the final.

We don’t stand up to the teams in these leagues, they might not play amazing free flowing football but they are levels above us.  That’ll change with JTa but there’s no denying that Scottish football has sunk far behind a lot of these average European leagues.

Our equivalent team in the Austrian Bundesliga are levels above us? Mind Andy Irving was scoring for fun out there from midfield.

Sturm Graz lost to Celtic and narrowly beat Russell Martin’s Rangers this season.

I can remember one season with Aberdeen they had a decent run was that under him? 

The Killie ties last season I’m sure they came up against a decent team and ran them close

(05-18-2026, 01:32 PM)Shuto Makino Wrote: How have Del's teams done in Europe previously? Presumably, as Scottish football teams, not well, but have there been any unexpected wins? Asking as while I love Del, he does strike me as someone maybe more suited to Scottish than European football.

Just had a quick look, never made the Europa League but consistently reached the 3rd qualifying round. Took Burnley to extra time in 18/19.

Nothing particularly noteworthy in either direction.

We can't be that worse than the Austrian league surely?

(05-18-2026, 02:11 PM)CritchSmile Wrote: We can't be that worse than the Austrian league surely?

In fairness they’re only just above us in the co efficient so Austrian league maybe not the best example.

Just feel we’re shown up often off these average leagues, they’re usually fit as fuck and can run our teams off the park. I always think back to years ago when bodo glimt played Celtic and at the time they apparently had a comparable budget to hearts but they absolutely schooled them. Fitness was night and day and they were so organised in their shape.

Something you can say for Del’s teams is they do the basics very well which is essentially what I feel these European teams do first and foremost.

Not being funny, but Naismiths band of jokers in comparison to this team should have beaten Viktoria Plzen a couple years ago and the year before we should have beat Zurich as well. A lot of these teams are on a par with us quality wise, they're just generally more clinical/Street wise because of their experience. 

Having Del, and a better squad, will make a massive difference.

https://twitter.com/footrankings/status/...03464?s=46

Conference League next season

https://twitter.com/footrankings/status/...21041?s=46

Have some faith - we are projected into the Europa

Think we’d put in a good account of ourselves in either tbh

Going to fun reading all the chatter about Hearts and Brighton being in the same competition