Alright then, Wouter Vrancken.
You inherit a club that saw a historic league title slip away in the final 10 minutes of last season. Since then, the captain and talismanic striker have departed, the best midfielder has gone, and there’s been major squad turnover.
Your first competitive task is a Champions League qualifier against seasoned European campaigners Sturm Graz, ending 6-0 on aggregate, followed by conceding twice in stoppage time at Aberdeen to lose your opening league match.
What’s next? Benfica in Europa League qualifying. Easy, right.
The Portuguese giants await on Thursday (20:00 BST), capping a bruising introduction for Hearts’ new Belgian head coach. Hopes of progressing feel slim.
There have been bright spots in each of Vrancken’s three matches, and a win at Pittodrie on Saturday would have been a massive lift.
But the nature of the late collapse has amplified supporters’ fears that the season could unravel before it truly begins.
A trip to Lisbon to face Marco Silva’s Benfica is a glamour tie, yet it also threatens another sobering night in Europe as Vrancken tries to assemble his best XI.
The 38-time Portuguese champions beat Napoli and Real Madrid at home in last season’s Champions League on their way to the knockouts, where Real eliminated them and have since appointed Jose Mourinho.
Benfica’s domestic season has not restarted after they finished third last year, but they saw off Swiss side St Gallen over two legs to reach this stage of Europa League qualifying.
A 2-1 defeat in Switzerland was overturned with a resounding 5-0 win in last Thursday’s second leg, with four of the goals coming from Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis.