BBC Scotland’s chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your questions on Hearts.
Greg asked: Tom, do you think it’s a good thing that the third-place team in the Premiership makes the Conference League group stages in successive years? We’ve seen Hearts struggle in the league, then Aberdeen and now Hearts again. Is it too much of a stretch for Scottish teams to balance the demands of both?
Tom answered: It’s hard. It’s definitely hard. But you’d rather have that challenge than not have it.
You’d rather have European money than not have it. And it’s difficult for managers, sometimes it can cost them their job, that extra stress of competing in Europe without maybe the requisite resources in terms of playing personnel can push you into a cycle.
Domestically, a lot of managers have seen that. It’s been difficult for Kilmarnock this season. Previously it was difficult for Aberdeen, it was difficult for Hearts. It’s tough and the manager doesn’t get any sympathy.
The demand on them to win matches remains the same, but they’ve got all these extra European games to deal with. It’s brilliant for the club, it’s brilliant for the prestige of the club, it’s brilliant for the fans when they get their away trips.
But sometimes it’s not great for the manager because he has to pick up the pieces and get the team on the park on a Thursday and a Sunday. That can be brutally difficult.