In defence of Raskin

There’s been a few takes doing the rounds that I just can’t get on board with. Raskin isn’t merely a stop-gap defensive mid; he brings technical quality and a forward-thinking pass that some of the others lack. To say he’s inferior to Jack, Lundstrum or Engels doesn’t stack up for me.

More than a defensive midfielder

To be fair, Jack was excellent in the pure defensive role. He reads the game and breaks things up well. But that’s not the whole picture. Raskin can do that job but also has a bit more in his locker when it comes to ball control and trying to move us forward. You can see him looking for progressive passes rather than just recycling possession sideways. That difference matters in how we build attacks.

Where the others fall short

Lundstrum did alright at times, but for me there were moments when he became too safe with the ball and handed possession back to the opposition with sideways passes. Engels? Big, useful in the air, but that’s about as far as his edge goes in my view. Taller, yes — but not necessarily the finer technical touch or creative option Raskin gives us.

Why the replacement worries me

I’ll be honest, if Cammy Devlin is being touted as a direct replacement for Raskin I’d be uneasy. He’s a combative type, puts himself about, but there’s a difference between graft and the specific skillset we get from Raskin. There were suggestions he wasn’t even among Hearts’ best last season; fans did point to Baningime and the young Birmingham lad as better performers in that midfield. If Raskin goes, I’d prefer a like-for-like technically capable option rather than just a body who works hard.

Personally I wouldn’t be surprised if Raskin stays. If he leaves I wish him well — he’s good enough for us and deserves credit for offering more than the narrow label of ‘defensive mid’. Truth is, we’ve got gaps elsewhere in the squad, and losing that bit of technical quality would hurt.

Written by zikos: 4 August 2026