Hearts hero fumes at board for 'hanging Steven Naismith out to dry' and names preferred next manager
Hearts hero Ryan Stevenson has been left furious at the board's recent handling of the club.
It was announced yesterday that Steven Naismith had been relieved of his head coach duties after a miserable start to the season leaves them rock bottom of the table. A loss to St Mirren was the latest poor result - an eighth straight defeat and ninth without a win this campaign.
It is far from good enough for a club with lofty expectations and ambitions and few could argue it was heading that way for the manager's future. But Stevenson reckons it is the boardroom incumbents who need to take responsibility for the way things have been going and says they hung Naismith out to dry.
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He told the Daily Record: "So Hearts CEO Andrew McKinlay reckons the club had to sack Stevie Naismith because they 'cannot afford to stand still'. That’s rich considering it’s the board who are responsible for this team going MASSIVELY backwards. They’ve got some cheek laying the blame at a manager’s door. I mean it’s only 44 DAYS since they handed Steven, his assistant Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy new three-year deals! Forty four!
"McKinlay came out at that point and said it was the board’s 'belief that they can continue to take the team on an upwards trajectory'. Well that’s some show of faith! Six weeks later and they’re out on their a***!
"Listen, I’m not denying that Naisy had to go. It’s eight straight defeats and one win in 15 if you go back to the end of last season. Any manager will struggle to survive that run of form. But Naisy has been pointing out the weaknesses in this squad for months while somehow overcoming those shortcomings to steer the club to a third place finish which now looks all the more remarkable given this season’s start.
"I have been making this same calls in this column all year and so too have the supporters. The only ones who refused to listen were the directors. That’s the only conclusion you can draw when you consider the Tynecastle top brass have allowed the club to go through two windows without properly addressing the huge need for extra firepower.
"The club didn’t just require another striker to share the goalscoring burden with Lawrence Shankland this summer, it probably needed two. Yet they’ve done pretty much nothing to solve that issue and help reduce the unbearable pressure levels poor Lawrence must be feeling have to single-handedly drag this team along with his goals."
Hearts will use soon-to-be investor Tony Bloom's analytics firm in the search for a new boss in the hope their algorithm can turn up a gem. But Stevenson would look closer to home for a candidate who has proven his worth in the Premiership
He added: "If you ask me, I’d go for Derek McInnes. He showed at Aberdeen what he’s capable of and is doing a terrific job at Kilmarnock. I’m sure there will be plenty of other applicants too as Hearts remain a huge club.
"However, do I trust this board to make the right call? No chance. But why don’t you ask me again in 44 days’ time…"