Steven Naismith SACKED by Hearts as board act after horrendous start to season
Steven Naismith has been sacked by Hearts after a disastrous start to the season.
The 38-year-old has been under immense pressure amid a horrible winless run and yesterday's defeat to St Mirren proved to be the final straw. That made it a fifth Premiership loss in a row and eight in all competitions after exits from the Premier Sports Cup at the hands of Championship Falkirk and the Europa League to Viktoria Plzen.
The Jambos sit bottom of the Premiership and with no sign of performances or results picking up, the Tynecastle board have finally decided to act. Next up is Ross County at home and there has been no mention at this stage of who will be taking the team.
The former Scotland striker overcame a similar sticky patch a year ago to lead the side to a comfortable third placed finish after a superb run of form. But things have been dismal so far this season and with a Conference League campaign to come, it will be tough to turn things around domestically. Coaches Frankie McAvoy and Gordon Forrest follow Naismith out the door.
The club made the announcement early this afternoon and CEO Andrew McKinlay said: “I’d like to firstly thank Steven, Gordon and Frankie for all their efforts over the past year and a half. They worked tirelessly in their roles and without them we would not have enjoyed the successes of last season.
“However, things can change quickly, particularly in football, and it has been clear for all to see that things are not working this season. Results and performances have fallen below the standards expected at this football club and, unfortunately, there is little evidence of any potential upturn in fortunes.
"With our UEFA Conference League campaign about to commence, and the spotlight on our league position, we cannot afford to stand still. That is why we, as a Board of Directors, have made the difficult decision to part ways with the management team, who go with our thanks and best wishes.
"We will update supporters shortly about next steps in both the short and long term but for now, the club shall be making no further comment at this time.”