Hearts have dismissed head coach Steven Naismith, citing a lack of evidence that he could lift the club out of an eight-game losing streak. Naismith guided Hearts to third place in the Scottish Premiership during his only full season in charge, but he will not be on the sidelines when they kick off their Uefa Conference League group campaign against Dynamo Minsk on October 3. A 2-1 loss to St Mirren on Saturday left Hearts at the bottom of the table with just one point from six matches.
Hearts, who extended Naismith's contract until 2026 last month, have also let go of assistant coaches Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy. Chief executive Andrew McKinlay expressed gratitude for their efforts, acknowledging the successes of the previous season, but noted that the current season's results and performances have fallen short of expectations. With the Conference League campaign starting and the club's league position under scrutiny, McKinlay emphasized the need for change.
Hearts began the season with a goalless draw against Rangers but then suffered defeats to Dundee, Motherwell, Dundee United, Celtic, and St Mirren in the league, Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup, and home and away against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League playoffs. Naismith, speaking after the St Mirren game, seemed to acknowledge the mounting pressure, stating that the board is realistic and makes sensible decisions.
Hearts' next match is against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
