Steven Naismith: Hearts interim boss says third ‘not be-all and end-all’ | Robert Snodgrass exit ‘makes things easier’ | Football News
Hearts interim boss Steven Naismith insists securing third place in the Scottish Premiership is not the “be-all and end-all” for the club.
The former Tynecastle forward has taken charge until the summer after Robbie Neilson was sacked following their 2-0 defeat by St Mirren.
Hearts have now lost their last five league matches and have slipped to fourth in the table ahead of Saturday’s Edinburgh derby against Hibernian.
“You’re coming up against the hardest fixtures of the season,” Naismith said.
“[Finishing third] would be nice but that is not the be-all and end-all. Because of the performances over the last two months, you’re going from one extreme to the other.
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Highlights of the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and St Mirren.
“The club have made the change to try and get a reaction. I firmly believe we will from what I’ve seen so far.
“But time will tell. The game on Saturday will tell, next Saturday will tell and that’s where the results will come from.
“I can guarantee we will not leave anything to chance come Saturday and every game that comes.
“The prep will have been done properly. Whether we win the games or not, there’s more to them than just the result for me.
Naismith believes they can learn from Celtic and Ange Postecoglou
“The long-term goal for the club has to be bringing more youth players through and playing a certain way in terms of exciting attacking football but that takes time and it’s the only way the club can grow.
“The best example of that is Celtic. Celtic went from appointing a new manager, to him being criticised massively but sticking to what he believed and now they’ve just massively grown. That tells you it takes time.
“I think we can get an instant reaction but it’s not going to be perfect.”
Snodgrass exit ‘makes things easier’
Robert Snodgrass joined Hearts last September on a one-year deal
Naismith’s first major decision as Hearts manager was telling former Scotland team-mate Robert Snodgrass his Tynecastle career was up.
The 35-year-old midfielder is set to finalise an immediate departure days after getting sent off in Robbie Neilson’s final game.
“Snoddy is not going to be involved,” he added.
“That part of it is ongoing. Obviously there’s a suspension there and I’ve had a chat with him and the decision has been made.
“I felt it was best if he wasn’t around for that. For no other reason that it makes everything easier for me.
“Snoddy was really disappointed. It’s hard for me as someone who is his friend, has been his teammate and had a long-lasting relationship with him, to have that conversation with him and see how disappointed he was.
“But Snoddy’s got really good attributes. He’s been a fantastic player from when I was his teammate and I’ve only got good things to say about him, but the decision was made.”
Boyd: Naismith has to deliver
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Were Hearts right to sack Robbie Neilson? Could Steven Naismith get the job long-term? Is the Edinburgh derby bigger for Hibs boss Lee Johnson? How well has Barry Robson done at Aberdeen? Kris Boyd on the race for third and more…
Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd believes Naismith needs to make an instant impact with the fans demanding a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.
“It is a great opportunity for Steven Naismith but there is a lot of pressure on him to deliver.
“He has been coaching with Scotland with Steve Clarke and you will always learn from a manager like that.
“There is no doubt it is a big step up and there is a huge challenge ahead for Hearts.
“You only have to look at the reaction of the fans in recent weeks and the spray paint outside Tynecastle Park, you can see there is a lot of built-up frustration and he is going to have to get results.
“The fans will demand third place as they were 10 points clear a few weeks ago and now they find themselves behind Aberdeen and struggling to hold onto fourth place.”
Scottish Premiership & SWPL on Sky Sports
Sky Sports will broadcast the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Women’s Premier League
Sky Sports – This season up to 48 cinch Premiership games will be available across Sky Sports’ flagship channels, including Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, plus at least five SWPL matches. From 2024/25, up to 60 cinch Premiership will be live on Sky Sports, in addition to the SWPL.
Sky Sports News – Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Scottish football fans can enjoy Sky Sports News’ (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the cinch Premiership and SWPL throughout the season.
Sky Sports Digital – Follow all the latest from Scottish football across skysports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage, in-game clips from matches live on Sky Sports and free highlights.
Sky Sports Social – Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports’ main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @ScotlandSky will continue to be the home of all Scottish football content on Sky Sports.
Highlights show – Tune in for a dedicated round-up from the cinch Premiership every week on Sky Sports Football.
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