Hearts players back for Motherwell as Liam Fox talks mindset: 'You can take the huff or roll your sleeves up'

Interim Hearts head coach Liam Fox wants players fully motivated for Motherwell’s visit to Tynecastle Park on Saturday. Midfielder Cammy Devlin is available again, while defender Jamie McCart has rejoined training ahead of the game. Fox is seeking a result after overseeing last week’s 3-1 victory at Ross County following Neil Critchley’s sacking.

"Cammy Devlin is back in and available. He has trained well this week,” explained Fox at Riccarton. “Jamie McCart is still going to be missing. He was back out on the grass doing a wee bit this morning, which is positive for him. Zander Clark has joined back in the last couple of days, but this weekend might just come a wee bit early for him. So, plenty of things to think on, plenty to mull over and think about.”

While Hearts pursue the Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes to fill their head coach vacancy, Fox will continue in charge of the team until told otherwise. “I'll always back managers and coaches and say they deserve time and they should always get more time. But, again, it’s the nature, and I don't think it's just Scottish football. I think it's just probably worldwide football now that you have to make an impact and you have to make an impact quick or the pressure and the expectation can come on quickly. I always think managers and coaches should get more time, but I'm probably a bit biased.

“For this week, Every game is different. Every game has got different challenges, different things to think about. They'll pose us different problems as well. They've had a couple of good results as well, so they're coming in with a good bit of form. So, there's no doubt and it's going to be a difficult game. But it's one we're looking forward to.”

Fox has coached at Hearts in various roles for years and knows the club well as a childhood supporter. He understands what the new incumbent will face when he arrives. When asked what a good Hearts manager must do, he replied simply: “Well, they need to win games of football first and foremost. I know that sounds really simple. But it's not for me to sit here and decide and tell you what a hearts manager is. The club are going through a process. They'll pick the right person that they think has the qualities that they need to lead the football club.

“What I can say is it's a brilliant job. It's a brilliant football club, brilliant set of supporters, some really good staff members in and around the building. They've got brilliant facilities here. It's a brilliant job for whoever gets it. I think you can manage in different ways. Everybody's different and everybody has their own way of doing it. But again, I think that will be up to the club to pick the right person that they feel they need at this point in time.”

Premiership bottom six but plenty motivation for Hearts players

Fox got a response in Dingwall last weekend, with two goals from Lawrence Shankland and one from Alan Forrest, and is aiming for a repeat this week. “Again, everybody's different. I'm just going to be how I see it and how I feel it and how I would like to work. I'm only going off my personal experience. Also, it's difficult when you get these interim jobs. It's usually off the back of some sort of turmoil, some sort of manager losing their job, a poor run of results,” he admitted.

“From my point of view, it's purely just giving them a wee bit of structure, a wee bit of clarity, just trying to simplify things as much as I can for them and then effectively just putting players on the pitch in positions that they're most comfortable with.”

Hearts are resigned to a bottom-six Premiership finish but players are now player to impressing the incoming manager. “Yes, I think that's probably true. What I would say is, I think in an ideal world, you want players to be like that every single day and wanting to impress every day, to improve, to get better. But we're all human. So, yes, there's definitely an element of that. They're probably aware that the new guy or whoever comes in is watching and will be aware and will look back. So, every opportunity when you play for this football club is a chance to impress people.

“Again, we're not getting away from this being a disappointing season. I've said that a number of times now. I think the players have acknowledged that. Everybody's acknowledging that. There's no hiding away from that. So, we're hoping that come Saturday, we can hopefully play some attractive football and play some entertaining football. But, as always, we're playing against a very good team and a manager that's new to the league, which poses different challenges.

"You can't just turn up and expect to win a game of football at any level. So, we know that we're going to earn the right to do that. If we do that, and we hopefully build on the confidence that we got from Ross County away, then it gives us a good chance. But, again, you can never promise that.”

What makes a good football manager?

Fox played for Livingston, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers after leaving Hearts as a youth player in 2004. Managers back then had some different attributes. “The game's changed since I was a player,” he smiled. “They were a wee bit more aggressive and a bit more front-foot. So, the dynamic has totally changed. For me, players just like clarity. They just want to know where they stand. They like people to look them in the eye and tell them where they are and just be open and upfront and honest. And, I think, you've always got a choice as a player.

“You can take the huff or you can roll your sleeves up and try and prove people wrong if there's a bit of doubt there. But, I just think honesty and clarity, for me, is what I respected back then. But, again, I can't comment for what I'm looking for at the moment.”

The abrupt nature of managers 20 years ago is something which is gradually disappearing from football. “Yeah, it was probably a wee bit more common back when I played,” recalled Fox. “It was probably more of a culture of: 'They say jump, you say how high.' But it's changed now. The world has changed. Players have changed. How they learn, how they take information has changed. There's so many different ways that you can do it now.

“I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all. I think you need to be adaptable now. I think you need to be able to do methods. There's so much video. There's also so much scrutiny now. So, it's just finding what works for that group of players. That can take a wee bit of time but you've also got to stick to what you believe in and what you think is going to work.”

Barrie McKay’s Hearts situation - and Kenneth Vargas’ return

Fox recalled Barrie McKay last week and named him among the Hearts substitutes in Dingwall. The winger’s previous appearance was on 28 November, after which he fell out of favour under Critchley. “What I will say, we have such a large squad here at the moment. So, even on Saturday there, we had a couple injured and had to leave four out from the travelling party,” explained Fox.

“That's just the situation we're in. I can understand why we've got so many players. We're obviously in Europe early in the season, so we need to have a bigger group. From Barrie's point of view, I just thought the way that he trained last week was really good. There's just no doubting Barrie's quality on his day. I just felt, having not scored consistently, over a period, he might just give you something a wee bit different.

“Like I said to the players last week, there's a clean slate this week. So, it's up to you to go and impress and train properly. Barrie did that, and he caught my eye. We're going to have difficult decisions again this week to leave players out. We've got a couple of players back from injury as well. So I say to them all the time: 'Don't miss an opportunity. Don't make it easy for me to leave you out of the matchday squad.’

“I think Barrie has been around the block, and he's of an age where he's had different experiences. So, how you handle those moments is down to the individual. All I can say is, from the period that I've been in this interim charge, Barrie has actually been really good, and his quality's never been down.”

Kenneth Vargas returned to the starting line-up and produced an assist for Shankland’s second goal. “I brought Kenny back in simply because I just felt we needed a bit more speed and a bit more width in the team last weekend,” said Fox. “Al [Forrest] and Kenny both filled that profile. That might be different this weekend because Motherwell pose different threats in different areas. We would like to try and get at them. Kenny has talent. He has some really good attributes. Ultimately, it'll be Kenny that decides that and how he performs and trains and plays over the next period.”

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