Steven Naismith names Hearts mentality challenge awaiting next manager as he admits own failing this season
The former Hearts head coach has also admitted an error he made at the start of the season before being sacked.
Steven Naismith after Hearts sacked Neil Critchley - as he admitted one element of this season he got wrong.
The former forward guided the Tynecastle club to the Conference League’s new league phase with a third place Premiership finish last term. A poor start to the campaign had him sacked in the Autumn but his successor has lasted just six months, sacked following last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Dundee.
Hearts missed out on the top six and defeat to the Dark Blues has them five points above this weekend’s opponents, Ross County, who occupy the relegation play-off spot of 11th.
Steven Naismith verdict on next Hearts manager chase
He said while on the Warm Up: “When the manager has come in there has been a bit of a bounce. For me, it’s the big moments. All season it’s not happened, even go back to the first game of the season (vs Rangers), performance was good but you don’t get the win. We go on a bad run, the manager comes in, not getting through in Europe when you could have. Then everybody starts going on about the big games. When you don’t hit those markers it becomes difficult.
“That Motherwell game was a big game and how passive the game was. That’s a mentality thing for me. Mentality’s a big part of it for Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen. The pressure and demand at the club is higher than what a lot of the players can deal with. You are expected to go everywhere and win. When teams accept they are going to get a draw playing at Tynecastle, Pittodrie or Easter Road, these players need to break that down and that is where the failure comes from.
“The analytics are a tool, no matter who the manager is they are going to fit into this analytics in some form. They need a short term that gets everyone back together. It is going to take time. People get excited about any change, it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s making progress but with where fans are at just now, they need somebody to get fans back onside. The expectation is third and later stages of cups with trying to get Europe.”
The Hearts mistake made by former head coach
Harking back to last summer’s transfer window he had a hand in, Naismith admits a striker is something he should have brought in to help out talisman Lawrence Shankland. But there were reasons in the moment why one was not swooped for. He added: “Ideally, we would have got a striker in the summer, but I was never going to just sign a striker and this is probably something for me to learn, ‘I need to get somebody’, toss of a coin whether it will be a good one or a bad one, I wasn’t willing to do that and maybe sacrifice in the January if we get a better option, and that’s where me personally?
“I’ve made a mistake. I was looking at it longer term, but ultimately results are going to dictate. It has been really disappointing. From where you are a year ago, finishing third, Europe, you sign your pre-contracts and everyone thinks you will progress. It doesn’t work out that way.”