Steven Naismith says there is more work to do at Hearts as he talks relationships and 'fickle' fans

Head coach keen to temper any future setbacks with a pragmatic outlook

Although Hearts can feel confident after four successive Premiership victories, head coach Steven Naismith is stressing there is much more work to be done at Riccarton. He refuses to get carried away ahead of the next three games against Rangers at Tynecastle Park, Aberdeen at Pittodrie and Celtic at Celtic Park.

Supporters reacted warmly to Hearts' 1-0 win at Kilmarnock on Saturday with a rousing reception for players and coaches at full-time. After an inconsistent opening round of league matches, the Edinburgh club are now building momentum and fans recognise the improvement.

They have conceded only one goal in the four recent victories and sit third in the Premiership table as they prepare to meet Rangers. Naismith welcomed the backing from supporters and insisted his team still have plenty to achieve.

"I think there is an appreciation for how hard the players are working," he told the Edinburgh News. "For any fan going on an away day, the main thing is the result. I'm sure a lot of folk will have been sitting on the bus freezing on the way home on Saturday, thinking: 'That was terrible but it's good because we got the points so it's worthwhile.' That's inevitably what they think.

"Football fans, and I class myself in that, are fickle. When things are going well, lots of stuff gets overseen and it's all brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Then you get a couple of bad results and everything is terrible. As somebody who is trying to lead this group and everything at the club, it's about understanding.

"I think we are in a good place but there is so much more to do. Even if we get a setback, it's not the end of the world. I've said before about where the club should be and how we progress. It's about getting to each stage of that rather than looking too far ahead."