'The Hearts board have crumbled': Former captain blasts Tynecastle hierarchy over Robbie Neilson sacking

Former Hearts captain Michael Stewart has accused the club of ‘crumbling under pressure’ with the decision to sack head coach Robbie Neilson.

The BBC pundit believes the biggest driving factor in the removal of the manager was supporter pressure as he took aim at those within the Tynecastle fanbase who’ve never fully backed Neilson during his time in charge.

The ex-Hearts manager was relieved of his duties early on Sunday evening after the 2-0 loss to St Mirren made it five consecutive defeats on the bounce. It was a result which saw them slip from third place in the table for the first time in 2023.

Stewart believes his old team-mate had enough credit in the bank with what he’s achieved as Hearts boss to be allowed more time to turn things around.

Robbie Neilson and Michael Stewart during their playing days at Hearts. Picture: SNS

He told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast: "I didn’t think the board were inclined to push the panic button, but that’s certainly what they’ve done. It’s fan pressure which has made them do it. It’s as simple as that.

“A section of the support have voiced their discontent and the board have buckled. They’ve crumbled under pressure.

“If you objectively look at the world of football and the kind of results that end up with a manager losing his job, I think what Robbie had done for the club should have led to some credit in the bank.

"Seven games out from the end of the season, I thought you would have had a situation where he would stay in his position until the end and then an assessment made then. Especially when you consider the length of time it’s taken the club to make these sorts of decisions in the past when it was quite clearly terrible results under people who didn’t have the club in third place, who hadn’t won a Championship title.

"Both occasions when he came in he inherited a squad that was decimated and low. He turned it round pretty quickly.

"I don’t think it’s purely on results. It’s down to fan pressure. A section of the support have never been big Robbie Neilson supporters and they’ve got what they wanted here. The next time these supporters complain about loyalty when a player moves on to another club the irony will not be lost on me.”

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