Paying the consequences for a poor run of results is the head coach.
Following their 2-1 loss to St. Mirren on Saturday, which dropped them to the basement of the Premiership, Hearts fired Steven Naismith. Naismith lost his job after eight straight losses barely four months after leading Hearts to third place and European league football.
In the midst of yet another poor Hearts defence, the Tynecastle board watched the reverse in Paisley as Richard Taylor and Toyosi Olusanya scored. At one point in the second half, fans turned on Naismith, and after 17 months in charge, those in charge have finally fired him.
Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy, the assistant coaches, have both left. Just last month, the contracts for all three of them at Gorgie were extended until 2026. But the directors have determined that in order to address the on-field problem, change is required.
“Heart of Midlothian Football Club has parted company with head coach Steven Naismith and his assistants Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy,” according to a statement released by Tynecastle Park. After serving as Hearts’ management group for 17 months in the Tynecastle dugout, Steven, Gordon, and Frankie depart the team.
The chief executive officer of the club clarified that the decision was made because “things are not working.” “First of all, I want to express my gratitude to Gordon, Frankie, and Steven for all of their hard work over the last nine months. We wouldn’t have experienced the triumphs of the previous season without their unceasing efforts in their roles, McKinlay told the Hearts website.
But things can change quickly, especially in sports, and it’s obvious to everyone that this season’s setup isn’t working. Performances and results have not lived up to this football club’s expectations, and sadly, there is little sign that things will get better.
“We cannot afford to remain stagnant as our UEFA Conference League campaign approaches and the attention turns to our league standing. For this reason, the board of directors has decided to split ways with the management team, and we sincerely thank and wish them well.
“We will provide supporters with an update soon regarding the short- and long-term next steps, but at this time, the club will not be making any further comments.”
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