Let's face it, the whole thing was a sham.
Frankie McAvoy as head coach and Steven Naismith as technical director at Hearts was designed to satisfy UEFA rules over Naisy not having his badges and everybody knows it. So it was no surprise within a week of being knocked out of Europe, the Jambos announced Naisy is back as head coach with Frankie as his No.2.
I’m sure that on the training ground throughout the European stint, Naisy would still have been calling the shots, so on the face of it you’d think nothing will really change. But the reality is very different. That period was unsettling. Amateurish, even. Remember the interview they both did with Frankie claiming he had the final say on team matters, while Steven stood beside him looking so uncomfortable? It was cringey and didn’t cast Hearts in a good light. Made them figures of fun in some quarters and that kind of thing can seep into the dressing room and get into players’ heads.
And let’s be honest here – the results on the pitch have been nowhere near good enough. The Thursday-Sunday-Thursday routine has seen players look leggy and lethargic and confidence has taken a battering.
Losing both legs against PAOK can happen and they were unlucky in the Tynecastle clash. But losing at Dundee and at home to Motherwell is a different matter. Those are the results that drain the belief of players and fans alike. That’s why the international break has come at a great time for my former club. Everyone can take a deep breath, sort out their heads and Naisy can draw a line under everything that has happened so far and tell his players that the season starts now.
He’ll have time to work with the new signings on the training ground to get them properly settled in as it has been a whirlwind with so many games and so much travelling.
Now they can find their feet a little and prepare for what is going to be another critical phase of the season and one that can either repair some of the earlier damage – which has to be the aim – or turn a drama into a full scale crisis.
A month from now on October 7, Hibs will travel across the city to Tynecastle and by then, Hearts will have played four games that will determine whether the mood music has changed.
All of them are tough. All of them could go either way. But it’s Naisy’s job to make sure they go Hearts’ way. First up will be Aberdeen, another team who have found the combination of European and domestic football hard to handle and who will arrive at Tynie every bit as desperate as Hearts are for the points.
Then Hearts have three away games in a week, the League Cup quarter-final at Kilmarnock sandwiched between trips to Paisley and Dingwall.
The league is the bread and butter but that cup tie at Rugby Park is crucial. Hearts have to be reaching semi-finals and finals. Their fans expect that and are right to do so. They’re the third biggest club in the country and with that comes expectation and responsibility.
Killie have given them a lot of problems over the last few years, and with victories over Rangers and Celtic on their pitch already this season, they’ll be confident. But Naismith will have to find a way to win, just as he needs to get results against the Dons, St Mirren and Ross County before Hibs come calling. It won’t be easy but it can be done.
There are good players in that Hearts dressing room. They just need to get back playing with a bit of freedom and flair and at the top end of the pitch there are always goals in Lawrence Shankland and Liam Boyce. Defensively, they need to be stronger. Working on that will be a priority during the break.
Naismith’s in charge. The players have that clarity and there are no excuses now. It’s time for everybody to step up to the plate and show they can handle the heat of being at a club of Hearts’ stature.
