Hearts manager Steven Naismith fans flames in ongoing row with officials after Rangers defeat

Hearts manager Steven Naismith has fanned the flames in his ongoing row with officials, claiming that assurances he was given at the beginning of the season have been undermined by recent events at Ibrox.

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith.

The Jambos boss was livid after Rangers were awarded a late penalty at Ibrox on Sunday. Trailing the Gorgie men 1-0 at the time, the converted spot-kick sparked a comeback for the home side and cost the capital outfit a share of the spoils Afterwards, Naismith claimed Peter Haring was blocked by John Lundstram before pulling Connor Goldson’s shirt and that VAR ought to have spotted it. While former officials and pundits question the timeline, claiming the short pull came first, invalidating any later infringement and legitimising the penalty, Naismith refuses to back down.

“I’m going off the meetings we had at the start of the season with the referees in terms of what happens with blocking and what happens in the box with an infringement that causes something,” said Naismith. “It doesn’t change what I think but there’s no point going on about it now. It’s not going to change. In the past it doesn’t seem to have changed things. I’m sure we’ll be sitting here talking about it in a month or two with regards to something else.

“I understand how it all happens in games. The phase of blocking someone or doing x, y and z at a corner happens. I highlighted it in the meeting with the referees at the start of the season, with an example of a goal we lost. I said if these types of things happen what is the outcome. I was told that VAR will look at it and VAR will check it. It didn’t happen, as simple as that. You see it more and more now, so is it worth going on about it because it doesn’t change anything.”

Adding that if any change to the VAR rules was to happen, it would be at the winter break or the summer ahead of next season, he added that while suggestions about adding ex-pros to the VAR department, and micing up officials to allow greater transparency might help, no option was foolproof.

“My opinion on a foul on a forward is different to a defender because I was a forward and I know what the contact is like and they know what the tackle is like,” continued Naismith. “But it’s the inconsistency of week to week [that frustrates]. We’re seeing the same things all the time. Similar instances and months later the decisions on the pitch are different. That’s the problem.

“I think you can look at other sports like rugby and you’ve got to use everything. The bottom line is make the right decision and who cares who makes it - whether it’s a fourth official, an assistant or the ref or VAR. Get the right decision and move on. I think it would help [if decisions were explained at the time]. It gives people an understanding. Referees get battered after every game, like players and coaches. They get battered by social media because people don’t understand. But if they’ve heard [the reason] what they thought might be the same as the ref. I think it would help.”