Where Hearts have been lacking most this season and what Steven Naismith is doing to address it

It’s just as well Steven Naismith stood down as Scotland coach last summer. The mood at Hearts is already fractious enough without the manager disappearing for eight days at such a critical time.

Wisely, Naismith knew his responsibilities in Gorgie could not possibly sit in tandem with those of the national team. Although he knew the decision meant he could well be forsaking the chance to work at a major finals, he alerted Steve Clarke last summer, following his appointment as manager, or more accurately technical director, that it had to be all about Hearts.  

The club drew the benefit. Although he had to overcome some rocky times, Naismith led the team to third with a degree of comfort, an achievement helped - some might say sparked - by a 2-0 win against Celtic at Parkhead in December that certainly helped douse rising criticism. 

It came two days after an at-times stormy agm, with Naismith's absence from the proceedings noted by one shareholder. "He's on the training pitch," protested CEO Andrew McKinlay not unreasonably. "You'd be complaining if he wasn't!"

It's where Naismith could be found this week too as he continues working through this tough period with his players. It's where he was last week along with his players, or at least those not on international duty. 

It's where he believes the seeds of a revival have been sown as Hearts prepare to head to Celtic Park again this afternoon still looking for their first win of the season. 

If feels like a long time since the players slouched off the park after a 1-0 defeat against Dundee United with the jeers of their own fans ringing in their ears at Tynecastle.

Rather than sit and stew, Naismith, who has just passed the first anniversary of being made permanent manager, or head coach as it was officially described, has been proactive. 

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith during a Heart of Midlothian training session at Oriam, on September 13, 2024, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group

An interesting Conference League group stage draw, involving trips to Copenhagen, Bruges and, first off, Baku, where Hearts play displaced Belarusian side Dinamo Minsk, handed everyone a boost, as has the return to fitness of Beni Baningime. The midfielder could make his first appearance of the season this afternoon.

“I think the international break’s come at a good time for us,” said Naismith. “International breaks are probably more valuable when you're in a bad run because you can have a bit of a reset and have a real focus on the areas you want, whereas when you're in a good run, you want the games to keep coming.

“Hopefully we've used that well and over the next month we can see that we've worked in the areas that we feel have not been good enough at the start of the season.”

He was more specific about the areas in question later in the conversation. Asked where their team haven't been good enough this season, Hearts fans might find it difficult to resist replying somewhat sardonically: well, there’s defence, midfield and attack for starters. 

Naismith and his coaches, meanwhile, have boiled things down to the final third of the pitch.

Like Scotland, many of the goals conceded in recent times have been individual mistakes or the result of poor decision-making. Able to be ironed out, in other words. 

Scoring goals is more of an art and with the club’s principal goalscorer having temporarily mislaid his shooting boots, the onus is on others to step up. Lawrence Shankland also knows he needs to plug back into the power supply that saw him score 33 times last season for club and country.

It’s nine years ago this weekend since Naismith scored an English Premier League hat-trick for Everton against Chelsea. Despite having been a first-class striker himself, he's not a magician – or a sports psychologist. Sometimes it’s simply down to a player’s own confidence levels. 

Lawrence Shankland during a Heart of Midlothian training session at Oriam, on September 13, 2024, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group

“I don't think we've carried enough threat going forward,” explained Naismith. “That's probably where we sit and the expectation on us going into every game - there's a demand to win given the size of the club.

“We need to carry more of a threat,” he stressed. “We've worked on that. As I said at the start, tomorrow's a tough game. It's a game we can't get carried away and go gung-ho because they've got players that can hurt you within a second. But we've done some work on the final third that will hopefully help us in the coming weeks.”

It’s not all about Celtic Park of course. Indeed, many fans will have already written this afternoon off and started looking ahead to next weekend’s trip to face St Mirren. Six defeats in-a-row might well have become seven by then. Naismith remains confident that form and results will turn soon, as will luck.

“We're at a low point at the moment and the start of the season hasn't gone as we would like," he said, with considerable understatement. "But every team has a tough period. It's how you deal with it, it's how you fight through it and things can change quickly. 

"There's been moments when we've not been good enough. There's been small details in games that have cost us big and then I also think we've not had any bit of luck. The Dundee United goal comes from a deflection that goes in, in the first half (James) Penrice has a deflected shot and it just goes past the post. These wee moments aren't going for us as well and when that all adds up, it costs you. 

"That's where we're at at the moment," he added. "I still believe we've got a really strong squad that will, come the end of the season, be in a challenging position."