By Paul Cooper

Hearts fan Adam Kennedy today gave the UWS newsroom an insight into the tremors felt around Tynecastle after the sacking of Steven Naismith on Sunday.

The Hearts board wielded the axe on Naismith and his coaching staff after a bad start to the season, where the Tynecastle club failed to register a point in the last 8 games.

The revelation comes after they had only just signed new contracts last month.

Adam believes the new contracts were deserved after last season, but that the current form could not continue.

Adam said: “It appeared as though he had credit in the bank, led us to third place comfortably, the highest points total for the best part of two decades, victories at Parkhead and also beating Celtic at Tynecastle, it was a really successful season last year.

“There was justification in giving Stevie Naismith and his assistants a new deal, it was then just the way it’s all unravelled in such a short space of time that makes you wonder was that the right thing after all”.

Last season (2023-24) was Naismith’s first full season in charge, bringing a fair level of success to the club, as Hearts finished third in the league behind Celtic and Rangers respectively.

Hailing from Ayrshire, former Kilmarnock player Naismith was the second SPL manager to lose his job this season, after then Saint Johnstone manager Craig Levein was sacked last week.

Naismith himself released a statement yesterday (Sep 23) saying: “I am disappointed that my time at Heart of Midlothian Football Club has come to an end. This season has been a frustrating one for a number of reasons and ultimately it hasn’t been good enough.

“I would like to thank everyone associated with Heart of Midlothian, where I have spent nearly eight years of my career. I knew, understood and appreciated the standards and demands of HMFC and this was something I constantly tried to uphold as a player and manager.”

Scottish bookmakers McBookie have Alex Neil instilled as 3/1 favourite to take the vacant managers job, with Derek McInnes and Stephen Robinson joint 4/1 in second.

Adam added that he would like to see a manager from outside the UK get the job: “We’ve got Tony Bloom (Brighton) potentially coming into the club, it seems according to the Edinburgh Evening News that Hearts are already using him to identify the new manager.

“I can’t see us going for anybody that’s based in the UK if I’m honest, I think it’ll be a young foreign coach, attack minded, plays football the way people want to see, an attractive brand.”