Hearts sack Steven Naismith along with two others as CEO Andrew McKinlay makes 'little evidence' claim

The 38-year-old was relieved of his duties on Sunday less than 24 hours after the 2-1 defeat at St Mirren which left the Tynecastle side rooted to the bottom of the William Hill Premiership with only one point from their opening six league fixtures and with a record of just one win in 15 matches in all competitions.

Naismith had been at the helm for 17 months having been promoted from his position as B team head coach following the dismissal of Robbie Neilson in April last year. He led Hearts to a third place finish in his first full season in charge and was awarded a new contract extension until 2026 only last month.

However, the team’s form has nosedived this season with poor league results, a League Cup exit at the hands of Championship Falkirk and a Europe League play-off defeat to Viktoria Plzen resulting in significiant supporter unrest.

Hearts fans chanted for the removal of Naismith during the defeat in Paisley and club bosses responded by terminating his contract along with assistants Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy. Hearts B team coach Liam Fox has been placed in temporary charge and will by assisted by Angus Beith and Lee Wallace.

Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay had recently backed the under-fire Naismith but admitted “things can change quickly” as he pointed to there being “little evidence” that the team’s fortunes were going to change under the former Scotland international.

McKinlay told the Hearts website: “I’d like to firstly thank Steven, Gordon and Frankie for all their efforts over the past year and a half. They worked tirelessly in their roles and without them we would not have enjoyed the successes of last season.

“However, things can change quickly, particularly in football, and it has been clear for all to see that things are not working this season. Results and performances have fallen below the standards expected at this football club and, unfortunately, there is little evidence of any potential upturn in fortunes.

“With our UEFA Conference League campaign about to commence, and the spotlight on our league position, we cannot afford to stand still. That is why we, as a Board of Directors, have made the difficult decision to part ways with the management team, who go with our thanks and best wishes."

Hearts face Ross County at Tynecastle on Saturday before travelling to Azerbaijan to face Dinamo Minsk in their opening UEFA Conference League match the following midweek.

“The Board met today to agree a way forward, and the process of identifying and hiring a new management team has already begun," added McKinlay. "In the interim, we welcome Liam, Angus and Lee to the first team and will give them all the backing they need, as I’m sure the supporters will, in order to turn around the present situation.

“Updates will be provided to supporters in due course but, in the meantime, I would ask our fans to continue their unrivalled backing of the team when we host Ross County at Tynecastle Park on Saturday as, together, we strive to take positive steps forward."