Hearts plot a route to long-term success needing patience from club’s fans, players, staff and board
Edinburgh club are still striving for on-field consistency as they gradually improve
Hearts got some much-needed relief at Fir Park after defeating Motherwell following a difficult few weeks. While Steven Naismith and the coaching team strive to establish a consistent playing style, the results in Gorgie have been a little unpredictable. Although their initiative is still in its early stages, things are starting to get better over time. The most recent building block was on Saturday.
The 2-1 victory lifted Hearts to fourth in the Premiership table and leaves them just two points behind third-placed St Mirren entering international fortnight. On the face of it, they sit in a decent position right now. These two weeks will, like previous breaks, be used wisely on the Riccarton training pitches. Ball retention, decision-making, shape, formation, defensive drills and attacking combinations will all be worked on repeatedly.
Naismith is determined to get his message across and is content with the long-term prognosis. What he wants and needs most is patience to further develop his ideas. Hearts’ last two league games against Livingston and Motherwell have seen them dominate possession with goal attempts in
double figures. The statistics offer some evidence that they are heading in a positive direction.
“The performance at Fir Park was excellent, but the victory is undoubtedly the more important thing. The Edinburgh News was informed by Naismith that “it looked much closer than it was.” “If you examine every statistic, we won in the majority of them. We would have had multiple chances to make it 3-0 or the game would have ended if not for a few mistakes made by the referee and VAR. The game’s dynamics would have then been altered by that.”
Hearts skillfully managed to win the game by playing with the ball in the corner for a number of minutes, showing that they were aware of the circumstances during stoppage time. “Motherwell got a penalty and, as much as you don’t want the game to be like that, it’s something I’ve said we need to be better at,” acknowledged Naismith. “After conceding, we become distracted, which makes it easier for us to give up a second or third goal. It was satisfying, in my opinion, because we demonstrated in the last ten or fifteen minutes how we ought to handle games when they do return to being tighter.”
Does Saturday demonstrate why everyone involved must exercise patience? Naismith is not even somewhat disturbed by the recent demands from some fans for new management.
He is confident of support from above via senior colleagues like sporting director Joe Savage and chief executive Andrew McKinlay.
“For this reason, I feel fairly at ease in every situation. The team, the people I report to, and everyone else inside the company all maintain their composure and acknowledge it,” he stated. “I’m fairly transparent about how we operate. We welcome anyone from within who would like to spend regular time with us; our door is always open. I’ve been quite clear about that.
It demonstrates the diligence with which we are working, the attention to detail with which we are working, and our efforts to advance the team. I’ve spent a lot of time in this club. I believe that the fundamental element that has been lacking is the part where everyone knows what is expected of them, how we conduct ourselves, how we play each game, and what we want to do both in and out of possession regardless of who we play.
“That foundation must support all players, including new hires and young players who come through. You have longevity as a result. When someone leaves due to an injury, suspension, or other reason, the subsequent employee is aware of what is expected of them.
“It all boils down to the club having a clear goal and direction for the future, rather than merely playing five different styles without any true principles in order to score five straight wins. You won’t achieve long-term success like that. I really believe that, and I keep saying it.
“I’m very calm and I understand it will take a bit of time. In the past I’ve been at clubs where managers have changed and the whole concept of what is being done has gone from one extreme to the other. It takes time, it doesn’t happen overnight. You might get a wee nugget of success or a good performances, but then you will also get a wee bit where there is bad decision-making and some negatives. Hopefully, by the end of the season we will look back and go: ‘Right, we are in a much better place.'”
Whilst striving to impose this identity and gain impetus each week, the head coach cannot become distracted by cravings for instant success. Demand in football has never been greater as supporters of many clubs seek a quick fix. Judging by calls for change across the country every few weeks, some would seem to prefer one giant merry-go-round of coaches, managers and players. Of course, that simply won’t work in the long-term.
“It won’t, sorry. For the club, that’s the challenging thing, Naismith said. “Success is highly desired and in high demand, yet it is extremely unlikely to materialise immediately. You must so be aware that there will be some positive aspects as well as some drawbacks.
“It’s not that the players don’t want to try to do the right thing; it’s just that everyone in all walks of life does it. Making mistakes is a natural part of trying something new and learning from them. You return and you don’t keep making the same errors. The evolution starts there.
“In modern-day football, that is the demand, not just at Hearts. That’s modern life, that’s social media, that’s the generation coming through. I think it’s a phase in football which will probably stabilise to a point of being realistic. The world we are in, the way people live their lives, it’s about getting everything right now. Everything is at hand and at your fingertips and football is just an extension of it with ‘we need success now’.
“I’ve got a clear understanding of what I believe we should be doing to be successful. It’s all about taking time, people making mistakes, learning from them, and understanding what we are wanting more and more with each week that we work together. I’m seeing progress. I’ve seen progress from the end of last season to now. It comes in all different areas.
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