Steven Naismith says there is more work to do at Hearts as he talks relationships and ‘fickle’ fans

Although Hearts can feel confident after four successive Premiership victories, head coach Steven Naismith is stressing there is much more work to be done at Riccarton. He refuses to get carried away ahead of the next three games against Rangers at Tynecastle Park, Aberdeen at Pittodrie and Celtic at Celtic Park.

Supporters reacted warmly to Hearts’ 1-0 win at Kilmarnock on Saturday with a rousing reception for players and coaches at full-time. After an inconsistent opening round of league matches, the Edinburgh club are now building momentum and fans recognise the improvement.

They have only conceded one goal in their last four victories and are currently third in the Premiership table as they prepare to face Rangers. Naismith thanked his fans for their support and underlined that his team still has a lot of work to do.

“I think there is an appreciation for how hard the players are working,” he said to the Edinburgh News. “The main thing for any fan going on an away day is the outcome.” I’m sure a lot of people were sitting on the bus freezing on their way home on Saturday, thinking to themselves, ‘That was bad, but we got the points, so it’s worth it.’ That is unavoidably what they believe.

“Football fans, including myself, are fickle. When things are going well, a lot of things are overlooked, and everything is fantastic, brilliant, brilliant. Then you receive a few of negative results, and everything goes downhill from there. Understanding is important as someone attempting to lead this group and everything at the club.

“I believe we are on the right track, but there is still much work to be done.” Even if we experience a setback, it will not be the end of the world. I’ve already discussed where the club should be and how we should progress. Rather than looking too far ahead, it’s about getting to each stage of that.”