Steven Naismith: Hearts interim boss says third 'not be-all and end-all' | Robert Snodgrass exit 'makes things easier'
Steven Naismith insists finishing third is not make or break for Hearts; they have fallen to fourth in the Scottish Premiership after five straight defeats; Naismith is in charge until the summer following Robbie Neilson's sacking
Saturday 15 April 2023 12:54, UK
Hearts interim boss Steven Naismith insists securing third place in the Scottish Premiership is not the "be-all and end-all" for the club.
The former Tynecastle forward has taken charge until the summer after Robbie Neilson was sacked following their 2-0 defeat by St Mirren.
Hearts have now lost their last five league matches and slipped to fourth in the table before Neilson's dismissal.
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"[Finishing third] would be nice but that is not the be-all and end-all. Because of the performances over the last two months, you're going from one extreme to the other," said Naismith.
"The club have made the change to try and get a reaction. I firmly believe we will from what I've seen so far.
"But time will tell. I can guarantee we will not leave anything to chance come Saturday and every game that comes.
"The prep will have been done properly. Whether we win the games or not, there's more to them than just the result for me.
"The long-term goal for the club has to be bringing more youth players through and playing a certain way in terms of exciting attacking football but that takes time and it's the only way the club can grow.
"The best example of that is Celtic. Celtic went from appointing a new manager, to him being criticised massively but sticking to what he believed and now they've just massively grown. That tells you it takes time.
"I think we can get an instant reaction but it's not going to be perfect."
Snodgrass exit 'makes things easier'
Naismith's first major decision as Hearts manager was telling former Scotland team-mate Robert Snodgrass his Tynecastle career was up.
The 35-year-old midfielder is set to finalise an immediate departure days after getting sent off in Robbie Neilson's final game.
"Snoddy is not going to be involved," he added.
"That part of it is ongoing. Obviously, there's a suspension there and I've had a chat with him and the decision has been made.
"I felt it was best if he wasn't around for that. For no other reason that it makes everything easier for me.
"Snoddy was really disappointed. It's hard for me as someone who is his friend, has been his team-mate and had a long-lasting relationship with him, to have that conversation with him and see how disappointed he was.
"But Snoddy's got really good attributes. He's been a fantastic player from when I was his team-mate and I've only got good things to say about him, but the decision was made."
Boyd: Naismith has to deliver
Sky Sports' Kris Boyd believes Naismith needs to make an instant impact with the fans demanding a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.
"It is a great opportunity for Steven Naismith but there is a lot of pressure on him to deliver.
"He has been coaching with Scotland with Steve Clarke and you will always learn from a manager like that.
"There is no doubt it is a big step up and there is a huge challenge ahead for Hearts.
"You only have to look at the reaction of the fans in recent weeks and the spray paint outside Tynecastle Park, you can see there is a lot of built-up frustration and he is going to have to get results.
"The fans will demand third place as they were 10 points clear a few weeks ago and now they find themselves behind Aberdeen and struggling to hold on to fourth place."
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