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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Robbie Hanratty

Naismith issues defiant message around Hearts future amid calls for s

Steven Naismith remains unfazed about his job security as Heart of Midlothian’s tough start to the season continued against Dundee United.

The Jam Tarts fell to a 1-0 home defeat which has given them the unwanted record of seven games without a win for the first time in 46 years.

The atmosphere at Tynecastle Park soured after Ross Graham's second-half goal gave Dundee United the victory, propelling the Tayside club up to third.

This marks the first time since the 1978-79 season that Hearts has failed to win any of their opening matches. With Celtic on the horizon after the international break, pressure is mounting.

Naismith, who recently signed a new contract, stated he would resign if he ever lost confidence in his players.

However, the team’s current six-game losing streak has left them tied for last place with Kilmarnock - and despite building a large squad, it appears Naismith hasn’t quite worked out his best team. 


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“No, because if that time comes, that time will come,” confessed Naismith about his Hearts future. 

“I've said before, the moment I feel that I don't think I can turn it around, I'll tell the club.

“It's not something that I'll be hanging on to if I do get to that point. As I said, there's been a decent turnover in players. They're a good group, they work well, but ultimately we need to show it on the pitch.

“We need to be a harder team to beat, we need to have a more ruthless streak, we need to have a bit of a swagger to say we're going to give all we can and not fear about what might happen in the negative sense, because I feel we're doing that too much at the moment.”

“I think it's something that comes with being at a big club,” Naismith said.

“It's obviously not nice to hear, but it's part and parcel of the game.

“Like I said, some of the players are low on confidence, but that ain't going away. That's here unless you turn it around and you grind out results and you show the passion and the desire to defend and you show the quality and attack that we need.

“I certainly am confident (of turning it round). I think there's a lot of work to get done and there's a long way to go, but I think we know what it takes.

“There was a period last season where we went on a poor run and the reaction to that was really good, so that does show that it's in the players.”

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