It’s been said that time flies when you’re having fun. If that’s the case, then this past month must have felt like a lifetime for Steven Naismith.
In the four weeks which have followed his side’s promising opening-day display against Rangers, the Hearts manager has overseen two cup exits and back-to-back Premiership defeats. Pretty dismal stuff by anyone’s standards.
Yet it’s not so much the defeats which should be causing concern behind closed doors at Tynecastle, but rather the manner of them.
One week after bloodying the nose of Phillipe Clement’s side, Hearts fell straight to the canvass with a whimper in a dismal defeat at Dens Park, before Falkirk had little trouble dumping them out of the Premier Sports Cup.
A spirited display in their unfortunate Europa League Play-off first leg defeat in the Czech Republic provided grounds for optimism, but they were soon swept aside by a struggling Motherwell side three days later.
Hearts manager Steven Naismith is feeling the pressure amid a poor start to the season
Blair Spittal and Yan Dhanda salute the fans following their midweek Europa League exit
Lawrence Shankland has yet to get off the mark for Hearts this season
Then, with so much on the line for the crucial return leg against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday, their performance was utterly bewildering.
No urgency, no creativity and, ultimately, no quality. Their lack of energy was sadly mirrored by a despondent crowd who — based on what’s gone on over recent weeks — didn’t appear particularly shocked by what they were seeing.
Worryingly, Naismith appears no closer to knowing his best XI than he did when the season began. The constant tweaking of formation and personnel could simply be put down to the rigours of a hectic schedule. But with six Europa Conference League games to come before Christmas, he’d better find a solution — and fast.
It’s perhaps jumping the gun to say the Edinburgh side are in the midst of a crisis, but tomorrow’s visit of Dundee Utd has now taken on added significance with the international break looming. Quite simply, three points are a must.
It remains to be seen if Naismith will be able to call on the talents of Lawrence Shankland to lead the line against his former club after injury ruled him out in midweek, but even he has looked miles off it so far this season.
With the transfer window now closed, Sunday would be the perfect time for the Scotland international to rediscover his scoring touch which made him one of the most sought-after players in Scotland less than a month ago.
Given their impressive start on their return to the top flight, Jim Goodwin’s men will fancy their chances of adding a few more dark clouds to the skies above Tynecastle.
Dons aim to keep good times coming
Just a couple of hours up the road, the picture couldn’t be more different.
New Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin’s first few months in Scottish football couldn’t have gone much better. Eight games played, eight games won.
Given the Swede was largely unable to call upon the talents of star man Bojan Miovski — now sunning it up in Girona — his achievements to date are all the more impressive.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has made an excellent start to his career in Scottish football
Pape Habib Gueye celebrates his goal against Kilmarnock last weekend with Ester Sokler
Fair play to him, he’s making it look easy in the Granite City.
But while everything looks positive, and goodness knows Aberdeen supporters deserve that after what they’ve had to endure over the past couple of seasons, let’s maybe hold off on erecting a statue just yet.
Five of the Dons’ wins so far have come against lower-league opposition. Of course, that’s not something to be sniffed at — it wasn’t too long since the Darvel debacle, after all — but their successes are hardly huge surprises.
Their top-flight triumphs have also come at the expense of sides you’d realistically expect them to beat. St Johnstone proved to be a bit of a handful on the opening day, but follow-up wins over St Mirren and Kilmarnock came just days after they had each emptied the tank in Europe.
The Pittodrie side have an excellent chance of making it nine from nine this weekend as they make the trip to face a Ross County side fresh from a 6-0 thumping at Hampden last time out, and few would bet against them doing so.
But any talk of them being in with a chance of splitting the Glasgow sides this season is a little premature to say the least.
Bigger tests lie in wait after the international break. That’s when we’ll see what they’re made of.
Marley Watkins puts Kilmarnock in front against FC Copenhagen in Conference League tie
Killie attention returns to domestic duty
It was good while it lasted, but Kilmarnock’s European exploits are over for another year.
Thursday’s Europa Conference League exit to Danish giants Copenhagen means the focus can firmly turn to league duty, and just as well.
Derek McInnes’ side have yet to score, let alone pick up any points, in the Premiership this season, with continental football understandably taking its toll.
But Sunday’s clash with fellow strugglers Hibernian presents an ideal opportunity to kickstart their season and begin their push to return to Europe again next year.
The visitors aren’t without their troubles to seek, with boss David Gray already under pressure having collected just a single point so far.
It may not top the bill, but there is plenty on the line for both sides in Ayrshire this weekend.
