Hearts: Where did it go wrong under departed manager Robbie Neilson?
- Published
Watch the defeat that ended Neilson's Hearts reign
Robbie Neilson's Hearts were flying high in third place at the end of January. The manager had overseen two 3-0 derby drubbings and inflicted a 5-0 defeat on a hapless Aberdeen.
Since then, there's been a remarkable 11-point swing, with the reinvigorated Pittodrie side leaping above them on Saturday after Hearts' abject 2-0 home defeat by St Mirren.
A defeat which has cost Neilson his job.
After that fifth consecutive loss - a sixth in seven games - Neilson said they needed "to get our finger out and ask 'what are we going to do here?'"
Given he only signed a new three-year contract last July, Neilson could hardly have expected that changing the manager was the answer to that question.
So where has it all gone wrong for a manager who seemed to be doing a good job just a few short weeks ago?
Tired squad, bad mistakes & poor signings
Hearts have been losing sloppy goals and have shown little sign of coming back after going behind.
Key players have regressed hugely in the space of a few months. Kye Rowles, Stephen Kingsley, Robert Snodgrass and Barrie McKay have suffered dips in form during this barren spell.
Is tiredness a factor in that? The club was involved in European group stage football for the first time and players look fatigued.
Neilson had the chance to address this with another good transfer window in January, but it hasn't worked out that way.
Hearts added two loan players over the winter - Bournemouth defender James Hill and Newcastle winger Garang Kuol. The former has made some impact, starting 12 games, but has often been played out of position as a right wing-back.
Kuol came with a big reputation after playing at the World Cup for Australia. The teenager has made eight appearances with one start.
There is also Yutaro Oda, who has started once in seven outings. His impact has been similar to Kuol's - close to non-existent.
With Beni Baningime - a vital cog in the Hearts machine last season - still missing, another midfielder was needed but no reinforcements came.
With Cammy Devlin struggling since his return from the World Cup and Orestis Kiomourtzoglou failing to impress since joining last summer, the centre of the pitch has proven a problem.
"January did not work," said former player Michael Stewart on Sportsound. "They didn't get the right players in. They didn't address trying to shore up the middle of the park. It's become a bigger issue week by week."
What has the reaction been?
Watch Neilson's last interview as Hearts manager
After the defeat at Kilmarnock last weekend, one fan sprayed a message outside Tynecastle beseeching Neilson to leave and, certainly, there had been growing grumbles among the support.
Neilson applauded fans as he departed the pitch on Saturday to a chorus of boos and jeers, a reaction which he later insisted was justified.
"The fans pay their money and they deserve and expect better," he told BBC Scotland. "We've had some brilliant nights this season and we have to stick together and fight through it."
With a derby visit to an equally troubled Hibs on Saturday, though, it seems the club's hierarchy have decided a change was needed to avoid further mutiny among the support.
Speaking on Saturday, Stewart said he believed Hearts are "not prone to pressing the panic button" and would give Neilson time, while former Scotland forward Pat Nevin said dismissing the manager would be "incredibly harsh".
And yet, that is the decision that the club have now taken.
But is it the right one? Let us know what you think...
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