Heart of Midlothian

Hearts fans, we asked for your views after that defeat to Dundee on Saturday.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Ian: Terrible. We have to stop changing the team every week. Find the best 11 and stick with it. It's the managers' fault for this latest shambles.

Ian F: Yesterday showed why we will not challenge Celtic or Rangers in the league. Too many games like that have you lagging behind. We were outfought and outplayed and Dundee look more likely to challenge for third spot. Three defeats in friendlies, a draw and a defeat in two league games show a worrying trend. Big problems.

Steve: Looking at the line-up, I never thought we’d get anything from this game. Gerald Taylor has been outstanding at right-back, but was pushed into right midfield, Yan Dhanda left on the bench, Jorge Grant and Cammy Devlin not up to the job, but the manager should take the blame. Gutted.

Brian: Hopeless. Going to be another average season with a very average manager.

George: Why change the team after such a good performance? Continuity of team selection is underestimated and the Dundee players' attitude should be a benchmark for the Hearts squad.

David: Why are we always so sluggish at the start of a game? I would have thought the players would have taken the game to Dundee after last week's fine performance but it didn’t happen. We have to sign another goalscorer as I can’t believe Lawrence Shankland will be with us at the end of the transfer window.

Kevin: Worst performance for a long time. Poor system choice by Naismith. Grant and Barrie McKay have talent but no heart and aren't good enough. The second half was better, but the damage was done. Hopefully a lesson has been learned.

Listen to the full episode here.

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith reacts to the 3-1 defeat by Dundee.

A superb first-half display earned Dundee a comfortable Scottish Premiership victory against below-par Hearts at Dens Park.

Scott Tiffoney fired in the opener after a poor clearance from visiting goalkeeper Zander Clark and Steven Naismith's side never recovered in a dismal opening period.

Gerald Taylor netted a calamitous own goal in first-half stoppage time and just seconds later Frankie Kent fouled Tiffoney to concede a penalty, which Luke McCowan calmly dispatched.

Things appeared to get worse for Hearts when Lyall Cameron netted from Seb Palmer-Houlden's cross, but a handball from Mo Sylla in the build-up denied the hosts a fourth.

Hearts improved after the break and pulled one back through Frankie Kent's close-range header, but some wasteful finishing meant a potential comeback never looked likely.

Hearts fans, we want your thoughts after a disappointing performance and result. Have your say on the game here, external.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Having switched to a back five, Hearts were ponderous in possession and struggled to create chances of note in the first half, with talisman Lawrence Shankland hardly involved in the action.

Zander Clark's scuffed clearing kick immediately preceded him being beaten at his near post for Scott Tiffoney's opening goal, and it was characteristic of a sloppy team performance.

They were outfought and outplayed by Dundee, but looked set to go into half-time just one goal down before a shambolic few minutes where they lost all discipline.

Gerald Taylor - so imposing against Rangers - was lucky to only see yellow for a wild challenge on Tiffoney, before the Costa Rican defender got his feet in a tackle and put his attempted clearance past a wrong-footed Clark.

Frankie Kent then needlessly dangled a leg in the box, and 1-0 had become 3-0 in the blink of an eye.

Steven Naismith showed his displeasure at the break with a triple substitution, bringing on Yan Dhanda, Malachi Boateng and Yutaro Oda, and it made a difference, but the damage had already been done.

The errors in their own box before the break were then compounded by poor misses in the second half.

A day to forget for the Jambos, who will need to improve when they face Falkirk in the League Cup next Saturday.

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Hearts head coach Steven Naismith: "Really bad. To go in 3-0 down was really disappointing, and the most frustrating thing is the goals are really poor. They are cheap from our point of view.

"They seemed to be getting to all the second balls and that was probably the root of the problem. It was very much like the first game against Dundee last season.

"If you want to be at a club like Hearts and you want to be successful, you have to empty your tank week-in, week-out.

"In the second half we created more chances. Oda had two really good chances, but we don't take it. When those moments come, you have to take them because it changes the dynamic of the game."

Dundee: McCracken, Ingram, Portales, McGhee, Larkeche, Tiffoney, Sylla, McCowan, Cameron, Palmer-Houlden, Murray.

Substitutes: Carson, Sharp, Astley, Main, F. Robertson, Koumetio, Graham, Lochhead.

Hearts: Clark, Taylor, Oyegoke, Kent, Rowles, Penrice, Devlin, Grant, Vargas, Shankland, McKay.

Substitutes: Gordon, Kingsley, Halkett, Oda, Spittal, Forrest, Boateng, Dhanda, Boyce.

We asked for your thoughts after Hearts head coach Steven Naismith signed a new deal with the club.

Here's what you had to say:

Bob: A great piece of management from the hierarchy at Tynecastle. We often worry about what might happen to our best players if we let them go on the cheap but, by tying Naismith down to a longer-term contract we show consistency and confidence while protecting ourselves from losing Naismith to another team. The future is maroon!

Kevo: His high standards and knowledge of the game are permeating through the squad, would have been sacrosanct not to allow this.

Richard: Based on last season extending the coaching staff's contracts is a no-brainer. They'll now be judged on this season though, and many fans have a binary relationship with managers and players, them being either great or awful without recognition that progress is either slow or stop-start in reality. I hope he does well (obviously) and any hiccups are tolerated.

Ian: I'll be expecting Hearts to do better in the cup competitions this season. If not, it has not been a good idea to extend Naismith's contract. There's been a lot of talk about how good the new signings will be for Hearts; let's see.

Mike: Good news that Hearts have tied down the management team for a further year. I think Naismith will have a huge career as a manager at a higher level. As a player he maximised his ability going from Killie to Rangers and then Everton. Hopefully his time at Hearts will get us closer to the Old Firm despite the disparity in budgets and wages.

Ronnie: Naismith needs to beat the Old Firm for me to take to him. Repeatedly he goes at it against Celtic but flatters to deceive against Rangers which isn't for me as a long-time Hearts fan. He needs to go to Glasgow like Alex Ferguson did and beat them in their own back yard and repeatedly beat them both at Tynecastle. If he does this then OK.

Alan: Loving Naismith's quiet confidence and how he goes about his business. Quality and competition throughout the squad, more resilience mentally, front foot attacking intent, a youth team pathway, player development generating income and tactical aptitude. This isn't just down to him obviously but he puts the pieces together. A class act.

Steven: Extending Steven Naismith's contract is a clever bit of business. Hearts are already trying to extend the contracts of their key players; keeping the manager really cements the intention to build for the future. Very positive.

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Defender Billy Koumetio could make his Dundee debut after joining from Liverpool. Charlie Reilly and Clark Robertson remain out with hamstring injuries and Joe Shaughnessy (knee) is a long-term absentee.

Hearts boss Steven Naismith expects to have everyone available for selection apart from midfielders Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring) and Beni Baningime (knee), who are both set to be sidelined until September.

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Naismith has been reflecting on his "better than expected" first year in charge of Hearts after penning a contract extension until 2026.

The former B team manager also praised Hearts' transformation off the pitch, saying the club has some facilities that rank as the "best in the league".

"It probably has gone better than I expected because of the amount of hard work and change we have managed to do," Naismith said.

"That’s the way we play, the squad in general. It’s the whole bigger picture, the facility, the way we prepare, our nutrition, the chefs we’ve got. I would argue in some areas we have got the best in the league."

Naismith's coaching staff, who have also signed extended contracts, were all promoted from within when he took the top job last summer.

He said: "I’ve worked with Gall [Paul Gallacher] at the club, I worked with Gordy [Gordon Forrest] a player and a coach, and I worked with Frankie [McAvoy] when I was a player at Norwich.

"Then I worked with him up here in his role with the academy. I think we fit really well together.

"When I was a player and you know you’re going down this (management) route, you start to think of who would you have working with you.

"Right from the off, Frankie and Gordy were guys high on my list. It probably fell into place much easier than I expected. That’s who I would have picked if I’d gone anywhere in my first job."

Do you think Steven Naismith's contract extension was a no-brainer from the board?

Hearts have taken up the option to tie down Naismith and his coaching staff for a further 12 months, to summer 2026.

Having overcome early turbulence last season, Naismith secured a third-place finish and Hearts now have a Europa League play-off to look forward to.

Is the future at Tynecastle in safe hands with Naismith at the helm?

Click here to let us know your thoughts on the new deals. , external

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Steven Naismith can "continue to take the team on an upwards trajectory" after signing a 12-month contract extension, says CEO Andrew McKinlay.

Head coach Steven Naismith and his backroom staff - Gordon Forrest, Frankie McAvoy, and Paul Gallacher - will remain at Tynecastle until at least the summer of 2026, with Hearts saying the quartet have taken the team "from strength to strength".

After taking charge last summer Naismith comfortably led Hearts to a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.

"I’m extremely pleased that we have secured Steven, Gordon, Frankie and Paul’s services for another year beyond this campaign," said McKinlay.

"The progress made on the pitch last season was there for all to see and because of that, we have a truly exciting year ahead of us.

"By extending the coaching team’s contracts we are reiterating our trust in them and confirming our belief that they can continue to take the team on an upwards trajectory.

"Good coaching teams aren’t always in abundance and other clubs are always on the lookout, so the club also has peace of mind in terms of protecting its assets.

"Steven, Gordon, Frankie and Paul have started the team on a journey and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where they can take us."

Heart of Midlothian have held initial discussions with Scotland goalkeeper Zander Clark and Australia midfielder Cammy Devlin about extending their contracts. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Viktoria Plzen are in the driving seat to face Hearts in the Europa League play-off as they came from behind to beat Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih 2-1 in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie.

The match, played in Slovakia due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, started with a Kryvbas goal thanks to Prince Kwabena Adu.

However, second-half strikes from 16-year-old Jiri Panos and Daniel Vasulin gave the Czech side the lead heading into the second leg.

Hearts will play the winner of the tie on 22 and 29 August, with the Jambos away first.

Image source, Getty Images

Steven Naismith says the work done by Hearts over the last year is helping them attract players like Andres Salazar.

In Naismith's debut campaign in charge, Hearts finished third in the Premiership to guarantee European group-stage football for a third year running.

Hearts are closing in on the signing of Colombian left-back Salazar, 21, from Atletico Nacional.

He is set to be the latest arrival from the Americas after Kenneth Vargas this summer made his loan move to Hearts permanent and fellow Costa Rica international team-mate Gerard Taylor joined on loan.

"It [the Salazar signing] says that we've done good work in the last year," Naismith said.

"It says that we've recruited well in the last year. We've shown a path that young players can come here on loan with an opportunity to sign if they come here and do it.

"There's a demand at the club that I think helps attract a level of player, it comes with a pressure of having to play in that.

"Salazar is somebody we have spoken about in the past but we've always thought it's not doable.

"But because of what we've done in the last year, it opened up that chance. That's what we can do."

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Steven Naismith has been speaking to the media before the Premiership game with Dundee this weekend.

Here are the main points:

• Japanese striker Kyosuke Tagawa is set to exit after Hearts accepted an offer from Kashima Antlers.

• The club are working through "issues with visas and work permits" as they edge closer to a deal for Colombia left-back Andres Salazar, although Naismith doesn't expect the move to be completed until next week.

• He says the demands at Hearts helps attract a player of Salazar's calibre. He was somebody the club spoke about in the past but didn't think a deal was doable.

• The Hearts boss says they'll continue to look for new players, but new signings are not urgent. Feels the squad is "healthy in all areas".

• Looking back he's impressed by last weekend's performance against Rangers and believes it was an improvement on last season's meetings.

• On Dundee, Naismith was full of praise for Tony Docherty and what he achieved last season.

• Beni Baningime and Calem Nieuwenhof are the only injury concerns. The pair won't be back before September, Naismith says they're back on the pitch but stressed the importance of building them up properly.

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• Dundee have lost each of their last three league games against Hearts, last losing four in a row to Hearts in the top flight in October 2004.

• Hearts have won four of their last five league away games against Dundee (L1), including a 3-2 victory most recently in February last season.

• Dundee haven't won their first home game of a top-flight league season since 2001-02 (2-1 vs Hibernian), going winless in 11 such matches since (D4 L7).

• After beating St Johnstone 2-0 last season, Hearts could win their first away league game in back-to-back top-flight seasons for the first time since a run of three in a row from 2004-05 to 2006-07.

• Since the start of last season, Luke McCowan has scored 11 goals in the Scottish Premiership, five more than any other Dundee player.

A deal to sell forward Kyosuke Tagawa for a six-figure fee to Kashima Antlers is all but done with the 25-year-old, who signed by Hearts on a three-year contract from Tokyo last year, out of favour at Tynecastle Park and with Urawa Red Diamonds having also shown interest. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

The Scottish Football Association will meet on Thursday to hear representations from Hearts as they attempt to sign 21-year-old Colombian left-back Andres Salazar, who needs a Governing Body Endorsement to accompany his application for a UK visa to play in Scotland and join the Premiership club on a season-long loan from Atletico Nacional. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Heart of Midlothian did not submit an offer for Fulham forward Kieron Bowie, who is close to joining Hibs, despite being made aware of the 21-year-old’s availability. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

The supporters at Tynecastle on Saturday were treated to a performance that must have given them hope the success from last season was no flash in the pan and the future looks bright.

The performances of the newbies on show were exceptional, with James Penrice and Gerald Taylor rightly receiving many plaudits, and Yan Dhanda gave glimpses of what he can add to the team with some quality deliveries into dangerous areas.

The only disappointment on the day was that a first victory over Rangers in more than four years wasn't secured, but there is plenty of time to pick up the wins required to ensure Hearts are pushing towards the top end of the table.

This weekend its a trip to last season's surprise package Dundee, who are well marshalled by Tony Docherty.

The Dens Park club may not have a similar size budget to Hearts but Docherty knows a good player when he sees one and striker Simon Murray could be one of the best buys of the season.

Hearts stumbled early on last season at Dens, losing 1-0, but atoned in style by winning the following three meetings.

Steven Naismith now has a much stronger squad at his disposal and will be looking to head back to the capital with a first win of the new campaign in the bag.

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Hearts' Scottish Premiership fixtures against Motherwell and Dundee United have been rescheduled due to the Tynecastle side's Europe League play-off.

Steven Naismith’s men were due to travel to Fir Park on Saturday, 24 August but the game will now take place the following day at 15:00 BST.

United’s trip to Tynecastle has also been pushed back 24 hours, to Sunday, 1 September at 15:00.

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Nineteen years ago today, Hearts trounced city rivals Hibernian 4-0 at Tynecastle as they made a flying start to a tumultuous 2005-06 campaign.

Rudi Skacel introduced himself to the Gorgie faithful by prodding in the opener after 13 minutes, before Paul Hartley doubled the hosts' lead from the penalty spot.

Stephen Simmons' finish preceded Hibs keeper Zbigniew Malkowski being bested for a fourth time as Saulius Mikoliunas completed the rout in style with a finish from outside the box.

Hibs boss Tony Mowbray was sent to the stands, while new Tynecastle manager George Burley rejoiced in his side's "very pleasing" victory.

The party didn't last long for Burley, however. Despite leading Hearts to the top of the table with an unbeaten 10-game run to start the season, he left the club in late October because of "irreconcilable differences" with the board.

Three managers later, the Jambos would finish the memorable season in second place - qualifying for the Champions League - and lift the Scottish Cup against underdogs Gretna following a nervy battle at Hampden that came down to penalties.