It has been quite the week off the pitch at Heart of Midlothian. Since the 3-1 loss to Rangers in the Viaplay Cup semi-final there has been a report that some members of the club's hierarchy are concerned with the direction of the team while fans continue to express doubts of their own.

If any of that was getting to Steven Naismith when he sat down to preview the club's Premiership encounter with Motherwell he didn't let it show. Not even in a manner similar to the 'it's fine' meme of the dog having a coffee while the room is engulfed in flames. He was once again an assured presence and he spoke of where he stands as Hearts head coach and the direction the team are heading. While aware of the pressure to succeed and to win, there is no indication of more immediate pressure over his future.

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“I’ve not heard that," Naismith said when asked about any concerns from above. "I speak to the board every couple of months, we have a board meeting. Most weeks I’ll speak with somebody at board level, just to check in. And obviously [chief executive] Andrew [McKinlay] is about every week as well.

“It’s very calm and very comfortable. A lot of what we’ve discussed at the start, about what needs to change and what needs to get better has shown up. That’s part of the process.

“This need for instant success ain’t happening. If somebody can name me a team that from one week then boom, that’s it and they’ve been a successful team for the next 10 years, it very rarely happens, if at all. I’m comfortable with everything internally and what decisions we can make to make things better and get results and improve performances."

There is, however, a balance to be struck between being patient and trusting the process and providing something tangible which demonstrates the team are progressing. Something which the support can cling onto and say 'yeah, that's a team going in the right direction'. There has not been enough of that for the liking of the Hearts support.

Talk of lessons being learned, about players being comfortable with a new style of players, of others adapting will only be accepted for so long. Some may even argue it no longer is and that results and performances are now expected on a more consistent basis, starting on Saturday at Fir Park. Something Naismith accepted.

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"This round of games, for sure, it needs to be better and we need to have more consistency with that," he said. "That comes, first of all with performances but doing it for the full length of the match and then also results. Once you get a few of them everything becomes easier.

"We've had a few good results and then maybe a setback, a few good results then a setback, that's what you need to eradicate, get that out, and consistently know that minimum we are coming out with a draw here. We need to be the team coming off the pitch saying 'we're unlucky not to win' or won rather than say 'we held on for a draw'. That's where we need to get to which ultimately will get us the points we need to be challenging."

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As much as Naismith has been the focus over the team's start to the season and inconsistent nature, the players also have a responsibility. The head coach revealed the role they play during the week with their input and noted his happiness with their by-in.

"Every day we work we are very open with the players and we try to get as much feedback from them as possible," he said. "That part is really good, we are really happy with that. For the squad, for everyone internally, that is the hard part, to understand everyone is going to have their own opinion, everyone is going to expect things to be done in a certain way but when you have such a large fanbase it is going to be very, very rare if it all when you are going to get everybody to agree on what should happen, how we should play, how to get results, who should play.

"We need to believe within our group that we are one group that's pushing forward. At times you will play, at times you will be out the team and when you are out the team it is your job to push the guys in the team to get back in the team. Over the course of the season everyone will contribute for what will hopefully be a successful season."

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