Now that's international football back in storage until March, the more important business of Heart of Midlothian Football Club can take centre stage once more (like it ever took a background role). Steven Naismith's men will play nearly half of their league season across two five-week spells either side of the nonsensical winter break.

Saturday's meeting with St Johnstone at Tynecastle Park begins a run of nine Premiership matches in the space of 38 days before the mid-season pause. When the team returns from the increasingly pointless winter break they will contest eight league games in 39 days. A load which will hopefully be heavier with Scottish Cup involvement. 

Hearts begin this nine-game sprint in fourth, just two points behind third-place St Mirren. They have a two-point advantage and a game in hand over city rivals Hibs and a five-point lead over Aberdeen, albeit having played a game more. At Hearts Standard we have explored the first round of fixtures, handing out grades of 'must do better' and 'room for improvement', while making note of fan feeling. A mixture of frustration and apathy with a side of anger. Those emotions don't account for everybody who follows Hearts but most will likely have felt one or the other since the summer.

READ MORE: Why Baningime, Devlin and Lowry makes sense for Hearts

From the outside, there will be those who will hear the noise emanating from EH11 only to then look at the Premiership table. 'Why all the commotion?' It is a fair question which requires plenty of nuance and context. It's not a straightforward answer. But it has centred around Naismith and his position as head coach.

It's important not to rewrite history. He wasn't an unpopular choice as Robbie Neilson's replacement in the summer. He didn't have the backing of every Hearts fan but very few, if any, managerial appointments would. What was unpopular, and understandably so, was the set-up which saw him installed as technical coach due to the team's European participation and his lack of pro licence.

Reservations surrounded a lack of managerial experience. Again, a fair stance. It is an intangible quality which is under-appreciated and there is certainly an argument that the manager of Hearts should possess a decent amount of that quality. But the view Naismith is an experiment or a project, the same accusations levelled at Ian Cathro, is unfair. Both were football coaches appointed as a head coach. Far from groundbreaking. Naismith has played at the highest level, won more than 50 caps for Scotland, and was a coach at the club, as well as a valued member of Steve Clarke's coaching staff. Experiment or project he was not. As for the pro licence qualification. You could speak to a number of people within football and they would tell you getting that qualification makes little to no difference how they manage. A tick-box exercise to some.

Of the criticism levelled at Naismith during his first [checks notes] 26 games as head coach, some has been OTT. In the end he may not turn out to be the right man. But he at least deserves a chance, even a season, to make his case. He's made mistakes. Experienced managers make mistakes. He's made some questionable decisions. But he's also proven himself capable of turning a game positively with tactical tweaks or substitutions.

Early on in his management career at Tynecastle, games have been viewed as must win. He overcame the hurdle at Motherwell, the team putting in a performance which merited a more comfortable result than the 2-1 victory gained against the Steelmen. Now, not everything is perfect in EH11 because of a win over a team which has been struggling.

Which brings us to the next run of fixtures, that nine-game sprint. St Johnstone on Saturday will likely also be put in that must-win category by some fans. An unhealthy and tedious cycle to be in but a familiar one in Gorgie following on from Neilson's tenure which was, once again, an overall success.

Such focus and scrutiny of on-the-field matters as well as the management and direction of the club can, through one lens, be viewed as a positive. For so long Hearts fans have had to contend with off-the-field matters. Chris Robinson's plans to move the club to Murrayfield. Vladimir Romanov's entire reign. Trying to ensure the club didn't die following administration and then the rebuild. Now the club is in as stable a position as it has been in a very long time. Finally, all focus and energy can be on a successful team on the pitch.

READ MORE: Why Alex Lowry is such an important figure at Hearts: The creative difference maker

That energy comes from a very good place and fans are largely tired of being told to be patient. It's coming up to the 150th anniversary of being patient. Yet, it is patience which is more likely to bring longer term success than short-termism than the immediacy of 'he's not a good manager, sack him'. 

The club's principal benefactor said as much in an enlightening interview with the Daily Mail over the weekend. There were a few telling quotes as he spoke of Atalanta and AZ challenging bigger clubs with much better resources in Italy and the Netherlands respectively:

"We have to manage the narratives. Too much attention is on the manager."

"The last match is all that matters and if it goes the wrong way then it is 'sack the board, sack the manager'."

"There are outliers, of course, but the notion that you can improve things by merely sacking the manager is just completely wrong."

Naismith has spoken often about building blocks, longevity, patience and putting foundations in place for the longer term. He doesn't want to be a manager who indulges in short-termism. These are not words, phrases or ideas which excite fans or gain a lot of traction amongst a support. Especially a support who, for so long, have dealt with firefighting or watched infighting while watching the team underdeliver on the pitch.

READ MORE: The importance of Hearts B: Pathway, periodisation, investment and its future

This season has been far from perfect and there has been a missed opportunity, both in Europe and in the league. But it has been far from a disaster. Since the 1-0 loss at St Mirren, there have been more positive and encouraging signs from the team than the opposite. Progress has been slow but there has been progress. And there are still plenty of opportunities to be taken advantage of in the coming days, weeks and months.

Eclipsing last season's three league wins on the road, winning at Pittodrie for the first time in what feels like 73 years, beating one of the Old Firm, getting a win at Celtic Park for the first time in what feels like 173 years, winning at Easter Road. Taking command of third.

Naismith has spoken before about the team beginning to take proper shape in December. It is now time to show that in the big games which are on the horizon next month. In addition, four key first-team stars are closing in on a return. But the constant noise over sacking managers needs to subside, at least for a period. The Hearts head coach should not be immune from criticism but he should be given time to implement and formulate his style without constantly being one game away from a fan revolt.  He's not had an egregious defeat. Or a disastrous run. It's been far from perfect and, at times, a little bit underwhelming. Natural consequences of change. 

Third is the aim. It has to be with this squad which, especially when fully fit, is the best and deepest outside the Old Firm. Naismith's remit is to guide the team there - and this nine-game sprint will go a long way to shaping the season.