Naismith's presser analysed: Nieuwenhof's Hearts role, McKay blow

It is not unfair to say that the club's support didn't see anywhere near the best of him against Saints and have yet to fully appreciate the 22-year-old's talent during his short time in Scotland, not helped by a calf injury. There were, however, promising signs as a second-half substitute against Aberdeen. 

Now, it appears he could be set to have a more prominent role in the Hearts midfield. Steven Naismith offered insight into Nieuwenhof's transfer to the club and how he has taken a little bit of time to come out of his shell around the group and on the pitch despite the presence of Aussie compatriots.

READ MORE: Naismith on Vargas surprise and Craig Gordon claim: Full Q&A

"Calem is someone who has especially taken time to settle," the Hearts boss said. "Ideally he'd have been here earlier. It was one week of training and straight into competitive stuff which then becomes tougher.

"He played against St Johnstone, probably not in his favoured deeper position but we felt that was the best place for him. He probably played on the fringes that day whereas I've noticed over the last two weeks he's came right out, been much more open with the group, but on the pitch he is now demanding the ball, he's now deciding I'm the guy who is going to be in this position, I'm going to do this, which is great."

READ MORE: Hearts predicted line-up for St Mirren: Nieuwenhof or Haring

There are a couple interesting aspects to that. Firstly, the admission that the game against St Johnstone saw the player played out of his favoured midfield role. Watching from the stands, the snap judgement on his performance was that he is a player who is more comfortable with the game in front of him rather than getting the ball with his back to goal and turning.

Secondly, the assertiveness he has brought to the pitch in demanding the ball. A lot has been discussed about the team's struggles in possession. Hearts are good at keeping the ball but at times lack verticality, swift directness through the middle of the pitch, whether it is passing or dribbling the ball. Alongside Morgan Schneiderlin for Western Sydney Wanderers, Nieuwenhof was often the driving force. It is a quality which could be key in helping the team in games against Kilmarnock, Motherwell and this weekend's opponents St Mirren who are more than happy for the opposition to have the ball in non-threatening areas. Nieuwenhof could provide some much needed chaos in terms of the passes he chooses and runs he makes.

The game in Paisley is set to be a fascinating encounter but a very tough one. Hearts had more than 64 per cent of the ball in four of their five leagues games, while against Aberdeen it was still over 50 per cent. Yet there has remained a vulnerability.

“Short-term, the biggest thing we need to concisely deal with is teams being happy to let us have the ball.  Do we risk a certain pass? Or, if we’re vulnerable, you need to delay the game. You can’t decide to go into a tackle, and then get beat - kind of like the Motherwell goal here.

“It’ll be tough but in every game we’ve got to be able to be on the front foot and be aggressive at times. But, in every game of football, home or away, there’s moments there where you can’t do it. We’ve got to know when that moment is and when we just need to make us hard to beat."

In Nieuwenhof, Hearts will be hoping they have a midfielder who provides that decision making, direction and control.

READ MORE: The key tactical changes Steven Naismith has made at Hearts

'The reason we've signed them...'

Naismith spoke in-depth about three other players who have arrived in Scotland over the past nine months. Encouragingly all three of Kenneth Vargas, Kyosuke Tagawa and Yutaro Oda, who misses out against St Mirren, are improving with their English. A Japanese translator is always on stand-by at the side of the dugout to help Steven Naismith get his message across. Simply to ensure the manager's message is as clear as possible. As for Vargas, the Costa Rican's maturity was highlighted despite his age.

Naismith spoke about his own experience and even admitted "it took me a year to get settled". Every football fan is guilty of it, writing players off too quickly. A point the head coach was keen to stress is no matter where a player arrives from it can take time to find their feet and become comfortable.

"The reason we've signed them is because we've seen, researched, checked their character," he said.

The message, there isn't an expectation that young players coming from abroad are to be an overnight sensation.

READ MORE: Hearts legend Craig Gordon on his quest to master goalkeeping

Gordon patience

Every single Hearts fan will be desperate to see Craig Gordon back in action. That hope improved after the club captain told HeartsTV ahead of the Aberdeen game that he was set to join in with full training.

Now, don't expect Gordon to be between the sticks before the end of the month. October could be the month that he returns, if he is picked ahead of Zander Clark, of course.

The key factor in his return is being 100 per cent. As a goalkeeper it is slightly different to an outfield player. It is a position where you can't be anything less than fully fit. He won't be pushed by Naismith or the club with Clark having deputised very well. And the 40-year-old, having gone through injury recovery previously, will know his body better than anybody else when it comes to making that decision.

Naismith said: “Even way back at the start when he first came out onto the training pitch there were wee niggles where he said, ‘right, I’m just going to come off it for a day or two’."

McKay blow

Unfortunately, we finish with some bad news. It is understood Barrie McKay could miss the next two months as he recovers from injury with the timeline not set in stone. The winger has been out since suffering a knee issues during the Conference League qualifier with PAOK at Tynecastle Park.

A big blow as the 28-year-old remains alongside Alex Cochrane on the longer-term injury list.

READ MORE: Behind the scenes of the Hearts 150th anniversary kit launch