Over a fortnight on from Steven Naismith’s sacking as head coach of Hearts, the Tynecastle outfit are still hunting for his successor after the 3-2 defeat to Aberdeen at the weekend.
The Jambos head coach had led his side into Europe following an impressive third place finish last season, but couldn’t replicate his success at Gorgie in 24/25, and departed Hearts as they propped up the Scottish Premiership table having mustered just one point from six league games.
Naismith was already on borrowed time at Hearts when a 2-0 Premier Sports Cup defeat to Falkirk in August was followed up by defeat to FC Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League qualifiers, and his fate was sealed when his side limped to poor 2-1 defeat against St Mirren.
Liam Fox has since took interim charge of the Gorgie side and helped them to their first win of the season when he masterminded a 2-1 win over Dinamo Minsk in the club’s opening game in the Conference League. Fox has oversaw a 1-1 draw with Ross County and an unlucky 3-2 defeat to Aberdeen in the league. Has he done enough to convince the Hearts hierarchy he can be the man for the job?
Pundits and fans alike now speculating on who will step into the Gorgie hotseat on a permanent basis, with one ex-Hearts bosses also in contention, according to Gambling.com.
5. Stephen Robinson - 5/1
Could the Northern Irishman be tempted to leave St Mirren for Gorgie? | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
6. Alex Neil - 6/1
The former Sunderland and Stoke City boss has been out of work since his sacking at the bet365 Stadium in December 2023. He was the original favourite, but his odds have fallen rapidly. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
7. Derek McInnes - 8/1
It has been a tough start to the campaign for the Kilmarnock head coach but he has worked wonders at the Ayrshire club, taking them from the Championship into Europe within two years. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
8. Kim Hellberg - 15/2
Linked to the head coach role at Sunderland last year, the Swede is the boss at Hammarby in his homeland. A highly-rated young coach, could Hearts follow a similar path to that of Aberdeen? | Twitter