Steven Naismith says Hearts ’ farcical end to the season was caused by too many people at the club just accepting the way things were going.
The Jambos were relegated after the SPFL were given the go ahead by member clubs to end the season early, although the decision is currently being contested in the courts.
Their joint petition with Partick Thistle to have relegation overturned began on Wednesday at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
But if that is booted out and arbitration doesn’t result in a different outcome, then it’s at least a season in the second tier for Naismith and the Jambos.
And the Scotland striker pinpointed the main factor that lead to them being bottom when the lights went out on Scottish football.
“If I’m honest there’s probably been a general acceptance and not enough people around the club saying ‘I’m going to drag this and get us where we need to go,’” he told the Lockdown Tactics podcast.
“There’s not been enough in that camp that’s allowed us to do that’s caused trouble in the season just past there, which has ultimately ended in farce.
“But we didn’t have a good season for a reason, and that’s because we didn’t have enough in and around the squad to control games and win games. That’s been the biggest problem.”
Daniel Stendel was appointed to replace Craig Levein last December to try and arrest the slide.
The German made some big calls early on, including binning the experienced but disappointing Glenn Whelan before sending former club captain Christophe Berra on loan to Dundee.
And while that surprised Naismith, he admitted that Stendel’s clean slate approach did lead to an increased level of competition within the squad.
“When the manager came in in January, he made it clear to everybody that this was a blank slate,” he explained on the Lockdown Tactics podcast. “Because of what you’ve done or who you are doesn’t mean I’ll be seeing you in a different light.
“It was like ‘I’m going to watch you all in training and decide who I want’ and that’s how he went.
“So you had 20-25 guys all trying to get in this guy’s team so subconsciously there was a but of rivalry between everybody there.”
Naismith will be hoping that a drop in division doesn’t affect his international hopes with Scotland.
Steve Clarke has refused to rule out picking Naismith, who recently passed the 50 cap mark for his country.
But with a massive Euro 2021 play-off semi-final against Israel looming, he admitted he’d willingly sacrifice every appearance in dark blue to date to appear at a major finals.
“I’d give them all up to get to one,” he said. “I honestly would.
“My biggest memories of Scotland was growing up watching Euro 96 and France 98. Then you come through and there’s no tournament after no tournament.
“We’ve been in campaigns when one result has cost us massively. That’s been the story of all our international careers.
“So to have this chance, two games away from it, personally I’ll be striving because it’s probably going to be my last chance to make it to a tournament.
“And what a chance it is. I’ll not have a better chance.”
