Hearts have sacked the head coach Steven Naismith before claiming there was little evidence of him lifting the club out of a run of eight consecutive defeats. Naismith led Hearts to third place in the Scottish Premiership in his only full season in charge but he will not be in the dugout when they open their Uefa Conference League group campaign against Dynamo Minsk on 3 October. A 2-1 defeat by St Mirren in Paisley on Saturday left Hearts bottom of the table with one point from six matches. Hearts, who handed Naismith a contract extension until 2026 last month, have also sacked assistant coaches Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy. The chief executive, Andrew McKinlay, said: “I’d like to firstly thank Steven, Gordon and Frankie for all their efforts over the past year and a half. They worked tirelessly in their roles and without them we would not have enjoyed the successes of last season. “However, things can change quickly, particularly in football, and it has been clear for all to see that things are not working this season. Results and performances have fallen below the standards expected at this football club and, unfortunately, there is little evidence of any potential upturn in fortunes. “With our Conference League campaign about to commence, and the spotlight on our league position, we cannot afford to stand still. “That is why we, as a board of directors, have made the difficult decision to part ways with the management team, who go with our thanks and best wishes.” Hearts started the season with a goalless home draw against Rangers but then lost to Dundee, Motherwell, Dundee United, Celtic and St Mirren in the league, Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup, and home and away against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League playoffs. Speaking after the game in Paisley on Saturday, Naismith appeared to realise that the writing was on the wall for his job. “I’m realistic to understand that the more games we pass, the more pressure builds,” he said. “It will be what it’ll be. The one thing I’ve felt my whole time at the club as a player, as a coach and as a manager, is that the board are realistic, they’re sensible, they understand it. They make good decisions, in my opinion.” Hearts next host Ross County on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.