Naismith calls for four big performances

Hearts’ technical director, Steven Naismith, says the next two weeks are going to be demanding with European and domestic fixtures and he added: “We need four big performances.”

The first date in the diary is the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off against Greek side PAOK at Tynecastle on Thursday (19.45) followed by a trip to Dundee on Sunday in the cinch Premiership. The Jambos are in Greece on August 31 (18.30).

The fourth game is at home to Motherwell in the Premiership on September 3 and, for the record, tickets for Sunday’s cinch Premiership match at Dundee are sold out.

PAOK – for the record the acronym stands for, Panthessalonikios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinoupoliton, come into the joust on the back of a 3-0 win over Asteras Tripoli at home in the Greek Super League and they have also beaten Hadjuk Split at home in the Conference League and drawn with Hajduk Split on the road.

They also beat Beitar Jurusale 4-1 away in the Conference League and drew 0-0 with them at home. Prior to that PAOK lost to Olympiakos at home 1-0 in the Green Super League.

Hearts beat Partick 4-0 in the Viaplay Cup at Tynecastle on Sunday after their 3-1 victory over Norwegian side Rosenborg in a heady night at Tynecastle. That game followed a no-score draw at home with Kilmarnock and a 2-1 defeat at Rosenborg.

A 2-1 success at St Johnston kick-started their league campaign and Naismith said: “The more we play the more the boys will understand each other.”

He said it has been a good start to the competitive campaign and he added: “The more competitive matches will do us the world of good. We have a good squad. We believe in the players that are here and we believe that they can all contribute.”

PICTURE: Flashback to the pre-season fixture with Leeds United. Picture by Nigel Duncan