Frankie McAvoy was appointed head coach last month with Steven Naismith as technical director; Naismith cannot manage in Europe without his UEFA license; Hearts kick off their new Scottish Premiership campaign at St Johnstone on August 5
By Luke Shanley & Alison Conroy
Hearts former academy director Frankie McAvoy insists he will be making the final decisions this season with Steven Naismith adamant he is happy with the management changes.
He was appointed as head coach last month with Naismith taking on a technical director role as he is unable to manage in European competition without his UEFA badges.
Naismith took interim charge of the team for the final seven games of last season following Robbie Neilson’s sacking with many believing he will still be actively in charge.
But McAvoy has told Sky Sports News that will not be the case.
“The only difference is when it comes to differences of opinion and who we should play and start then I’ll make that decision.
“I think it’s just as simple as that. We work together well, in terms of how we want to set up and want to play, and then we go about that on a daily basis on the training field and on match days.
“At the end of the day, the only difference is who has got the final decision on the starting XI.”
Naismith insists he has a plan in place to complete his Pro License and the structure could change again in the future.
“We’re all very comfortable with the way it has been. Last season we have the seven or eight weeks and we debate things but there’s never been a standoff,” the former Hearts striker added.
“We’re all on the same page and it has been seamless so far.
“I think for the longer term thing there could be changes. The here and now and what we’re dealing with and accepting is this structure and that’s what we’ll go forward with.”
Defender Frankie Kent tells Sky Sports News what Hearts fans can expect from him and why he made the move to the Scottish Premiership side
Hearts have made three summer signings so far. Defender Frankie Kent has moved from Peterborough United, goalkeeper Michael McGovern joined following his exit from Norwich City and Australia Under-23 midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof moving from Western City Wanderers.
McAvoy is hopeful of adding to the squad before their Scottish Premiership opener away to St Johnstone.
“It’s not quite as easy as saying just get them in and just go and get the targets that you want,” the former Preston boss added.
“What you’ve got to do is go through the process, sometimes it needs to be right for the club and for the player as well.
“We’ve worked hard behind the scenes to identify the targets and now the hard part then getting Joe Savage (sporting director) to go and do his magic and try and get it over the line.
“We’ve got three in and we’re looking to add more hopefully, it won’t be too long before we announce new signings.”
Scottish Premiership and SWPL on Sky Sports
Sky Sports – Next season up to 48 cinch Premiership games will be available across Sky Sports’ flagship channels, including Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, plus at least five SWPL matches. From 2024/25, up to 60 cinch Premiership will be live on Sky Sports, in addition to the SWPL.
Sky Sports News – Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Scottish football fans can enjoy Sky Sports News’ (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the cinch Premiership and SWPL throughout the season.
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Sky Sports Social – Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports’ main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @ScotlandSky will continue to be the home of all Scottish football content on Sky Sports.
Highlights show – Tune in for a dedicated round-up from the cinch Premiership every week on Sky Sports Football.
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Sky Sports is the home of domestic football in the UK and Ireland, with more than 400 games per season across the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Women’s Premier League, Premier League, WSL, and EFL.
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
The transfer window opened on June 14, but who will be on the move this summer ahead of the deadline at 11pm on September 1 in England and at midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.