Liam Fox met the media at Oriam ahead of Hearts’ crucial home match against Ross County tomorrow afternoon. Aaron Fraser reports:
Image Credit: Calum MacKenzie
After the sacking of Steven Naismith on Sunday, Liam Fox has been appointed as Heart of Midlothian’s interim manager. Fox, who is currently head coach for Hearts B, has assumed the first team role on a temporary basis, while a long term replacement for Naismith is found. Fox is expected to be in charge for Saturday’s home game with Ross County, as well as trips to face Dinamo Minsk and Aberdeen next week.
Fox knows that he will not be in the hot seat forever, and has been given the short term goal of getting Hearts firing again. The Jambos are yet to win a game in all competitions this season, and are languishing at the foot of the Premiership table.
For a team that has qualified for Europe in the last three seasons, the current malaise has been as sudden as it is surprising. Simply put, Hearts need to start winning games, or it will be a relegation battle on the cards in Gorgie this season, let alone a European one.
“It was obviously a difficult start to the week, Steven, Frankie and Gordie losing their jobs. First of all, I think it’s really important that I mention [three] really good guys. I’ve seen how much effort and work and time they put into it, so there was a natural disappointment at the start of the week.”
“Ultimately in football, sometimes you don’t get the time. Every coach, every manager, every staff always ask for more time and unfortunately it’s just the way that football is. I think when you step into this environment, you have to understand that that’s the trade-off, that you might not get the time that you need.”
“So that was obviously a difficult start to the week, but I feel like the players have responded well every day that’s gone past. Let’s be honest, we’re looking forward to what is a huge week, a challenging week, but it’s a week that any player, any staff member is really looking forward to. It’s a challenge I want us to meet head on.”
As a lifelong Hearts supporter, Fox admits that the opportunity to one day manage his beloved club was one beyond his wildest dreams. Sentimentality has to take a back seat for now though, and all focus is on getting Hearts through a challenging three-game block, before passing the baton on to Steven Naismith’s eventual replacement.
“It’s important that you’re allowed to dream. Did I ever think I’d get here? Nah, probably not. I’m going to try and enjoy it. The one hint of sadness in it is that three people have lost their job off the back of it. I always need to remember that and be respectful of that. I’m going to do the very best I can to see where it goes, and hopefully pass it to somebody else in a better place.”
Fox is not taking on the task alone. He is joined by two former Hearts players-turned-staff in Lee Wallace and Angus Beith. Both Wallace and Beith are at the beginning of their coaching careers, and Fox is full of praise for his assistants.
“They know the club inside out. The two of them have been a massive help to me this week. They know me as well, which helps. Angus has obviously worked with me a period of time, I’ve had a long, long standing relationship with Lee Wallace. Both of them, first of all, really good human beings, really good guys. Desperate to help, desperate to do well. Lee had an unbelievable playing career, so he carries that.”
“Me and Lee actually played with some of this group. We both played with Barrie McKay, going way, way back. I played with Craig Gordon, going way, way back… same youth team. Just how they are as people, how they engage with people.”
“I think Lee and Angus moving forward in the future will be very, very good. Whatever they decide to do, their appetite for learning, their knowledge, their detail, how they are as human beings, they’re going to be really, really good. At whatever route they decide to go on in football, whether it be coaching, whether it be managing, whatever they be, you’ve got two really, really potential high level people there.”
Hearts fans have criticised the team’s lack of identity and distinct playing style all season, with the team looking like a shadow of their former selves. Fox knows he has a difficult challenge on his hands, but is relishing the opportunity to steady the ship.
He says that a packed home support can be a huge boost to his players.
“We’re playing against top managers, some really, really good players. I think that the hope for me is that I understand the supporters. We’ve had a difficult period just now. The onus is absolutely on us to give them something, to bring them with us, to hopefully see some different things. Hope makes the world go round, so that’s what I’m hoping for. Off the back of that, there will be moments in any game of football where things don’t go right and we may be under pressure.”
“We will be under pressure at some point. Passes may go astray. That’s the game. I’m hoping if we bring the supporters with us early in the game that there will be moments when we’re going to need them and they can hopefully pull us through. There’s no doubt Tynecastle when it’s full and it’s rocking can be very, very powerful. So the onus is on us first, as players and staff.”
Gerald Taylor will be out for a prolonged period with suspected knee ligament damage, and Fox was asked if a certain Adam Forrester could be in line to stake a claim for a starting spot. Fox responded by saying that it’s an opportunity not just for his B team captain, but for everyone.
“It gives an opportunity for everybody. One thing I’ve seen first hand this week is the quality levels. The other thing that I need to say is the attitude and application of the players has been really, really good. I’d expect that though, to be totally honest with you.”
“I think, as a coach or a manager or an interim manager. I’ll take the stick for 98% of things. The two things that I always think are always on players is their attitude and their application. Nobody has shifted me off that. The rest of the stuff I’ll take responsibility for, no problem.”
