Hearts sack manager Robbie Neilson after run of five straight defeats

Neilson watched on from the sidelines as the Tynecastle side were defeated 2-0 by St Mirren in Gorgie on Saturday afternoon. It meant the Jam Tarts slipped from third place in the league table for the first time in 2023 with Aberdeen going above them, while the Buddies moved a point behind in fifth.

In addition to the five-game losing streak, Hearts had been beaten in six of the last seven and only found victory three times in their last 11 fixtures.

With the Edinburgh derby at Easter Road next weekend, the Hearts board have made the decision to act now. There is no word on who will be in charge when they take on Lee Johnson’s side on Saturday.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Heart of Midlothian Football Club can confirm that it has parted company with manager Robbie Neilson.

“Robbie has been a key part of the club’s ascent back to the upper echelons of Scottish football, delivering another Championship title, a third place finish, two Scottish Cup Finals and European group stage football in the process.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to reach, and we would like to thank Robbie for all of his efforts.

“A full statement from the board of directors will be released in due course. No further comment will be made today.”

Neilson returned as Hearts boss in the summer of 2020 after the club were prematurely relegated from the Scottish top flight following the cancellation of the rest of the season following the outbreak of Covid-19.

In his first season he led the club to the Scottish Cup final, where they were defeated on penalties after Celtic following a 3-3 draw, while they also secured immediate promotion back to the Premiership as champions of the second tier.

In his next season he oversaw Hearts finishing third in the table and once again getting to the Scottish Cup final, losing 2-0 to Rangers after extra-time. These accomplishments saw the club competing in the group stages of European football this term for the first time since 2004.

Hearts will now begin the search for his long-term successor.