PARTING with Robbie Neilson seems to have inspired sweet sorrow for many Hearts supporters, with the prevailing feeling being that - while it was time for a change in the dugout - the sacking of a club legend left a somewhat bitter taste.

From the outside, the removal of Neilson after the weekend defeat to St Mirren provoked some surprise, and more than a little bemusement. Hearts, after all, have been in the group stages of the UEFA Conference League this season, and sit fourth in the Premiership table. Neilson was the man to bring them up from The Championship, secured a third-placed finish last term and took them to two cup finals.

On the flip side, Hearts fans will remember that he also led them to arguably the worst result in the club’s history with a Scottish Cup defeat to Brora Rangers. Dig a little deeper, and it was clear that discontent around Neilson’s leadership of the club has been brewing for some time among the Tynecastle support, and the recent run of six defeats in their last seven matches saw those murmurings spill over into the full-throated protests at the weekend.

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The 2-0 reverse to St Mirren was the fifth defeat in a row for Hearts, and saw them relinquish the third spot that had so recently seemed fated to be theirs. At the tail end of January, Neilson’s side dished out a 5-0 hammering to an Aberdeen team that was in total disarray. Remarkably, it was the Dons who leapfrogged them into third spot on Saturday evening.

So, Neilson’s dismissal may have come as a shock to non-Hearts supporters when the news broke on Sunday afternoon, but for the Gorgie faithful, this moment could be seen from some way off. For many, the recent results were simply a case of the outcomes catching up with the performances.

And it was perhaps those fans that ultimately prompted the Hearts board to take action. Once the supporters turn, as they undoubtedly had, there is rarely any way back.

With just seven games remaining and an Edinburgh derby against a wildly inconsistent Hibernian side on the horizon at the weekend, Neilson may have felt that he had enough credit in the bank to be given at least that period to spark a revival.

But the changing stakes that have come with third place in the table being rewarded with guaranteed group stage European football next season, and the millions in revenue that come with it, may also have contributed to the Hearts hierarchy being spooked into action.

In times past (save for the Vladimir Romanov era), would finishing fourth in the Premiership be a sackable offence for a Hearts manager? Almost certainly not. But by cutting Neilson loose now, Hearts will be hoping to spark a similar turnaround in form that Aberdeen have experienced since Jim Goodwin was replaced by Barry Robson.

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No doubt the reaction Robson has been able to inspire at Pittodrie, and similarly, the revival Stuart Kettlewell has managed to wring from Motherwell, will also have figured in the club’s thinking.

The main difference between Hearts and those teams though is that as well as bringing in a new manager, both Aberdeen and Motherwell recruited well in January, particularly in sorting out their defensive issues.

Angus MacDonald and Mattie Pollock, along with Graeme Shinnie in the midfield, have stiffened up what was an appalling Aberdeen defence, while Calum Butcher and Dan Casey have had a similar impact at Fir Park.

Steven Naismith will now get the chance to stake his claim for the Hearts role, having been asked by the club to step up from the B team on an interim basis. He will face many of the same problems that Neilson did, the chief one of which is undoubtedly long-term injuries to key personnel.

Captain Craig Gordon, centre-back Craig Halkett, midfielder Beni Baningime and forward Liam Boyce have all either missed large chunks of the season, or almost the full campaign entirely. The arrivals of James Hill, Garang Kuol and Yutaro Oda in the winter window has done little to nothing to compensate for their absence.

It must also be said that there are a few of the Hearts squad who may have cause to inspect their own roles in Neilson’s departure. The likes of Barrie McKay and Stephen Kingsley, for instance, have been playing well below the levels they are capable of, and whether that is down to the manager failing to get the best out of them or down to the application of those players, is a matter for their conscience.

Only they would be able to tell you. Though, their performances under Naismith in the coming weeks may give an answer.

Wherever Hearts go from here, there are no guarantees that it will be up. The same can be said for Neilson, in fairness. Though he will likely have done enough to be considered for other jobs at a similar level.

It just seems a shame that the warm sentiments now being expressed for the job he did at Tynecastle were drowned out by the vitriol that came his way in the latter part of his reign. No doubt, he too will be left with a bitter taste in his mouth by how it all came to pass.

In the end, his legacy with the supporters will be that of a proper Hearts man, and – in time – a more than decent Hearts manager.