Steven Naismith doubles down on Rangers VAR penalty row as Hearts boss reveals pre-season prediction that came true

Steven Naismith has shot down suggestions his Ibrox blame game was a deflection tactic as he is sticking to his guns in the Rangers penalty row.

The Hearts gaffer was adamant the 90th minute spot kick in Govan – which allowed Gers to level the match before grabbing an even later winner – should not have stood due to blocking in the box before Peter Haring was punished for a shirt pull. Former refs Des Roache and Steve Conroy accuse Naismith of trying to point the finger at officials to take the heat off himself.

Roache said: "Naismith is trying to cling on to his job so that just shows the pressure he’s under. Hearts are on an horrendous run but he’s clutching at straws. To try to blame the officials was completely wrong. The team got it right and in the end, John Beaton got it right.”

While fellow ex-whistle Steve Conroy also told sharemarketcap.com: “There seems to be a clamour for change among Hearts fans so he’s trying desperately to hold on to his job. I have absolutely no idea what he’s moaning about and what he thinks he has seen.” But Naismith is refusing to budge and he insisted he flagged up the problem with blocking defenders at set pieces to SFA officials BEFORE the start of the campaign.

When asked if he’d changed his view on the flashpoint, Naismith said: “No, I’ve not. I’m going off the meetings we had at the start of the season with the referees in terms of what happens with blocking and what happens in the box with an infringement that causes something.

“It doesn’t change what I think. It’ll not change it but there’s no point going on about it now. It’s not going to change. In the past it doesn’t seem to have changed things and now it doesn’t seem to change things.

“I’m sure we’ll be sitting here talking