By Aaron Lynch

After an extremely poor 2-1 loss to Kilmarnock at Tynecastle last night, Heart of Midlothian find themselves bottom of the Scottish Premiership approaching the halfway point of the season.

It almost seems impossible to think that the team that comfortably finished third in the league last season would now find themselves in this position, but that’s the reality for Neil Critchley’s side right now.

When looking into Hearts' downfall you can consider many factors, from mismanagement on and off the pitch to key players looking off form.

Hearts fans would’ve been full of confidence approaching the season with Steven Naismith at the helm, however, after nine defeats in their opening 10 games this season, Naismith and his team were relieved of their duties.

It remains unclear what went wrong for Naismith at Hearts. Many people praised his recruitment in the summer, bringing in quality players like Blair Spittal and Yan Dhanda, but that proved not to be enough.

It’s argued that Naismith simply lost the dressing room and that reflected on what we were seeing on the pitch, but the only person who really knows the answer to this question is Naismith himself.

One of the main reasons for Hearts’ success last season was their star striker Lawrence Shankland, who bagged 31 goals in all competitions for the Jambos.

By Mark Scates - SNS Group via Getty Images

This time around, however, their number nine has looked well off the pace, boasting only one goal in 15 appearances so far this campaign.

It's clear that Hearts have consistently had goalscoring problems without Shankland, as more than half of their goals scored in the league last season came from the striker.

In a season of dismay for Hearts fans, it appears there could be light at the end of the tunnel. After sacking Naismith, Hearts looked down south for their next manager, bringing in former Blackpool and QPR boss Critchley.

He came into the Hearts job with a major game against St Mirren looming the following weekend. A reinvigorated Hearts side blew the Saints away, picking up a 4-0 win and three crucial points.

Photo of Hearts manager Neil Critchley By Ross Parker SNS/Group via Getty Images

Hearts followed this up with another three points in Europe in midweek, and if there’s one competition the Jambos have thrived in this season, it's the Conference League. Wins over Dinamo Minsk away from home and Omonia Nicosia at Tynecastle leave the Jambos in a very favourable position and within touching distance of progression to the knockout stages.

In the subsequent days, Hearts went on to scrape a last-minute equaliser against Hibs and then lost to Kilmarnock in a gruesome affair at Tynecastle on Wednesday night, leaving some fans wondering if the new manager bounce has come to an end already.

Going forward, it's crucial that Critchley instils that ruthless, winning mentality back into this Hearts squad, as well as making sure their top players are performing at their best every week.

With St Johnstone away at the weekend for Hearts, this game undoubtedly becomes a must-win for Critchley’s side if they have any ambition of keeping their Premiership status next season.

What's gone wrong for Hearts this season as they sit bottom of the league