Under-fire Neilson backs Hearts for third despite slump

3 years ago 34

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Robbie Neilson applauds travelling fans after last weekend's 2-1 loss at Kilmarnock

Robbie Neilson remains convinced Hearts will finish third in the Scottish Premiership despite a slump that has led to criticism of the head coach.

Four successive away defeats for Hearts has allowed fourth-placed Aberdeen to narrow the gap to one point.

A mosaic of the club badge outside Tynecastle was defaced with a crude anti-Neilson message this week.

"It's disappointing that you get graffiti, but ultimately that's football nowadays," said Neilson.

"You've got to take that on the chin. If you're at a big football club and you lose a couple of games on the bounce, people will voice their opinion.

"You've just got to accept that, move on and hope it doesn't happen again. The only way we can rectify it is by winning on Saturday."

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St Mirren visit Gorgie next, with Ross County then at Tynecastle after an Edinburgh derby at Easter Road before the Premiership split.

Hearts have won 10 of their 14 league matches at home this season and have not lost away to Hibernian since March 2018.

"We now have a home game, the derby, which takes care of itself, and another home game," said Neilson. "It's up to us to try and take maximum points. If we do that, we're sitting in a completely different position.

"I still think we'll finish third and that's where we want to finish.

"We're third at the moment and we've got an opportunity on Saturday to hopefully extend that lead, then more opportunities throughout the season to try and confirm it."

Neilson has been the object of fans' ire before, most noticeably towards the end of his first spell in 2016 and again in 2021 following an embarrassing Scottish Cup loss to Brora Rangers.

"Any manager that's had the longevity I've had, you're going to have ups, you're going to have downs," he said.

"The biggest thing in football nowadays is resilience, whether that's as a player or manager. You've got to keep pushing forward, looking to the next game.

"Yes, we'll have dips, but it's important to come through them as we have in the past.

"If we get a result on Saturday, everything is smooth again, everything moves forward to the derby.

"The place will be rocking. It always is. The fans have been outstanding the whole time I've been here and it's about getting behind the players, it's about bringing that energy.

"The players have to bring it on the pitch and it reciprocates off the pitch. We score the first goal, we move forward."

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