Hearts supporters have taken their criticism of Robbie Neilson to eye-catching levels. From the plane that flew over Tynecastle during a game in his first spell in charge to the graffiti desecrating the club’s badge last weekend, the manager has had to withstand flak like few others.
It is part and parcel of the game, he says, but the readiness with which some fans turn to their ‘Neilson out’ refrain hardly bears scrutiny aside his achievements in the job. The 42-year-old joked that some appear to think the current travails are apocalyptic, but he remains calm.
The Jambos may be on a poor run of form, losing their last four consecutive matches and winning just two of their last eight league outings, and Neilson knows it, but he is also quick to point out they are still in the position that every team outside the Old Firm would love to be.
“We are sitting in third place and everyone is like, ‘God Almighty, it's the end of the world’,” he said ahead of the visit of St Mirren. “When I look at the league, we are third. We have an opportunity on Saturday. We’re at home again and we’ve been very strong there this season.
“If you get three points, it takes you into the derby. Win that, and then win the next home game, and then you forget about what has gone on over the last three or four weeks - as everyone has forgotten about what was going on three or four weeks prior to this wee spell.
“For us, it's just about remaining calm and saying to people, ‘see where we are’. Yes, we’ve had a wee issue, but I know if you asked any other club outside Rangers and Celtic whose position would they want, they would want our position.”
All the same, the x-rated graffiti that told Neilson to ‘**** off’ betrayed the feelings of a seemingly significant section of the support that remains unconvinced by him. Never mind the two Championship titles, the two third-place finishes, the European football and last season’s Scottish Cup final near miss.
“The key in football is resilience, for players, managers and coaches,” he added. “You need to be able to take the hits because when you lose a few games it’s the end of the world. When you win a few, it’s the best team since the ‘60s. It's about that happy medium in between, keeping everyone on a level playing field.”
What about Craig Levein’s warning that Neilson could decide the abuse is not worth the hassle and opt to leave for a second time, his first departure coming in 2016 after a ’Neilson out’ banner was flown over Tynecastle earlier in the year.
“This is a brilliant football club and it’s great to be here,” he said. “I want to be here long-term, continue European football year-in and year-out, and continue to build. We’ve had a difficult wee period and it’s part of football. We need to accept that and make sure we keep the players in the right frame of mind to push forward.”
While the criticism is endured, the location of last weekend’s graffiti message was a bigger issue for Neilson. The spray paint covered the Hearts badge mosaic on Foundation Plaza, which was designed to honour the supporters who helped save the club from going out of business in 2013.
“The most disappointing thing is it’s a promenade that has been paid for by the fans, who put in money every week,” he commented. “Then they will have to spend to repair it. There are ways of venting your fury or anger. If you want to do it try and do it another way please.
“We understand the frustration there. But we were at a Federation [of Hearts] do on Sunday and the fans were brilliant, they’re backing the players, they’re pushing things forward."
Meanwhile, Neilson will make a late decision on goalkeeper Zander Clark after fears subsided that he had suffered a serious hamstring injury in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock. The Scotland squad player has not yet trained but could still face St Mirren.
“We will wait on Zander and probably give him until the last minute,” he said. “He is feeling a lot better. The hope is that it's just a mild nerve issue which settles down. We will try him on Friday and see where we are.
“Is it worth the risk? If he gets through it then it would be worth the risk, so we will wait and see. It will probably be Saturday morning before I make a final decision to see how he gets through things.”
