Hearts head coach Neil Critchley insists he can handle the pressure despite another disappointing afternoon for his side as they fell to defeat against Dundee.
The Jambos’ recent run of dismal form continued after Simon Murray’s strike seven minutes before half-time sealed a 1-0 win for the visitors at Tynecastle.
They have now only managed one point from their last four William Hill Premiership matches, as well as losing out in the semi-final of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup to Aberdeen last weekend.
The home supporters made their feelings clear in the aftermath of a torrid afternoon for their team. However, Critchley believes he can turn things around.
The Hearts boss said: “I totally understand frustration when you lose at home.
“There’s an expectation at this football club which I’ve said I’m more than comfortable with – I believe in the next four games we can prove that and I’ll prove that.
“I’m confident in my ability to move the team and group forward, which will hopefully take the club where we want it next season.”
The hosts rarely threatened after falling behind against a resolute Dundee side.
After only missing out on a place in the top-six on the final round of fixtures prior to the split, Hearts now have concerns at the bottom end of the table.
Only five points separate the men from Gorgie and Ross County in the relegation play-off danger zone, with the sides meeting next weekend in Dingwall.
“We lacked quality, composure and a bit of belief in the second half,” Critchley added.
“We’ve got four games to go and we’re in a fight. We need to show the right level of application and fight to get ourselves out of the situation we’re in.”
Tony Docherty hailed the spirit of the Dens Park players after they left ‘everything on the park’ at Tynecastle.
Dundee moved out of the play-off position thanks to Murray’s 22nd goal of the season.
Although Murray’s match-winning moment will grab most of the attention, the Dundee boss believes his defence deserve special praise after recording a rare clean sheet.
“To come here and get that performance and result, I’m hugely proud of them,” Docherty said.
“I asked the players to leave everything on the pitch and to make sure they went over and above for their team-mates, I think you saw a team that did that.
“I’m on record as saying that this season we’ve had a lot of adversity in terms of injuries and particularly injuries to senior players.
“Joe (Shaughnessy) has missed 31 games for me this season, though once they are back, you see the level of performance we get in a defensive sense.”
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