The table is hard to look at, it’s not a pretty sight. But Hibs is the perfect game for us now. If we can’t get up for that, we can’t get up for anything
HEARTS SAYS JAMBOS ACE CRAIG HALKETT
CRAIG HALKETT hopes the shock of hitting rock bottom will jolt Hearts’ flops into action – and reckons an Edinburgh derby is the perfect game to start the road to recovery.
The Jambos defender admitted the club should never be in the position they’re in as boss Daniel Stendel looks to avoid a FOURTH successive defeat since taking charge in the Boxing Day crunch against Hibs at Tynecastle.
Hearts slumped to the foot of the Premiership after losing their basement battle at Hamilton Accies on Saturday and have now taken just one point from a possible 21.
New boss Stendel, who vowed to chop his flops if they don’t drastically improve, finishes the year with two home games as Aberdeen visit Gorgie after Thursday’s massive capital clash.
And former Livingston stopper Halkett said: “If boys look at the table and see we are bottom and three behind, hopefully it gives them a shake if it hasn’t already done so.
“It is hard to look at and it isn’t a pretty sight. Hopefully we can react to this and get three points on Thursday and you could say Hibs is the perfect game to change things.
“It is a massive game for everyone connected with the club, not just the fans. We need the three points more than ever because we are bottom.
“If you can’t get up for these sort of games than I don’t know what games you will get up for. We haven’t said it is only halfway through the season or anything, we know now we are in a relegation battle.
“We are bottom of the league and three points adrift of the next team.
“We need to sort it and quickly. When you look at the table it is hard to believe we are bottom, we shouldn’t be there. “We are too big a club to be where we are, we should be challenging at the other end of the table, but we aren’t.” And on ex-Barnsley boss Stendel’s threat to wield the axe, Halkett said: “At a club like Hearts if you aren’t playing well and doing your job then the manager has every right to say you aren’t going to play. “Everyone is playing for their futures now, we know that. We have to work hard in training and start putting performances in on a Saturday to stay in the team.” Stendel admits his team have huge problems with the half of the league gone and the squad stuck at the bottom.
The German, above, has demanded his troops take responsibility for their work following the Accies defeat and said: “This was a very bad day for me, for the club and for the supporters.
“We had more here than the home fans. In the second half our performance wasn’t enough. We played last week against St Johnstone and today against Hamilton.
“Both were the worst teams in the league and we lost them both.
“I think the biggest thing for us now is just to avoid relegation. We have to be realistic.
“Maybe some players will surprise me in the future or we have to change things. I have to convince the players about my work, but they need to change things themselves too.
“We have supported every player in the squad over the past two weeks but what we’ve had back is not enough. The responsibility for the next game is with the squad and with every player.
“I cannot say they don’t understand the situation or realise it, but it’s a difficult situation to think we can do it next year and we can win the games that we need in the second half of the season.
“We need to start immediately to change the things. We can play better I think, but the first thing in every situation is that you bring more attitude, more mentality on the pitch.”
Stendel is promising changes in January and added: “Either some players have to come back or we need some different players.
“We had chances to score but didn’t take them. I think the problem is not just the last two weeks but a long time before.
“I take responsibility for the last two weeks and the last three results, but it’s difficult to accept some performances.
“Steven Naismith tried to play. He wanted to help the team but he got hurt in the first half. “Hopefully the other players can see his mentality and what he wants to do for the club.
“Steven MacLean isn’t the youngest player in our squad but he gives everything on the pitch too. We had to show our quality. In some positions the quality is not enough at the moment. It’s hard.
“I decided to take on this challenge and I will do my best.”