Martindale wants Livi to finish season on a high
DAVID MARTINDALE has warned Livingston not to let their season peter out after watching the dire consequences of Hearts’ top-six troubles last year.
The Lions have won just two of their last 11 matches and crashed out of the Scottish Cup in agonising fashion against Aberdeen at the weekend following a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
Martindale believes there are lessons to be learned from Hearts, who took just one point from their top-six fixtures in 2019 before being relegated just 12 months later.
He said: “I spoke before we got into the top six about how if we got into the top six we can’t stop, because you’re playing the top five teams in the country, so it’s extremely difficult. I knew getting into the top six was an accomplishment, it was brilliant for the club. It’s fantastic, but I knew it was going to be difficult.
“In our first year [back] in the Premiership, we were round about seventh or eighth at one point and Hearts got top six. I remember speaking to my staff about it and saying, ‘I think they could struggle and go into the next season having lost their last five games in the top six’. That’s a bad reflection going into the next season.
“I’ve spoken to the players about that, because it’s difficult. We’ve got no divine right to be where we are and we’ve got no divine right to go and beat these teams. But we’ll keep trying. Every game, we’ll take it in isolation, win, lose or draw, and we’ll go out and see if we can win the next game of football – and see where that takes us.”