Levein refuses to criticise fans despite calls for his exit

CRAIG LEVEIN is adamant he would never criticise Hearts supporters for venting their fury as he emphasised that the onus is on the players, not the fans, to lift the mood at Tynecastle.

There was a toxic atmosphere as Levein’s side played out a miserable 2-2 home draw against Hamilton in their last Premiership outing.

It ensured Hearts still boast just four league wins in the whole of 2019 and the full-time whistle was greeted with a cacophony of jeers and audible chants of “Craig Levein, we want you to go” from the Main Stand. However, Levein has defended the supporters’ right to call for his head.

“I would never ask the supporters to blindly support a team,” Levein said. “If we are not performing to the levels that we should perform to then, in some ways, I quite like the fact that we have to learn to handle that.

“We need to handle that type of pressure at home. You need to feel the downside to feel the benefit of the upside. I would ask the fans to keep doing what they are doing. Some people will support and some people will be unhappy, depending on circumstances. I would never criticise any of them. It is our job, myself, the players, coaching staff, to win games, particularly at home.”

Levein concedes that the calls for him to quit felt “personal”; however, he is happy to shoulder that burden if it means less pressure on his players.

Hearts host Motherwell tomorrow, knowing that his position will be under even more fierce scrutiny if their recent malaise continues.

Levein added: “It’s just the way society is. That is what it is like now. It [the criticism] is personal but I can’t afford to take it personally.”

Levein promised to put his underperforming stars through a crashcourse in defending over the international hiatus following their lapses at the back against Accies.

And he is content with the results as the experienced coach seeks to rediscover the form which saw the Tynecastle side rack up a record-breaking eight-game run of clean sheets in the 2017/18 league campaign.

He added: “We did three sessions which were very helpful but it’s about concentrating during the matches.

“We have lost crazy goals this season, whereas not long ago we were celebrating a clean-sheet record. And the players are not a hell of a lot different. We need to get back to that.”