Keeping Hearts up is now the sole aim for Stendel

DANIEL STENDEL has conceded that the major aim for crisis-hit Hearts over the rest of the season is now simply to avoid relegation.

Owner Ann Budge insisted when appointing the German earlier this month that she still regarded a top-four finish in the Premiership as a definite objective.

However, after seeing his team slip three points adrift at the bottom of the table following a 2-1 loss at Hamilton yesterday, the Tynecastle boss made it clear the mess he has inherited from predecessor Craig Levein means sights can be set no higher than simply staying up.

Second-half goals from Mickel Miller and Will Collar at the Fountain of Youth Stadium consigned Hearts to the third straight defeat of their new head coach’s reign before Oliver Bozanic’s late consolation.

And Stendel has told his players they have to take more responsibility ahead of Boxing Day’s derby visit from Hibs.

‘We played St Johnstone last week and today against Hamilton. Both were the worst teams in the league at that time — and we lost to them both,’ he said. ‘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.

‘It’s hard to take. We can say it’s all s**t, but, next week, we have two games and we need to look to that.

‘We need to change things.

Either some players have to come back or we need different players.

‘I think the problem is not just from 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.

‘Our problem is we are not scoring goals. I don’t think Hamilton deserved to win. That’s my opinion.

‘In some positions, the quality is not enough at the moment. I decided to take on this challenge and I will do my best.

‘Today was a very bad day for me, for the club and for the supporters. In the second half, our performance wasn’t enough.’

Veteran striker Steven MacLean (below) has also warned his teammates they are hurtling headlong towards relegation — and admitted that some of them have signed their own death warrants already.

Asked if he was surprised to find himself rock-bottom at Christmas, MacLean replied: ‘Not really, because we’ve been woeful.

‘We are where we deserve to be. Everyone keeps saying that we are all good players, but we have got to start taking points or we are going to go down. It is as simple as that.

‘The manager has only been in for three games, so he can’t really take the blame for what went beforehand. It has not been good enough for a while, even looking back to last season.

‘We are in a relegation battle and, unless we improve and show some character and start fighting for our lives, we are going to be down there.

‘I don’t really want to go back in time. What happened before happened and the new manager is now in.

‘He wants to do things a certain way. If we don’t do it, we are going to be in bother and some of us won’t be wanted by him in

January, whether you have a contract or not.

‘It might even have gone that far now. It might be past that and he has made his mind up on some of the players already.

‘I thought we started the game well, played some excellent football and didn’t take our chances, but Hamilton fought and scrapped and took their chances.

‘We have to be more ruthless at one end and much better defensively.’

Steven Naismith was handed a start at Hamilton but was taken off injured at half-time and now looks a huge doubt for the visit of Hibs on Thursday.

‘I’m not sure what the injury was. I think it was his back,’ reported Stendel.