HEARTS OF THE MATTER
IAN CATHRO claims he couldn’t care less about the criticism that has come his way from Kris Boyd in the wake of his appointment as Hearts boss.
Nor is he particularly bothered about the prospect of Boyd trying to prolong the wait for his first win in the hotseat when Killie come to Edinburgh tomorrow.
But what did cause Cathro sleepless nights over Christmas was the manner in which his team failed to deal with adversity when Dundee roared back at them to win 3-2 at Dens Park on Friday night.
The man referred to disparagingly as a ‘laptop coach’ has been in the game long enough to know that teams can blow a two-goal lead as his did on Tayside.
But that was the first time in his life he’s had to deal with the gutwrenching feeling as the man who is ultimately responsible for results.
His reaction in the immediate aftermath was interesting. He sat for around 30 seconds totally lost for words and when they eventually did come, they spilled out in torrents.
The Dundonian insists he doesn’t get angry but he gave a decent impression of a man who was raging at the defeat.
That is no bad thing. Cathro clearly cares. And he’s looking for a reaction from the players he accused of lacking leadership on the pitch when the going got tough.
He is also looking for his first win in his fourth attempt and he needs it because the longer he goes without one, the more the pressure will build.
Cathro said: “Every time you take a slap in the face it gets more difficult but that has got to prompt more fight and togetherness.
“We have had to be honest with ourselves and the good thing about football is that there’s always tomorrow.
“You have conversations when you win and when you lose. Everyone