GET BEHIND YOUR CHAMPIONS
Mackay plea for united front at Hearts
GARY MACKAY insists Hearts must now reconnect with their supporters after clinching the Championship title.
Many Hearts fans are sceptical about the direction the club is going in under owner Ann Budge and manager Robbie Neilson.
Defeats in this season’s domestic cup competitions to Brora Rangers and Alloa have also done little to placate the supporters.
The league success comes just a year after Hearts were relegated from the top flight on a points-per-game basis following a woeful campaign under Craig Levein and then Daniel Stendel.
And club legend Mackay insists the club must convince the fans that the right infrastructure is in place on and off the pitch.
He said: ‘I’m delighted we are back in our rightful place after what has been a tumultuous 18 months.
‘The aim at the start of the season was to get promotion back into the Premiership but we can’t get away from the fact the aim would also have been to progress in the two cups and that wasn’t done, so there is a balance. ‘For supporters, it’s nice to know there is now Premiership football ahead of us. It’s great to be back in the top flight but we have to learn lessons and be prepared as it’s a completely different animal to the Championship. ‘I’m talking about the whole dynamic of the club and everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. Most clubs are galvanised when there is a connection between the fans, the players, the board, the management — and that needs to be worked on because right now there is a disconnect.’ Striker Liam Boyce launched a passionate defence of Neilson (left) following Friday night’s 6-0 thrashing of Alloa and urged irate fans to direct their fury at the players instead.
The Northern Ireland striker said: ‘There are high expectations and we know the fans want more — and they’re within their rights. As players, we want more. When there are questions of the gaffer, it should be on us. It’s us out there on the pitch, our performances and we know how hard the gaffer works. We went out to prove a point and Friday was the kind of performance that was needed.
‘Everyone was disappointed after the Queen of the South defeat and we sat down and had a chat. We knew after the Brora result that confidence takes a bit of a hit and that we weren’t doing the right things and making the right decisions.
‘We let it all out and thankfully we came out on Friday and did the right things and took the right options.’
Fifteen wins from 24 league outings has not been enough to satisfy all the Hearts fans and Boyce concedes even he did not appreciate how challenging second-tier football would be.
He added: ‘At the start of the season we were scoring six, fives and fours every week and you think it’s easy.
‘Then you come up against teams who are not doing so well, they set up to defend, it makes it a lot tougher and we’re going to some stadiums where it is tough to visit. It’s just the way it is and I think I also underestimated it.’