Robbie Neilson has accused his Hearts players of being ‘weak’ and ‘bullied’ in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock.
The loss - the team’s fourth in a row and their fifth from their last six games - has sparked an angry backlash from a section of the Jambos support.
One x-rated message daubed outside Tynecastle called on the manager to go in no uncertain terms.
The 42-year-old has always struggled to win over some supporters and seeing the side’s lead in third slashed to just a single point with eight games to go in the campaign has not helped his cause.
Neilson has apologised for the display at Rugby Park and is desperately seeking a reaction at home to top-six rivals St Mirren this weekend.
And he has acknowledged the Gorgie outfit need to show a greater strength of character as they attempt to overcome a worrying spell.
He said: “In my opinion, we were weak and we were bullied a lot of the time, and it’s not acceptable at this football club.
“So, we can only apologise.
“I know we said it the last time [after the recent 3-0 defeat to Aberdeen] but the only way we can rectify it is to do better on the pitch this week.
“I thought we started well and got the goal but it’s that strength when the setback comes.
“We lose a goal, alright it’s a penalty and we made some errors in that, but after that we’ve still got to show resilience.
“But I just felt that too many of us went into our shell.”
Meanwhile, Hearts’ owners have hit out at those responsible for the graffiti aimed at Neilson.
The message, which read ‘**** off Neilson, was painted outside the entrance to Tynecastle and partly over the club’s crest in an area named Foundation Plaza in honour of the supporters who helped save the club from administration in 2013.
And fans’ group Foundation of Hearts, now the majority shareholders at the club, have condemned the act as offensive to the club’s badge and supporters.
A statement read: “An utterly shameful, pathetic act of vandalism at Tynecastle.
“If this was really the act of a Hearts ‘supporter’, it’s a gross insult to the badge and, perpetrated on the plaza named for the fans who did so much to save the club, it’s a shocking insult to all of them.”
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