Listen To What The Man Said

Last updated : 27 February 2013 By Ed_Scottishfitba

stmirren jpegHearts manager John McGlynn knows he has to stay calm in the face of criticism from some areas of the  clubs fans as he endeavours to make the top six of the SPL. McGlynn's debut season in charge at Tynecastle is not one he could have predicted as the club are fighting to survive amid financial worries that saw them avoid a winding-up petition before Christmas. Hearts lost 3-2 at home to Inverness on Saturday which saw them end the day eight points off the top half of the table. However, McGlynn is keeping calm ahead of tonight's game away to St Mirren, despite the Paisley game taking on the look of a must-win game for both sides' top-six hopes. McGlynn is taking comfort from words from former Italy World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi.
 
He said: "
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.  We had quite a difficult season last season at Raith Rovers and you get through it.  I went to a Pro Licence presentation with Marcello Lippi and even guys like him are going to go through spells where their teams are not doing particularly well.  That's what gets you through it, at that time I was at Raith Rovers and it wasn't going quite so well. Even the top managers go through spells where the teams are maybe not doing so well and you have to get through it. Roy Hodgson didn't have the greatest time at Liverpool but it didn't make him a bad manager, because he goes to West Brom and does a good job. You have to just get through these things."
 
Buddies manager Danny Lennon wants his players to man up and bounce back from two mediocre displays against Hibs and St Johnstone. Lennon insists his side could have earned at least a point - and maybe more - in those games if they had shown the same strength of character that has been displayed by their rivals this season. Lennon, whose side start tonight's game a point behind Hearts, said: "
We have got six games remaining until the split and we know we have got to go on a fantastic run of consecutive victories. Since November, we have set some high standards but the last couple of games we have let those standards drop. These other teams know how to dig in and get winning results. When we have to grind out results, we do well just to get a draw, we never seem to push on for the victory. When things aren't going the way you want it to in terms of passing and creating things, you have got to go and do the ugly side of it with complete concentration. That's what we haven't been doing these last few weeks."