Hibernian manager Paul Heckingbottom insists he can handle the flak from disgruntled fans and vowed he will get it right to turn around their form.
Hibs went down 3-0 to Motherwell in the Ladbrokes Premiership and a vocal section of the travelling support called for Heckingbottom to be axed, with many heading for the exit long before the final whistle.
Those who stayed booed the visitors off at full-time after goals from Sherwin Seedorf, Liam Donnelly (penalty) and Jermaine Hylton secured a convincing and deserved win for Motherwell.
Hibs have won just one game in their last nine league outings and fans are beginning to turn on the manager, who was appointed as Neil Lennon’s successor in February.
Heckingbottom said: “You are going to get stick because you are in charge. That’s the nature of the job, that’s what you get paid to take.
“You don’t get carried away when they are chanting your name and you don’t get carried away when you’re getting booed.
“It’s obvious for me what we need to change and how we need to do it – get back to work. You’ve all heard the saying that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
“We worked hard but we were too easy to play against. One v one situations went wrong for us.
“A pretty team got dominated in one v ones at key moments. It happened in our box and their box.
“Most of the players were here last year when we weren’t getting beaten.
Some are under-performing.
“We have enough time now to stress that on the players but it can’t just be for the next game. It will improve, without a doubt.
“It will be reflected in the teams I pick, it will be reflected in the business we do in the next windows.
“You might play pretty stuff and have a half-decent season but we want better than that.”
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson was delighted with his team’s performance and believes there is even more to come from his new-look side.
Robinson said: “I am happy. I thought it was a convincing performance and we should have won by more goals.
“We were dynamic in the areas of the park where we needed to be and you can see the talent we have in the forward areas.
“We’ll get the players we think can win us matches even fitter over the international break and keep trying to push forward.
“I think they are working at about 60 per cent at this moment with Jermaine Hylton, Seedorf, James Scott, Chris Long, Devante Cole.
“When they played before they didn’t have to do any defending, they could stand out wide – but that can’t happen here, we can’t carry players.
“If we can get them into decent shape over the next few weeks then we’ve got some exciting talent on our hands.”
