Robbie Neilson admits it is time for Hearts to ‘walk the walk’ against St Mirren this weekend.
The Tynecastle side suffered their fourth consecutive loss - and their fifth in six games - with Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Kilmarnock.
The setback has allowed Aberdeen to haul themselves to within one point in fourth spot and also heaped pressure on Neilson himself.
The Gorgie boss was the subject of an x-rated message daubed outside Tynecastle over the weekend that called for him to leave and he appears to have lost the support of some Jambos fans.
The 42-year-old accepts Hearts are struggling to cope with a slump in form.
READ MORE: Neilson accuses Hearts players of being 'weak & bullied' by Kilmarnock
But he knows that actions speak louder than words as they seek a solution with just three games to go to the split and with an Edinburgh derby against rivals Hibernian on the horizon.
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He said: “This period we’re in at the moment is a very difficult period for everyone.
“We’re not playing to the level we want to and we’re not getting the points we want to.
“But we have to fight every day in training and this weekend show the spirit.
“Because you can talk the talk all through the week, after the game, this and that, blah, blah, blah.
“But the only way to show it is on Saturday by coming out the blocks and doing better [than Saturday].”
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