A critical week ahead at Hearts: Pressure, league position, fans' reaction, management and positives

The Edinburgh club stand at a vital juncture in their season

The cinch Premiership table shows Hearts in seventh place after slipping into the bottom six over the weekend. Seven defeats in the last 11 games overall have tested supporters' patience, allied to the fact Motherwell, Dundee, Kilmarnock and St Mirren all sit above them in the league.

So, it goes without saying three points from Livingston at Tynecastle Park on Wednesday is a must. Sandwiched in between Sunday's league visit to Rangers - from which there are many positives - and the Viaplay Cup semi-final against the same opponents, there is an argument that the much lower-profile midweek match is the most important of the three.

There was notable improvement in Hearts' performance at Ibrox following an insipid 4-1 home loss to Celtic seven days previously. They looked unflustered, confident and in control leading 1-0 with strong displays from goalscorer Lawrence Shankland, midfielder Beni Baningime and centre-back Kye Rowles. A late capitulation let Rangers off the hook as that narrow advantage spun into a dispiriting 2-1 defeat.

Despite abhorrence at the penalty award from which James Tavernier levelled the scoreline, Hearts have no time to feel sorry for themselves. They simply need to recover quickly, harness anger, use it as motivation, and garner victory against ninth-placed Livingston.

"Definitely, a game at home to Livingston is one where we should expect to cause them more problems than they cause us," Steven Naismith, the club's head coach, told the Evening News. "At a club like Hearts, they are the games you need to win. If you are not winning them, then you are going to be under pressure. Simple as that."

Naismith is already under pressure from some supporters who remain unconvinced by his tenure thus far. The team have struggled to build momentum despite highlights like a pulsating European win over Rosenborg. They also dominated Hibs at Tynecastle, ground out a vital win at Ross County and knocked Kilmarnock out of the Viaplay Cup at Rugby Park.

Defeats at Dundee and St Mirren, plus losing at home to Motherwell, stopped Hearts gaining traction. As did three crazy minutes in that aforementioned Edinburgh derby when their 2-0 lead was erased for a 2-2 final scoreline. All of the above contribute to the Gorgie club's current league position.

Sunday offered vital and timely hope that there is some progress on the horizon. Hearts were unflustered for most of the afternoon and worthy of their 1-0 advantage. Rangers were loudly jeered off at half-time by irate supporters, some of whom had left the stadium and accepted defeat even before Tavernier's 90th-minute penalty equaliser.

It is that kind of energy, tenacity, hunger and desire Hearts fans want to see on a weekly basis. "If we have that level of performance, we have a chance in any game," agreed Naismith. "I've said consistently that I believe in this squad, even when we haven't had results. They are a good group who can do it. There are definitely times where they switch off and things don't go to plan.

"The second goal on Sunday, the only thing I can point out and ask if we can do better is game management. It's that emotion of losing a goal. We lost a goal against Hibs and then we lost another straight away. We have to understand that we still have something from the game [at 1-1]. If we defend better, if we are smarter, if we are cuter, it deflates that buzz which just happened with Rangers' goal going in.

"Ultimately, I don't think the [penalty] decision is right. When we are dealt that blow, we must be able to reset and have a clear mind. In so many games, that is an opportunity for the game to swing one way or another in quick succession."

Fix the momentary collapses, and Hearts would be in a significantly better position. They drew 2-2 at Ibrox in May with Naismith in interim charge and left aggrieved at taking nothing on Sunday. After hosting Livingston and meeting Rangers again at Hampden, they travel to Motherwell in another important league fixture before the international break. Quite simply, seventh place won't do for a club whose stated target is third.

"In a one-off game, I think we can go toe-to-toe with anybody," said Naismith. "We can have a gameplan and compete in every game. It's the consistency part which takes time as players develop, grow and understand the demand. They become more comfortable with it and their consistency level gets higher.

"It's not going to happen overnight that we are going to be as good as Rangers. Arguably, we could win that game on Sunday easy. The way we play is impacted by the quality Rangers have and what they do, but we still carried a threat and we got our goal early.

"The levels beyond that are when you have worked for a longer period of time, players are more comfortable with the demands so, when setbacks happen, there is no panic or uncertainty. It's just: 'No, we keep doing the same thing.' That comes with time and experience."