Hearts fans urged to keep faith in Tynecastle squad after Falkirk shock as dressing room response prepared
Hearts will look to respond when they return to action away at Dundee.
Claudio Braga insists Hearts need their fans to stick by them - but the striker admits the team must regain their trust first.
A form slump of one win in eight has been compounded by persistent injury issues and last weekend’s 5-2 loss to Falkirk sparked booing inside Tynecastle. Their first Premiership defeat at home since April 2025 came in emphatic fashion as the Bairns pushed Hearts into fourth, ahead of their return to action away at Dundee next week.
Braga could understand why supporters who remained for the duration of the Falkirk game vented their frustrations, putting his fan-head on. That said, the 27-year-old feels the team have already shown at times what they are capable of, and now must do so more consistently to earn back faith from their Gorgie faithful.
What was Hearts fan reaction to Falkirk loss?
He commented: "I feel like I'm a supporter also of course. Before I was a football player, I was a supporter so it's understandable what they feel. It's understandable the booing for example in this game. I think in some games we saw that last year that maybe there could be a little bit more patience. Sunday for example I completely understand if there was 20,000 boos or even more.
“I just feel like we didn't do enough for the ones that paid the tickets. I think they should keep the trust in us. We proved that we can do better. We had setbacks but I feel we need to show them also that they can trust us. and just depend on us. if they get the trust back or not.
“Of course some situations that are happening didn't show that and its understandable they get mad or frustrated with us and don't trust that much as they trusted in the beginning or last year. But I think we just need to show them that they can trust us again, it's on us to be honest."
No confidence has been lost over the side managed by Wouter Vrancken going on to make a success of their season, after last term’s runners-up spot. They remain in the league’s top four and are halfway through their league phase run in the Conference League, with Scottish Cup action to come during 2027.
Claudio Braga on Hearts
Now it’s about understanding the side of football that goes beyond technical quality, the desire to want victory more than your opponent. It wasn’t something they were able to display against Falkirk but showing more of that side could aid Hearts on their way to future victories, according to the Portuguese forward.
Braga added: "I do for sure, that confidence never goes away. I just feel like we really need to sit and talk as a team. Just make everything clear and understand that football is way more than just quality on the pass, quality on the ball, I think we need to earn the right to be good football players in a way. We're having a good opportunity.
“We need to want more than them, and then when we want more than them, then extra comes. The extra is playing good football, playing good passes. I don't think nobody will ever blame somebody that just loses a pass and then goes and wins his second ball, you know what I mean? I feel it's just about losing everything that we did on Sunday."