Robert Snodgrass gives a brutal assessment of Hearts' failings after furious fans unleash their anger

Watching Hearts fans unleash their fury on players and management at Rugby Park on Saturday, their emotive reactions were perfectly understandable.

They don't want to hear more talk, excuses or reasons for poor performances. They simply demand that they stop immediately. Room for manoeuvre is gone after the 2-1 defeat to ten-man Kilmarnock left the Edinburgh club just one point ahead of Aberdeen in third place in the Premiership.

That lead stood at seven points just two months ago and has been gradually eroded amid a series of insipid displays. Four defeats in the last five Premiership games is evidence of a decline which culminated in events in Ayrshire.

Lawrence Shankland gave Hearts an early lead, goalkeeper Zander Clark then conceded a penalty which Danny Armstrong scored. Clark hurt his hamstring and was substituted at half-time after failing to punch Armstrong’s cross clear before Christian Doidge converted. Despite captain Rory McKenzie’s second-half red card, Kilmarnock saw out a vital victory in their relegation fight.

Zander Clark apologises to Hearts fans. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

Hearts players shuffled sheepishly towards the away end at full-time to applaud around 2,500 supporters from Edinburgh. They were met with a torrent of abuse.

“There are spells where we don’t play our usual style and have moments of madness that really cost us,” said midfielder Robert Snodgrass. “Against Aberdeen the other week, against Motherwell before that, against Celtic and again on Saturday, it keeps happening. But let’s tell it like it is, because that’s the only way to get better.

“We haven’t been good enough. There needs to be a better Hearts team out there. We need to have a right good look at ourselves. Any successful team needs a togetherness, a never-say-die attitude when you’re not playing well. It’s a demand that comes with wanting to be the third-best team in the country.

“The fans travel in large numbers and they don’t deserve what we gave them. It’s back to the drawing board to look at who we are. These moments of madness are clear to see. It’s a tough little spell for us all. We’re not winning our individual battles, simple as that. There’s no point sugar-coating it.

Hearts midfield Robert Snodgrass says everyone in the dressing room must look at themselves.

“I don’t know why [Kilmarnock should be hungrier], not when we’re going for third place to get this great football club into Europe on a regular basis. The disappointing thing is this has been creeping in for a few weeks now and we haven’t found a way to stop it. It’s not been good.

“You get confidence by playing well. No-one comes in off the street and gives you it. People need to know what Hearts are turning up and right now we don’t know that. We all take full responsibility for that. I take full responsibility for my part in it.

“We need to be right by each other’s side now because these are the weeks of the season when things are won and lost. You need that hunger in your belly, you need that drive, to puff your chest out and not feel sorry for yourself. That’s football, man, that’s part and parcel. That’s what separates the winners from the guys who didn’t make it.”

Kilmarnock (3-5-2): Walker; Mayo, Wright, Dorsett; Armstrong (Taylor 88), Watson (Power 88), Donnelly, McKenzie, Jones (Chambers 63); Doidge (Lyons 79), Vassell.

Hearts (4-3-3): Clark (Stewart 46); M Smith, Sibbick, Rowles, Kingsley (Cochrane 66); Grant, Kiomourtzoglou (McKay 46), Snodgrass; Ginnelly (Oda 79), Shankland, Forrest (Humphrys 66).

Referee: Euan Anderson.