CHRISTOPHE Berra conceded yesterday that the next four games are crucial for Ian Cathro – but insisted Hearts can ease the mounting pressure on their manager by inflicting a first domestic defeat in over a season on Celtic this weekend.
Cathro was booed by the Hearts supporters last Saturday as the Edinburgh club finished third in their Betfred Cup qualifying group and failed to progress to the knockout stages. Calls for him to be sacked have grown since the 2-2 home draw with Dunfermline, which followed a 2-1 loss at Peterhead.
Berra, who returned to Tynecastle in the summer, revealed that some harsh words had been spoken in the home dressing room after the game against the Fife side. However, the Hearts captain believes his team have the perfect opportunity to silence Cathro’s critics in the opening Ladbrokes Premiership match of the 2017/18 campaign against the defending champions at Parkhead at lunchtime on Saturday. The defender is determined to help his club get off to a positive start in the league in their opening four matches against Celtic – the first of a run of four straight away matches, which continues with trips to Kilmarnock, Rangers and Motherwelll.
“Everyone saw the reaction of the fans after the game,” Berra said. “They were not happy. If you don’t win games, no matter who you play for, the fans are going to show their frustration. I understand it. We were the biggest team in the group on paper and we should have had maximum points. We should be winning. If we don’t take our chances, it gives teams a chance to stay in the match.
“At the moment, we are not getting the results against teams we should be blowing away, really. Tynecastle should be a place where visiting teams are on the back foot and we should be doing better.
“It’s a cut-throat business. If we are not producing the goods, the management and the players will get stick and it’s well deserved.”
“As players, we have to take responsibility. We have to stand up and be counted and get through it. We know we have to improve our away record and the first four games could be the making of us. We’ll be doing our best to go to Parkhead and do what no team has done in the past 12 months and get a victory.
“After the away matches, we have Aberdeen in our first home game and they are flying at the moment. There is no easy game and it’s up to us to put in the performances.”
Berra, who has returned to Hearts after spells at Wolves and Ipswich Town, admitted the players had had a frank exchange of views following the Dunfermline game, but predicted they would be the better for it going forward.
“We had a good discussion after the game,” he said. “Things have to change. The changing room has a good atmosphere. and it’s been a joy to work in. But sometimes you have to be nasty and sometimes it’s better to talk straight after the game in the heat of the moment and for people give their opinions.
“I told the boys to speak up and they did. There might have been a few harsh words between us, but that’s the case with every club I’ve been at and every club in the country. You have highs and lows in football. It’s about showing character and we need to change things because the fans aren’t happy at the moment and we need to get them on our side. As captain, you make your point to players during training sessions and after games. The discussion we had after Saturday’s match was about what we have to do to turn draws into victories.
“I’ll always give 100 per cent on the pitch and when it comes to saying harsh words. But when I’m shouting at someone and having a go at them it doesn’t mean I don’t like them. It’s all done in the heat of the moment and sometimes people need a kick up the backside Hopefully, you get a reaction from that and there could be no better place to react than Parkhead. I’ve done it there with Hearts in the past. Celtic are flying high right now, but it would be a massive statement.
“Even if we go to Parkhead and win that is not enough – we need to keep on winning and get as many points as we can, not just in the first four but the whole league season.
We need to finish in Europe.”
Berra stressed he has enjoyed working under Cathro, whose appointment at the end of last year at the age of just 30 made him the young manager in the history of the Scottish top flight.
“Since I’ve been at the club training has been first class,” Berra said. “Everything we do with Austin MacPhee and Graham Fox has been well run. We’re just not taking that on to the pitch, which is where it counts.”
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