Wednesday 18 September 2019 18:00, UK
Hearts owner Ann Budge says the club's board has given manager Craig Levein their backing despite a poor start to the season.
Hearts currently sit bottom of the Scottish Premiership having only picked up two points from their opening five games of the season.
Last weekend's 3-2 home defeat to Motherwell was followed by fan protests outside Tynecastle, with some supporters calling for Levein's sacking.
Budge posted a lengthy statement on the club's website criticising "unfair" coverage of Levein and dismissing claims that the club are lining up a replacement.
"[...] In short, our Board remains behind the manager, his coaching staff and his team," Budge said.
"Not because he is 'untouchable', not because he is 'all-powerful', and not because we are 'weak', as has been suggested.
"We remain behind him because we believe in the plan we have jointly put together.
"What we do not do is overreact, throw all of our plans out of the window and start again!
"[...] I would simply point out that, unlike other managers, who may get called in front of the board if/when things are going wrong, Craig has to present to the full board at every board meeting on how things are going against [the] plan across all areas of the football operation, including highlighting issues and discussing courses of action."
