John Robertson has told Hearts fans to trust in Craig Levein - even if he has fallen short of their expectations.
The Caley Thistle boss is determined to knock the Jambos from the Scottish Cup and yet remains adamant there is no better man to lead his former club.
Robbo, the Hammer of the Hibs as a Tynecastle legend, can batter nails in the coffin of the season of the club where he was once idolised.
However, he insists he victory for the Highlanders this weekend should not sound the death knell for Levein’s time on Gorgie Road.
Robertson said: “Whatever happens on Saturday, Craig will regroup in the summer, bring in new players and march on.
“There’s nothing in Craig’s mannerisms and nothing I see from him that suggests he is not going to be there next year.
“He has to deal with the expectation levels of the Hearts fans and they have to realise they were in administration two short years ago.
“They have a brilliant new owner who has put a lot of money into the club, as well as the fans themselves – millions of pounds. They deserve all the credit in the world.
“But they have to trust the people in charge to get on with the job.
“In the fans eyes, have they made the progress they expected? Probably not. They probably expected higher finishes in the league, better runs in cups and cup finals.
“They would probably have expected a trophy by now. Craig knows all that and understands it. He’s very focused in his way and in what he wants to do.
“Any manager knows, if you get a run of perceived bad results, you will come under so-called pressure in the media spotlight.
“He’s at the third biggest club in Scotland so there’s always going to be that focus on him.
“Craig will deal with that in his own unique style and mannerisms. Trust me, it will be annoying him because of his own high standards.
“He’s a very resilient character, very resolute. He will be desperate to get it right.
“Hearts could finish sixth in the league this year or they could finish fifth, but all that can be erased by winning the cup.
“He will see us as a very achievable victory to get to the final and then he’ll take his chances against Celtic or Aberdeen.
“Can we cause Hearts problems? Yes. Are we going to have to scrap? Yes. Can we get to the final? I believe we can. If I don’t believe, how can I expect it from anyone else?”
