Dundee boss Mark McGhee says he can’t allow angry reactions from the stands to distract him from trying to keep the Dark Blues in the Premiership.
The Dens Park club remain rooted to the bottom of the division after being swept aside easily by Livingston in a 4-0 home defeat.
The visitors were 3-0 up after just 21 minutes thanks to three simple crosses.
That prompted some fans to leave and abuse sent towards managing director John Nelms and new boss McGhee, sitting in the stand as he continues a suspension from the dugout.
When Jack Fitzwater made it 4-0 in the second half, a steady flow of supporters left Dens Park having seen more than enough from their team.
McGhee said: “I’ve total respect for fans and their views but I can’t allow that to distract me.
“The players have got to deal with it. When you’re 3-0 down at home after 20 minutes then you deserve stick.
“If they are not men and can’t handle that then they shouldn’t be here.
“When you play badly, you get stick from the supporters. They thoroughly deserved everything they got from the supporters.
“We have to get back to the drawing board within the group and try to find the solutions.”
‘Hugely disappointing’
He added: “I was brought here because something needed to be fixed.
“That has not changed in a week.
“Prior to me coming here they had the worst goal difference in the league.
“Of course it was a shock to be 3-0 down in 20 minutes but it was poor defending.
“All four goals we lost were down to poor defending and individual mistakes.
“That was hugely disappointing but that is what we are here to fix.”
Stick together
McGhee and assistant manager Simon Rusk have been in charge at Dens Park for less than 10 days after the sacking of James McPake.
That has seen a 3-2 defeat at Celtic followed by this dreadfully poor showing at home to Livingston.
There isn’t much time to brood on defeat, however, with another home clash against Hibs coming on Wednesday.
And McGhee insists the Dark Blues have to stick together if they are to find a way out of relegation trouble.
He added: “All I have said to them in the dressing-room is that we have to work together to try to find a way to sort this out and find a way to get the best out of them.
“It is disappointing but we still have plenty of games left.”
