Livingston manager Gary Holt wants his team to go back to basics in a bid to arrest a five-game losing streak.

Livi have suffered consecutive 3-0 defeats against Rangers and then Motherwell following narrow losses against Aberdeen, Hearts and St Johnstone.

Ahead of Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership game at Tynecastle, Holt told Press Association Sport: "I wouldn't say form is a problem. I take away Saturday's game, the first 15-20 minutes has probably been the poorest we've been. The results haven't been pleasing but performances have been really good.

"We just need to get back to a wee bit more basics, a wee bit more simple football – 11 men and three subs doing the simple things as best they can rather than trying to do really awkward things. If we do that we can get back to what we were doing up to December, which was getting us points."

Livi's recent cup defeat by Hearts came courtesy of a well-taken goal by Sean Clare just after Holt's team had enjoyed much of the first-half play, but they are likely to be less enterprising on Wednesday.

"We maybe believed we could go there and try and score goals rather than sticking to what we are good at, knowing that chances would come within that play," he said.

"There was just a wee mind shift, that 'we have 30 points, we are playing well, we are competing against teams, I think we can go there and beat them'. Rather than going there and not losing the game first and foremost.

"Not being defensive, not sitting with nine men behind the ball, but sticking to the shape and principles and believing we will get chances rather than looking to go and create, which causes problems for the defensive side."