Hearts confirmed today that Neil Critchley is their new manager – to a mixed reaction.
It became clear in recent days that Critchley was the man would become the latest incumbent of the Tynecastle hotseat just under a month after Steven Naismith was sacked, and the announcement came early this morning.
Fans are very split on the decision but the only thing that makes sense for them now is to get behind him, however the club and new man will be aware that a slow start will be pounced upon by the doubters.
After a horrific start to the season, the Jambos are in need of a massive lift and club chiefs clearly feel the former QPR and Blackpool boss is the man to provide that.
He has lots to do though, and Not the Old Firm has taken a look at what.
Critchley must stave off Hearts relegation threat
First thing is first, Hearts need to move away from the bottom of the table. They start each season off with ambitions of finishing third, qualifying for Europe and winning a cup. Many fans even want them to aim higher. So a relegation fight is not acceptable. You could say the current squad is ‘too good to go down’ but that was what people thought in 2020 too and the reality is that once you get yourself into a dogfight, it can be tough. Results must improve and fast and there are certainly opportunities to pick up points, both domestically and in Europe, in the weeks ahead starting with St Mirren at home on Saturday.
Get the Hearts fans behind him
It’s practically impossible to get an appointment that completely unifies a fan base, but it is far from ideal to have one that divides it so much. Critchley is essentially on the back foot already with Hearts supporters so split on his credentials and it is certainly a club where hysteria from the stands can have a direct impact on what happens on the pitch. It is quite simple though – win games early and you will get the fans on side. A concerning thing though is that he has tended to start slow in the past, even when he has gone on to be successful.
Progress in Europe
Something else that would certainly get the fans pulling for him would be some success in Europe, with the Conference League the only other competition the club are competing in aside from the league until after Christmas. Liam Fox has given him the perfect platform with victory in the first game and Critchley’s second game in charge is at home to Omonia, perfectly winnable. Six points from six and the Gorgie men would have a great chance of making the play-offs.
Edinburgh derby
After St Mirren and the Cypriots is the small matter of an Edinburgh derby at the home of Hibs. These fixtures can go a long, long way in buying a manager a bit of time even if things aren’t going swimmingly overall. Win his first three ncluding the derby and he is off to a flyer, lose the first two and then win the derby and you buy yourself a bit more time in terms of convincing the faithful.
Develop Hearts young players
Hearts is a club that has always wanted to develop young players and integrate them into the first-team, with varying levels of success at different times. When there have been a barren few years fans are desperate to see it happen and that is the case now. Steven Naismith promised it and tried it to an extent with Macaulay Tait and Aidan Denholm but none of them got a prolonged run in the team. Critchley is well- hought of in the famous academy of Liverpool and has a track record of bringing young players on, which is possibly something that helped him get the job.
Find a shape that works
Jambos fans grew tired of seeing the shape tinkered with and also of the fact that 3-5-2 seemed to be the preferred one of the two used. The new boss has used different ones at different clubs so it will be hoped he can assess the squad and pick a shape that is optimal for the players at his disposal. Indeed, he has previously explained that is what he likes to do.
Free agents
Critchley will have a wealth of knowledge of players down in England and also good contacts. Could it be that there are some free agents available
January transfer window
Beyond that, there will be an opportunity to strengthen in January. Again, the 45-year-old can dip into his contacts book and perhaps bring in some loans from the English Premier League or Championship. Crucially, the club will also have access to the Jamestown Analytics data to scout players, as well as possibly some investment from Tony Bloom to make the signings happen. Again it depends on how the manager wants to play but the team is crying out for some pace and proper wingers, as well as possibly another option at centre-forward.