Does Neil Critchley need Scottish Cup success for Hearts after his failure to lead them to a top-six finish?
A draw at Motherwell, coupled with St Mirren’s win over Ross County, meant that Hearts slipped into the bottom six in their final pre-split match, meaning they are now in a relegation battle rather than a race for a European place.
Their next match is a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen on Saturday as they aim to reach the Hampden Park final for the first time since 2022.
Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Motherwell and Hearts
The Tynecastle Park side were bottom of the table when Critchley replaced Steven Naismith in October, with the club yet to win a game in the Scottish Premiership.
That is in contrast to Edinburgh rivals Hibs who spent part of the season propping up the table before a 17-game unbeaten run lifted them to third.
Paul Hartley, who won the Scottish Cup with Hearts in 2006, believes he needs to beat the Dons this weekend to win the fans back.
“For Hearts not to get into the top-six was a huge shock, to be quite honest with you,” he told Sky Sports News.
Hearts have struggled this season
“The supporters voiced their opinion on Saturday [at Motherwell]. If they don’t get into the cup final, it becomes more pressure heaped on the manager.
“A poor start to the season, change of manager, had a wee spell where you looked like they’d turn things around and they’ve just never really got going.
“I just don’t think they’ve shown a consistency level.
“If you look at the squad, size of the club, fan base, for them not to get into the top six is very, very disappointing. Saturday is a massive game for them in terms of their season.”
Should Critchley be under pressure?
Is Neil Critchley running out of time at Hearts?
Sky Sports pundits Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton have clashed over their opinions on Critchley’s future at Tynecastle Park.
While Boyd is adamant that his failure to secure a top-six place puts his position under threat, Sutton claimed their form under Steven Naismith meant that survival was his only remit this season.
Kris Boyd
“It’s been a disappointing season for them. Stephen Naismith lost his job because of the start they had obviously.
“Neil Critchley came in and got a lot of plaudits but, for me, he’s under pressure now.
“They’re the third biggest team in the country and they’re in the top, the bottom six again.
“Saturday [vs Aberdeen] is huge for Hearts now, huge.
“Hearts have underperformed this season, there’s no getting away from it and they’ve failed.”
Chris Sutton
“He’s had one transfer window which he’s had; his aim when he came in was to keep the club in the top flight. The wheels were off [before he took charge].
“The disappointment will be it was in their hands, they were in the top six.
“You can’t start sacking managers when it’s not really his decision. It would be ridiculous to sack him.
“He wasn’t the manager at the start of the season when recruitment was one of the biggest issues at Hearts.”
