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When Neil Critchley took the helm at Hearts in October, many fans were unfamiliar with the former Liverpool youth coach. Despite having managed Queens Park Rangers and Blackpool on two separate occasions, he was largely considered an enigma within the football community.
Hearts’ chief executive officer, Andrew McKinlay, denied claims that Critchley was a fallback option after negotiations with former Norway manager Per-Mathias Hogmo fell through. The initial success of two consecutive wins in his opening matches seemed to validate the Hearts board’s decision, supported by insights from data partner Jamestown Analytics.
However, the subsequent 14 matches yielded only three victories, with all wins coming against teams at the bottom of the Premiership standings. A particularly disheartening match occurred against Moldovan side Petrocub, where a win would have secured a place in European competition post-Christmas.
Further challenges arose in critical matches against traditional rivals such as Celtic, Rangers, and Hibernian, the latter of which turned around their season after a similarly tough beginning.
Critchley faced an uphill battle due to long-term injuries affecting essential players like Frankie Kent, Stephen Kingsley, and Craig Halkett. Additionally, the unexpected decline in form of striker Lawrence Shankland added to his difficulties. Yet, Critchley understands that in football, success is often measured by results, and unfortunately, those results remained elusive during his tenure.
Source
www.bbc.com