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Neil Critchley bemoans Hearts 'fine margins' as he urges players to keep believing after Euro defeat
Neil Critchley says Hearts were “a bit wasteful” in front of goal as they slipped to back-to-back defeats in Europe.
The Jambos were facing Cercle Brugge in Europa Conference League action in Belgium, with the hosts scoring two unanswered goals and the misfiring Lawrence Shankland blasting a penalty over the bar. Despite many fans remaining positive about the nature of the performance under the new head coach, they have now lost four games on the bounce and sit second-bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
Shankland, who has only scored one goal so far this term, has remained influential to the side’s style of play but his profligacy in front of goal is an undoubted concern. However, Critchley was reticent to single out any individuals and reckons there are still “loads of positives” for his side to take from the game.
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Speaking to Hearts TV, the boss said: "It was a game of fine margins. First half, little between the two teams, not a lot of chances at either end. We give a poor goal away right near half time. We lose the middle of the pitch and then don't defend well enough on the edge of the box.
"I thought we were much the better team in the second half, had some good moments and good chances and in a game of few chances you need to take them and we haven't done that. Things are not just quite going our way at the moment, but I still saw loads of positives, particularly in the second half, and we just have to keep believing in what we're trying to do."
His side had 13 shots, with six of them on target but failed to find an effective route to goal, in a game that was often slow and uneventful. "Sometimes if you're well beaten, not that you ever want to get beaten, then you can understand sometimes that, you know, we've just been beaten by a better team," Critchley continued.
"But at the moment the margins are so fine and things are going against us and we've got to do better in front of the goal, which we're not doing. It's not like we're not creating opportunities; we're a bit wasteful, I felt, in the first half in some good moments. And, yeah, if we want to win games of football it's quite easy. We have to do better in the final third in front of the goal."
Shankland’s chance from the spot came 10 minutes from time, but the Scotland cap ballooned it over the bar, as his goal-scoring woes continued.
"Yeah, well, it's down to me and the staff, obviously,” Critchley responded when quizzed on how to keep morale up in the dressing room.
"You have to take responsibility in how we prepare and never come out and blame any individual. You know, we win together, we lose together, and that's the name, it's a team game. I'm desperately disappointed for the supporters tonight who have travelled in great numbers. We want to give them a goal and a win and unfortunately we've not been able to do that."
