Critchley: ‘we should have got something at Ibrox’

Neil Critchley believes that Hearts should have got something from their trip to Ibrox. The game ended 1-0 with Cyriel Dessers netting after six minutes, but Kenneth Vargas hit the post early in the second half after a wonderful ball from Lawrence Shankland which split the Rangers rearguard.

The head coach told Hearts TV that his men got off to the worst possible start before more than 48,000 fans at Ibrox and he said: “Their best opportunity comes from us giving the ball away in the middle third of the pitch.”

Critchley believes his men were too tentative at the start but grew into the William Hill Premiership fixture and the message at the break was simple: Show a bit more belief and a bit more aggression, particularly without the ball.

The players listened and executed and Hearts forced The Light Blues back and he said: “We controlled a lot of the second half and had some good opportunities.”

Critchley added: “I don’t want us to be a nearly team. In some ways, I’m proud of how we played the game. We’re not going to be a team that is going to be passive and sit behind the ball. We’re going to be on the front foot and take the game to the opposition, home or away.”