Hearts boss Critchley eyes top six slot

Neil Critchley, Hearts’ head coach, said he has strength in depth ahead of their key William Hill Premiership clash with Dundee United at Tynecastle on Sunday, April 6 (kick-off 14.30).

The fixture, plus the trip to Motherwell for their next game on Saturday, April 12 (15.00), will decide if Hearts make the top six after the split.

Critchley said the squad was looking really healthy other that Gerald Taylor who suffered a long-term injury on international duty with Costa Rica.

Otherwise, Craig Halkett was on the bench last week against Celtic and Frankie Kent (pictured by Nigel Duncan) trained this week but Stephen Kingsley was ill at the start of the week but he was out training on Friday.

All three have been training on the grass, joining the squad, and he added: “They’re feeling good and it is nice to have their presence on the pitch, their experience and seniority back into the group.

“They add a lot to the group. We have lots of bodies, strength in depth, and I’m going to be disappointing a few people in the next few games.”

Hearts, he said, will attack the two games with positivity and optimism and he believes that the battle to reach the top six remains in the hands of his men.

Critchley expects a rough, awkward match on Sunday but he wants to take the game to the opposition and said that a top six finish is not a success if the Jambos miss out on a European place next season.  

Jim Goodwin, United’s manager, has urged his men to complete their bid to secure a slot in the top six when they visit Tynecastle.

He told the media: “We have put ourselves in a great position and we haven’t been out of the top six pretty much all season. It is very much in our hands. We don’t want to relying on anyone.”

Goodwin added: “It is more of a must-win fixture for Hearts than ourselves.”

Meanwhile, Hearts have secured a further 1,941 tickets for the Scottish Gas, Scottish Cup, semi-final against Aberdeen on Saturday, April 19 at Hampden (12.30 kick-off live on BBC One Scotland) after selling out their initial allocation of 19,000 tickets.

The extra tickets go on general sale from 11am on Sunday, April 6. They are available online or from the Ticket Office.