Hearts look to address Neil Critchley narrative as Premiership top six race reaches dramatic climax

All eyes will be on two stadiums come Saturday at 3pm when three teams try to pinch the one remaining place in the Premiership's top six.

With Celtic, Rangers, Hibs, Aberdeen and Dundee United already assured of being on the right side of the split come the conclusion of this weekend's fixtures, it is between Hearts, St Mirren and Motherwell to land the final berth. And as has been the norm of recent seasons, the race has gone right down to the wire.

Hearts currently occupy sixth place on 39 points with a goal difference of -1. Behind them are St Mirren on 38 points with a -10 goal difference and Motherwell, also on 38 points, with a goal difference of -19. All the teams beneath them have no chance of being involved in the conversation.

Hearts head coach Neil Critchley knows a win over Motherwell this weekend wil secure a place in the top six of the Scottish Premiership. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group

The quirk of the fixture list pits two of the contenders against each other. Motherwell welcome Hearts to Fir Park for what should be a gripping and dramatic match, while 24 miles west, St Mirren host Ross County in Paisley.

The equation is extremely straightforward for Hearts: beat Motherwell and they are assured of their place in the top six. A draw would open the Jambos up to St Mirren, should they beat Ross County, while a defeat would allow Motherwell to leapfrog them. In such an instance, the Steelmen would hope that the Buddies don't beat Don Cowie's Staggies, given that a nine-goal swing is stuff of fantasy.

The most pressure is on Hearts given that the minimum expectation for a club of their stature is to be top six. They could have secured their spot with a game to spare last weekend by defeating Dundee United after both Motherwell and St Mirren lost. Alas, they lost 18-year-old striker James Wilson to a first-half red card and went down 1-0 at home to the Tangerines.

Head coach Neil Critchley arrived in October with Hearts sitting bottom of the league, so in some respects, being in contention can be seen as progress. The gap between the relegation zone and the upper reaches of the table was certainly not insurmountable though and while the capital side has made reasonable progress under the Englishman, there is a narrative developing that the team has yet to win a match of tangible note during his tenure.

Beating Motherwell away would normally not fall into that category, but failing to reach the top six for a club that romped to third place under Steven Naismith last term would be a bitter pill to swallow. There is no doubt that Hearts are in transition and attention is already being turned to next season. Their partnership with Jamestown Analytics is opening them up to new player markets and just on Thursday, they announced the arrival of a new right back in Valerenga captain Christian Borchgrevink.

Hearts lost 3-1 to Motherwell on their previous visit to Fir Park in August. A similar result this weekend would end their top six hopes. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Critchley also has a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen to look forward to later this month and the next couple of weekends are likely to frame how many of the Hearts fans view him. There has been no suggestion of his position being under threat should the Tynecastle outfit fail in their mission this weekend. But making the top six with a win over Motherwell could keep them on the coattails of the top five, as they currently trail Dundee United above them by eight points. European football via a league finish appears fanciful but a strong end to the campaign would give them an outside chance.

For Motherwell, there is a sense of deja-vu. This time last season they needed to defeat another Edinburgh team at Fir Park in Hibs to claw their way into the top six. Despite a late equaliser, they (and Hibs) lost out to Dundee. It has been a campaign of tumult for the Steelmen given that Stuart Kettlewell stood down as manager and German boss Michael Wimmer has brought a new philosophy.

Such is the congested nature of the league, reaching the top six also brings the safety net of not being embroiled in a relegation battle. Only five points separate Hearts from Dundee in the relegation play-off spot, with St Johnstone a further five adrift.

Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer can secure top six for his side with a win over Hearts at Fir Park on Saturday. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Asked if it was the biggest game of the season for Motherwell, given victory could keep them safe in the league for another season, Well boss Wimmer said: “Yes, of course. If St Mirren also win, we have no chance to go into the top six, but points are so important.

“I agree, it’s also important to stay in the league and this is also very, very important for me to have a secure situation. It’s always easier if the pressure is not so high, instead of this kind of pressure.”

A couple of weeks ago, St Mirren were seen as a long shot to make the top six, but a big 5-1 win over Kilmarnock at the end of March reignited hopes of being on the right side of the divide for a third season in a row. That would be a phenomenal achievement and a feather in manager Stephen Robinson's cap. Their aim will be to start fast against Ross County, whose form has dipped of late, and put pressure on their rivals across the M8.

On a weekend when Sky Sports opted for Celtic v Kilmarnock as their Saturday pick with the hope of it being a title party, there can be little doubt where the game of the day lies. Hearts probably have the most to lose at Fir Park and to ease any mounting disquiet around their head coach, now would be a good time to put their foot to the floor.