Hearts board under scrutiny over next manager appointment - can they afford to ignore the obvious candidate?

Farewell Neil Critchley, we hardly knew ye. Only 192 days since his appointment as head coach, Hearts have reached the conclusion that the Englishman's time is up.

The announcement was made within two hours of a 1-0 home defeat by Dundee on Saturday that had boos echoing all around Tynecastle Park - and not for the first time under his short-lived tenure.

Critchley took Hearts from last place to mid-table, but for every step forward, there were several steps back, with home and away derby defeats to Hibs, the European humiliation at the hands of Moldovan minnows Petrocub, failure to secure top six and losing the Scottish Cup semi-final to Aberdeen leaving him vulnerable to the fate that has now befallen him.

Hearts sacked head coach Neil Critchley after Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Dundee at Tynecastle. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group

With no statement result to speak of, and the disappointments mounting, Saturday's result proved the final straw and leaves Hearts heading to Dingwall on Saturday knowing that a defeat to Ross County would see them dragged firmly into the battle to avoid a relegation play-off against a Championship side.

Critchley cannot take sole blame for a dismal season down Gorgie. He inherited a malnourished squad from predecessor Steven Naismith that had endured its worst ever start to a season, while club captain and talisman Lawrence Shankland has endured a mysterious dip in form.

Fingers are also being pointed at the Tynecastle boardroom. Sacking a manager after six months is an effective admission that a mistake was made in the first place. Searching for a sixth manager in six years is evidence of repeated mistakes being made.

Little wonder then that some Hearts fans are demanding change in the directors box as well as the dugout. Many of them simply do not trust the current regime to get the next appointment right.

There were eyebrows raised when Critchley was handed the Hearts job on a three-year contract. He emerged as the "outstanding" candidate - in the words of CEO Andrew McKinlay back in October - from a shortlist produced in conjuction with data partners Jamestown Analytics, but when you appoint a manager who was sacked from his previous two jobs - after just 12 games in the case of Queen's Park Rangers - then you cannot be surprised by how events have transpired.

Critchley at times appeared to be caught in the wrong movie. His choice of words after the goalless draw at Motherwell that saw Hearts miss out on the top six a case in point when he claimed that the result would have been considered "okay under normal circumstances". You would be hard pressed to find a Jambo who would agree with that sentiment.

Hearts are backed to the tune of millions by wealthy benefactors and The Foundation of Hearts. Supporters expect a return for this investment but at the moment they are being short-changed.

Liam Fox has been placed in caretaker charge of Hearts following the sacking of Neil Critchley. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group

The process of finding a new manager is now underway. Whether that involves giving caretaker Liam Fox until the end of the season and taking time to weigh up their options ahead of a summer appointment, or moving quickly to get a new man in the door before the end of the campaign, remains to be seen. Securing Premiership status is the number one priority regardless.

Many names will no doubt be linked with the vacancy in the coming days, with Jamestown Analytics playing a leading role in what will be a global search, but look closer to home and St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson would seem like an obvious and logical choice. A manager who has his team consistently punching above their weight with three consecutive top six finishes, qualifying for Europe for the first time since 1987, and who knows the league and what it takes to succeed.

While using analytics can clearly have its benefits - Brighton being the case in point where Jamestown Analytics have had great success under Tony Bloom - the jury is still out on whether this approach is right for Hearts. Critchley's appointment was a failure after all, and it is arguable whether any of the signings made under the partnership so far have improved Hearts.

If Robinson's name is not on the shortlist produced by Jamestown then questions should be asked. Derek McInnes is another who would fall into the sensible choice category given his previous record at Aberdeen and for getting the most out of a limited squad at Kilmarnock, while John McGlynn has worked wonders at Falkirk but may struggle to win the popularity vote given his previous spell in charge of Hearts ended with him being sacked.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson is an obvious candidate for the Hearts vacancy. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Of course, there is the likelihood of Jamestown unearthing a hidden gem from further afield. Per-Mathias Hogmo was identified alongside Critchley last time around but a deal could not be struck with the 65-year-old Norwegian, who was named Molde manager in January.

If Hearts want to go down the Scandivanian route, then Kim Hallberg is making a name for himself as a young up and coming coach with Hammerby in the Swedish top flight. The 37-year-old earned widespread praise for guiding Varnamo to a fifth placed finish in the Allsvensken in 2023 against the odds and was interviewed by Sunderland. He joined Hammerby instead and guided them to a runners-up finish last season after they finished seventh the year before. It would be a surprise if Hallberg wasn't flagged up by the Jamestown algorithm.

Marek Papszun is another unknown name in Scotland but that is certainly not the case in his homeland. In 2016, he was appointed manager of Polish third division club Raków Częstochowa and helped them achieve promotion to the top flight within three seasons before winning the Polish title in 2022-23 - a feat he is on course to repeat this season. Linked with Brighton in the past, Hearts directors are sure to come across the name of Papszun in their search for a new boss.

Whatever route Hearts decide to go down, the pressure is on to make sure it is the right one.