Neil Critchley's stark Hearts reaction as head coach addresses going out of Europe and team's continual issues
Jambos crash out of Conference League after draw with Moldovan minnows
Hearts head coach Neil Critchley addressed the media after Hearts' 2-2 draw at home to Moldovan side Petrocub ended the capital club's hopes of reaching the play-off round in the UEFA Conference League.
On a dramatic night at Tynecastle that ended with the club's angry fanbase heckling the players at the final whistle, here is what the Hearts boss had to say on an ultimately disastrous night for the Gorgie side.
Q: Overall thoughts on the match
"A hugely disappointing night, obviously, for the football club, for everyone involved. We didn't do enough. Over the six games, we haven't got the points tally that we needed. That's on us as a group, we haven't done enough. Ultimately, we've paid a big price for that.”
Q: How frustrating is that, given the position you were in at 2-1 after getting back into it?
"Yeah, hugely frustrating, to say the least. This game followed pretty much a similar pattern to a lot of our games, since I've been here anyway, where we start the game well, we create some chances and build momentum. We don't take them. They score with virtually their first breakaway.
"We're left chasing the game. We respond well, get our noses in front. At that point, we're in control of the game. We don't defend one cross. Again, that's moments at both ends of the pitch. I think we had over 50 crosses tonight, 15 corners. We didn't test the goalkeeper enough, so if you don't do well enough at both ends of the pitch, then you pay the price for that, and that's what we've done tonight.”
Q: If you're saying it's following a similar pattern, and you said you were frustrated, when does it become a worry then that nothing seems to be clicking right, in terms of getting that over the line, as you put it?
"Look, it's quite simple for me, even though it's tough saying this right now, in this moment, is you have to, as we always do, follow the process of going away and trying to improve and reflect on the performance, and what do we need to do better. Now, that's obvious, but the players we've got are here, and we have to continue to work with them to make them better. We tried to simplify the message for them tonight, before the game, which was make sure we ask questions of the defenders, put the ball in the penalty area.
"Fifty-odd crosses would suggest that they were trying to do that, but we didn't do that with enough quality. So, unfortunately, you don't get the time between games to work on that on the training pitch, so sometimes you're relying on the players producing in their moments, and we've just got to get the personnel, the formation and the selections right going into our games to give ourselves the best chance of winning.”
Q: Is there a bigger annoyance, the fact that it meant so much not only on the field, but off the field financially as well, that you've missed out on that, that you could use with January coming up?
"We're all aware of what this competition and what a win tonight would have meant for the football club. You know, finances is not my domain. I'm here to obviously coach the team, to help us improve and get better results, but I'm fully aware of what it meant tonight, and that's on us. We haven't delivered on the pitch, and that's bitterly disappointing.”
Q: What do you say to the fans after letting the team know what they thought of that performance?
"I think we're all angry and frustrated with what's happened tonight on the pitch. When we were in the ascendancy and playing on the front foot, then the supporters got behind us. When we were losing the game, they were understandably frustrated. You have to rise above that noise and block that out and play your game, and we did that. We got back into the game. We responded. The crowd were with us, and then I say that one moment we didn't defend across, and that's what's cost us not progressing in this competition.”
Q: How difficult is it for the players, though, given they clearly don't seem to be playing with a lot of confidence anyway, and feeling that coming down from around them?
"That's football now. That's not just at Tynecastle. That's everywhere. That's the game you play, and you have to block that out. That can be extremely difficult sometimes, but you have to have that balance between remaining calm, showing belief in what we're doing or belief in yourself, and showing that confidence, that enthusiasm to carry on doing what we're trying to do, because if we do that, then we know here the supporters will get behind that.”
Q: Were you happy with the performance, with the reaction following the Kilmarnock game?
"Yes, it wasn't a lack of work ethic tonight or commitment or intensity. That was there from the players tonight. Sunday, I think you could probably question that a little bit at times, but not tonight. It was the quality. I say final third. I don't know how many times we crossed the ball and got the ball into the box, but continuously our decision-making and final ball and cross let us down, and the moments at the other end of the pitch. It wasn't application, focus. That was there tonight. It was different to Sunday.”
Q: You said the other day that Sunday had a red flag. Would there be a red flag on this performance, but for a different reason because of that quality, because the team is struggling to deliver at both ends?
"Yes, well, really, playing at home, if you score two goals tonight, we should go through. Now, I think we should have scored more than two. We didn't look like doing that because of the chances that we created, but the amount of times we had the ball in the final third, we should create more than what we've done.. If you look at the teams that have been picked and look at the players that are on the pitch in all the games, then obviously we need them as an individual, as a team, to produce better to get us out of the position we're in.”
Q: Alan Forrest seemed to be the recipient of a lot of abuse in the opening half. Just how challenging is that for players to cope with?
"Yes, it is a challenge. It is, but it's not going away. It's there. So you can only respond – well, you have a couple of choices and our choice is we have to respond and show fight and togetherness and spirit in how we play the game because I'm still confident there's more than enough in that dressing room to improve our situation."
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