Craig Gordon addresses Hearts improvement under Neil Critchley and why he understands fan anger

Craig Gordon understands why Hearts fans vented their frustrations at Fir Park - with the Scottish Cup a chance to make amends.

The veteran has been through major highs and lows with the Gorgie club, with Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate with Motherwell confirming a bottom six Premiership spot, off the back of defeat at Tynecastle to Dundee United a week prior. Next up is a Scottish Cup semi final with Aberdeen as the competition stands as there only remaining chance of European football next term.

Gordon was asked whether there has been improvement made under head coach Neil Critchley, who replaced Steven Naismith earlier this season. The keeper believes there are signs of progress occurring.

Hearts upside tackled

He responded: “Yeah, we've come from a long way behind. We felt that we still had enough to get there and we fell short for a number of reasons. I think it was a difficult one to take last week and put all the pressure on this game. I think both teams showed how much pressure was on this game. There was a lot of errors both sides. It probably wasn't the best game to watch. It certainly didn't feel it to play in. We have to now look towards next week. We've got a huge game, a semi-final, but this one definitely hurts.

“We've had two opportunities the last couple of weeks to win a game that would have sealed the top six football and we've not been able to do it, so yeah, very disappointing. We've not taken our chances, but it's not just one game. When it comes to this stage in the season, it's everything that's gone before and we've not been good enough. We've not got the points required to at least get in the top six, but let's be honest, that's not really our aim at the start of the season. It should be a lot higher than that. So yeah, disappointed not to even reach that level.

“We have to go there and win next week. There's nothing else for it. If we don't do that, then the only other thing we've got to play for is making sure we get enough points not to be involved in the relegation battle. So yeah, next week is huge for us and we need to go and win again. There's not a lot of points between everybody in that bottom six, so it's going to be all to play for and we're still going to have to win matches.

“So yeah, there's no point in us feeling sorry for ourselves. It's very disappointing to be in that half of the league, but we now need to go and make sure that we win the games. We've got five games to go. We need to go and win the games to make sure that we stay in the league and we look forward to next season and start again.”

Fan anger

Those left inside the away end at Motherwell booed the team off the park. Gordon can understand the venting of anger, adding: “They want us to win games. They want us to be a top six team. They want us to be better than a top six team and be at the top end of that half of the league. When it doesn't happen, they're not going to be happy. Neither are we.

“We want to be up there. This season has been a difficult one for everybody. We got off to a bad start, steadied the ship a little bit. But it wasn't enough. Now we need to make sure it doesn't get any worse and go and win the games. I've had a pretty long career. I don't really remember all the disappointing seasons. I'm sure there's been a few. But yes, it's not where we want to be.

“I think in the last two games, if we had won both those games, we'd have been comfortably in the top six and looking at maybe trying to catch fourth place or maybe even third. We'd have been still in with a realistic chance with everybody still to play. In the last couple of games, we've got one point. If we had got six, I think that's a huge difference in the table. You start looking upwards.

“That's how tight the league has been this season. That's the same for anybody around that middle part of the league. We've come out just on the wrong side of it. We now need to win the games to make sure we have that springboard into next season. “