Neil Critchley names what he doesn't want Hearts to be after Rangers defeat as 'possible' handball irks star
The Hearts head coach has provided his verdict on a defeat against Rangers.
Head coach Neil Critchley says there was some player unhappiness over a possible handball after Hearts lost narrowly to Rangers at Ibrox.
A Cyriel Dessers goal inside the first 10 minutes was enough to seal a 1-0 victory for the hosts in this Premiership affair, despite a good showing from the Gorgie side. It means that Hearts remain second-bottom of the league heading into the final international break of the year.
Kenneth Vargas hit the post in the second half and before the break, he latched onto a loose John Souttar pass which couldn’t be converted. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon was unhappy at the end of the game as Hearts launched one final attack, as players claimed for handball. The full-time whistle was sounded instead of an on-field VAR review for a handling of the ball.
Critchley says the possible handball was the reason for Gordon’s dismay but the three minutes of added on time is what perplexed the head coach. He explained: “I think because it was a possible handball. I've not seen it back yet and I don't know if it was in the box, not in the box. I don't know. I think the time, three minutes, I thought it should have been longer than that.
“We had seven minutes at St Johnstone last week and I don't remember the physios coming on or anything. So three minutes, I don't know where that's come from. It should have been longer in my opinion. So maybe we would have got a free kick and that would have been... Because we were pushing right to the end.
“The players gave everything, they went right to the end. We were nearly there, nearly something dropped for us and we just needed that little bit of... Sometimes you need a little bit of luck as well and we've probably not had that in the last couple of games as well.”
After a 2-0 loss to Heidenheim in the Conference League on Thursday, Critchley was left lamenting a lack of finishing, as he wants his side to avoid becoming nearly men. He said on the game as a whole: “We got off to the worst possible start. We were too tentative at the start.
“Rangers scored. I think we grew into the game, but their best moments probably came from us giving the ball away in the mid-third of the pitch in the first half when they broke on us. But we controlled a lot of the game. We had a big chance right after half-time and I felt that if we'd have taken that, with the feeling around the ground, maybe the game would have swung even more in our favour.
“I think in the second half we've controlled the game, pushed Rangers back and we've had nearly moments. But I don't want us to be an early team. People keep saying, 'Oh, good performance', but I don't want that feeling. Good performance is about getting points and winning games and we should have got something from that game today.
“You know you're not going to get loads of opportunities, although if we'd have made better choices, made a better pass, better crosses, we'd have created more. We failed in the last moment and that's what let us down on Thursday night and that's what's cost us picking up at least a point today.”
An international break now gives the new head coach more time on the training ground to get his ideas across to the squad. Critchley added on preparations ahead of their return to action against Celtic: “The next few days we've got to get the balance right.
“I think the game schedule we've been on has been relentless. So we'll have the next few days where we're in for training. There'll be a midweek game for the players who haven't played. That's really important. They'll get some rest and then obviously we get a week leading into Celtic which will be vitally important.”