Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn consigned the Jambos to defeat in Glasgow

Neil Critchley revealed exactly what he does and does not want from his Hearts team following defeat by Celtic in Glasgow. The Tynecastle manager offered some candid post-match comments and stated the 3-0 loss would not affect his players.

Celtic ended the game as a contest before half-time by building a lead through Daizen Maeda’s double and Jota’s strike in between. They played out the second half comfortably as Hearts focused on damage limitation. Critchley spoke at full-time and admitted he does not want to see his team retreat like they did after the break.

He changed formation to a three-man defence and took responsiblity for the outcome. “Look, It's a big dilemma coming here,” he commented. “You know you're up against a top-quality team. Do you really go for it and know that what happened in the first half can happen? Or do you just sit off them and give them half the pitch and know that they might beat you anyway? Then it's what formation, how do you approach it?

“I just looked at loads of games and loads of different teams and how they'd done it. We took a midfield player out today and went with one more in the back line but we still played with three forwards and we wanted to have that attacking threat at the top end of the pitch. We carried a threat on the counter-attack a couple of times. It just didn't quite go our way, which sometimes that can happen, unfortunately.

“I don't want the players to lose belief in who I want us to be. In my opinion, as a coach, you always have to protect or develop the traditions of the football club. It's always been built on going toe-to-toe, being on the front foot, being aggressive. We'll learn from that. I want us to be that team and get better at being the team we were in the first half and doing that for longer, and doing it better and doing it against top opponents.

“That's what we've got to strive for. That's where we want to be and this is the type of teams we want to be playing against and competing against for longer every week. That's my test as a coach and that's where I want us to move forward as a club. The principles of how we play the game, I will live and die by that and protect those principles that I think represent the club that I think we should be.”

Rangers goal the example for Hearts as the aim for Premiership top six

Speaking on Hearts striker Elton Kabangu’s battle with Celtic centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers, Critchley continued: “It’s two powerful players, physical players, good athletes. I thought Elton got the better of him a few times down the side. We created some moments where we were getting the ball into the penalty box and creating threatening moments. We just didn't capitalise on them.

“We had the header from the corner. That's when you need that to flash past the goalkeeper, a bit like, can I mention Raskin's goal? The first goal for Rangers. You need it just to flip in the corner and then the game changes. Unfortunately, Vil [Sinisalo] made a good save, fair play to him. But you need that to go for you. I thought we created some good moments, but I know that's on me. It's my responsibility. I know that if it goes wrong, then they can hurt you with the athleticism and the pace they've got at the other end. That's what they did.

“I thought we started the game very well, on the front foot, pressed well, good organisation, created some good moments. You could just sense a little bit of frustration in the crowd. The goalkeeper's kicked it off the pitch a few times and then unfortunately they scored with their first attack. We just lost the middle of the pitch a little bit and they played through us slightly too easily.

“And their second goal again, a real bit of quality to be fair, which is what they can produce. And you need those moments to hit the outside of the post and go out, and it didn't. We had a great chance to go 2-1 with Jamesy Wilson. You know you're not going to get many chances, you have to take them. At 3-0, the game's gone and then it was a bit of damage limitation really, which is not the team or what I ever want us to be. I'd much rather we played like we did in the first half.

“I have to say in the second half, again, we changed the shape and the players did it very well. We limited them to very little, even though we didn't carry enough of an attacking threat ourselves. All you can ask for as a coach is the players try and do what you've asked them to do to the best of their ability. I felt the players did that for the whole game.

“I'd say the first two times they get to the goal, they score. We know the way that we approach the game is a risk. It's high risk, high reward. But I don't really ever want us to be the team what we were in the second half. Giving them half of the pitch, I don't enjoy that. I'd much rather see us go for the game and if sometimes you live by the sword, die by the sword, so be it.

“I don't think Hearts and who we are as a football club has ever been built on surrendering half the pitch and sitting behind the ball and hoping that we get a breakaway or a set-piece to win the game. So I've got no complaints with how the players played. Wwe have to go again, move forward. This game can't affect us and it won't affect us, and we've got two games to go [before the Premiership split]. And with the other results going the way they've gone, then it's not hurt us too much.”