New Hearts attacking set-up - and how it will be used in future
Neil Critchley gives some tactical thoughts
The Hearts team announcement 75 minutes before Sunday’s kick-off against Rangers carried one clear message: ‘We’re going for it.’ Selecting Lawrence Shankland, James Wilson and Elton Kabangu in attack together for the first time was a firm statement of intent from the Tynecastle head coach Neil Critchley. It is a new approach and one he will use again.
Shankland lined up at the apex of a diamond-shaped midfield, with Wilson and Kabangu paired together as strikers. All three had scoring opportunities and Kabangu in particular might have claimed a hat-trick on another day. The final 3-1 scoreline in Rangers’ favour, with Hearts’ goal coming from central defender MIchael Steinwender, might indicate that the attacking plan failed. Delving into the detail suggests otherwise.
Possession of 53 per cent during the match, with 21 goal attempts, 15 on target, and five big chances created illustrates the threat the hosts carried on the day. Rangers sit second in the Premiership as the second-best team in the country behind Celtic. For committed statisticians, Hearts’ xG [expected goals] on Sunday was 2.17 - the third-highest total conceded by Rangers in a domestic match since 2018.
So, the new attacking ploy did its job in generating a plethora of scoring chances. The problem was taking them. That can be put down to the defiance of Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland, plus some unfortunate Hearts finishing. They plundered 14 goals in the previous four matches so scoring isn’t a huge concern right now. Sunday just did not seem to be their day despite overloading on attackers.
“It's rare you'd create that many opportunities,” said Critchley, speaking to the Edinburgh News. “It's probably normally the other way around, so it shows you the intent that we play with and how we play the game tactically. I felt we were the better team so it's a strange feeling to lose against Rangers 3-1 when actually you feel as though you deserve more from the game. I had to go away and wrestle with my emotions for 24 hours.”
Deploying three forwards certainly impacted the number of chances Hearts fashioned. “Yes, we felt that. We're at home and we always want to go toe to toe with people and try and take the game to the opposition,” added the Englishman. “We felt, by putting the three forwards on, that showed our intent. We were positive and we tried to take the game to Rangers.
“We know that's going to be difficult against a good team with good players, but we felt it was the best chance of pressing them. It also gives us a good chance to counter-attack with numbers at the top end of the pitch. Other than the last little bit, I think it worked.”
Conversely, it shouldn’t be overlooked that the diamond midfield left Critchley’s side open down the flanks - allied to some gaps between midfield and defence for Rangers to exploit. If those issues can be addressed, then it could be a format used more often in specific matches.
Regardless of formation and tactics, no manager can legislate for strikers not converting opportunities. That was one of the reasons Critchley left Tynecastle, by his own admission, scratching his head at Sunday’s final outcome. “Exactly, yeah. Those last kicks of the game, you're then relying on the player to take those chances,” he remarked. “Unfortunately, whoever the chances have fallen to on Sunday, we haven't taken them. I'm not downbeat by the performance and I thought the players showed real belief in who we are and who we want to be in the future. I'm sure I'll be feeling a little bit better and more positive than I was right at the end on Sunday.”
Who do Hearts want to be in future, exactly? Under Critchley, a team with attacking intent, lots of possession and a clinical edge. They enjoyed plenty of the first two against Rangers thanks to the 4-4-2 diamond, which was a slight variation on Critchley’s traditional 4-4-2 preference.
If Shankland, Wilson and Kabangu are to play together, then that seems the most likely way to accommodate them all. A conventional 4-3-3 would not work as none of the triumvirate are wide players. Shankland tucked in behind the other two is the most natural format. Might we see Hearts use a 3-4-1-2 set-up including those three? Probably not this season as Critchley is not one for frequently tinkering with formations.
So, if the Tynecastle side intend to have a real go at St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Sunday, they may use the same system they did against Rangers. If not, expect it to come into play on occasions when they are chasing a goal and need more attacking impetus. Critchley has seen enough evidence that it can be a useful tool going forward.
“I just think with the players we've got in the squad now, we've got a bit more flexibility all over the pitch,” commented the manager. “We felt it was the right thing to do for Sunday's game. That doesn't mean that will necessarily stay the same for our game next week. We looked at Rangers and we just felt that was the way to approach the game and I felt it worked. However, every game is different and we can adapt now with the players. We've got to change accordingly to try and give us an advantage in any game we play.”