It’s now almost 11 years since Hearts exited administration and finally turned the page on the ruinous Vladimir Romanov regime.
The construction of a magnificent new main stand has enhanced Tynecastle’s reputation as one of the finest stadiums in the land.
Each month, money continues to cascade into the club’s bank account from the Foundation of Hearts, the supporters’ body which is now the Edinburgh institution’s majority shareholder.
With a wealthy benefactor in James Anderson also on board, Hearts are in a position off the field which is the envy of so many of their rivals.
It’s the remarkable inability, though, of those at the helm to identify the right person to fill the most important role at the club which has ensured the whole is never greater than the sum of the parts.
Neil Critchley’s dismissal after Saturday’s dismal home defeat to Dundee was just the latest underwhelming episode to underscore that point.
Hearts have a fantastic set-up off the park and boast one of the finest stadiums in Scotland
Neil Critchley’s time in charge came to a bitter end following an abject home defeat to Dundee
Chief executive Andrew McKinley will play a key role in the appointment of a new manager
Like Ian Cathro, Craig Levein, Daniel Stendel and Steven Naismith, the Englishman’s appointment was met with no little scepticism.
After seven months at the helm, his departure felt predictable from the moment the team failed to make the top-six. The matter will do little to instil confidence among the rank and file that those tasked with identifying his successor will get the next one right.
When the axe fell on Naismith in October after he presided over the club’s worst ever start to a campaign, the name of the lips of fans was Per-Mathias Hogmo.
The former Norway boss looked to be a hand-in-glove fit. Vastly experienced, he’d managed clubs including Tromso, Rosenborg and Hacken.
Talks were said to be positive yet ended without a deal being struck. While Hearts were adamant Hogmo was never their first-choice, he would have been seen as quite a coup. Having just taken charge of Molde, he’s no longer on the shelf.
While the attraction of hiring the 65-year-old was obvious, the same simply could not be said of Critchley.
Critchley wasn’t helped by Lawrence Shankland’s alarming drop-off in form this season
When his name first surfaced as a live contender for the role, for the majority of supporters, it necessitated a quick online search.
The former Liverpool youth coach’s starring moment came when he guided Blackpool to the English Championship via the play-offs in 2021.
Since then, though, a switch to Queens Park Rangers ended in a sacking, as did his return to the Seasiders.
For Hearts fans, the appointment required a huge leap of faith. Critchley’s name was floated by Jamestown Analytics, the data company owned by Tony Bloom which had been instrumental in returning Brighton to the Premier League.
Evidently, Jamestown has flagged up something in the Englishman’s record and background that others had failed to identify.
Andrew McKinlay, the club’s CEO, claimed he was ‘very confident’ Critchley would deliver in this ‘new chapter for the club’. Many supporters remained to be convinced.
Dundee striker Simon Murray is hailed after the goal that sealed Critchley’s fate
It started brightly enough. Critchley presided over a comprehensive win against St Mirren in his first game and followed it up with a victory over Omonia in the Conference League. But it was to be a false dawn.
In Hearts’ next 14 league games, they recorded just three victories. And the alarm bells truly began to sound on the night when minnows Petrocub came to town.
One of the poorest European sides ever to play in Gorgie, the Moldovans somehow denied Hearts the win which would have taken them through to the knock-out round after Christmas. Damningly, Petrocub finished in last place in the 36-team mono group.
Critchley then began to get a reputation as a manager who could not win a big game.
His side lost to Celtic and Rangers before being defeated at home by Hibs on Boxing Day. Three days later, Hearts surrendered a two-goal lead at Ross County in the closing five minutes.
At the start of February, it finally looked like everything was clicking into place. Critchley’s men scored six without reply at Dundee then squeezed past St Mirren on penalties to progress in the Scottish Cup.
Hearts could only draw 2-2 with Moldovan minnows Petrocub as they crashed out of Europe
But the optimism was again short-lived. Another defeat to a resurgent Hibs at Easter Road left Hearts scrambling to make the top-six and intensified the pressure on the manager.
The Tynecastle side’s season simply imploded in less than a month. Defeats to Celtic and Dundee United came before a listless draw at Motherwell confirmed they would finish in the bottom six.
After their nine-men lost to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final, Hearts issued a statement bemoaning refereeing decisions. It was a classic act of deflection.
The only real surprise was that Critchley was given as long as the Dundee game. That loss leaves Hearts just five points above 11th-placed Ross County with four games to play.
Liam Fox will again take interim charge of the side for the weekend’s crucial clash in Dingwall. On a run of five straight defeats, County do not have their troubles to seek but they are accustomed to this territory.
Critchley was certainly unfortunate in one sense. His tenure was pockmarked by serious injuries to key players including Frankie Kent, Stephen Kingsley and Craig Halkett. Lawrence Shankland’s dramatic loss in form this term also did him no favours.
After such a lacklustre season under Critchley, Hearts need a new spark to reawaken them
But he was hardly alone in facing such challenges. It’s literally the job of a football manager to find solutions. Far too often, he was found wanting.
His departure might just release the intense pressure which been building around the club in recent weeks. A couple of wins from their remaining four matches should not be beyond the reach of a squad which has talent but rarely seemed sure of what was being demanded of them this term.
Aided again by Jamestown’s data, McKinlay and director of football Graeme Jones will now start the hunt for Critchley’s successor with the aim of making the appointment in good time for the start of pre-season training.
They’d better get this one right. A club which has impressively rebuilt itself in so many ways since the dark days of insolvency can’t continue to trip itself up when it comes to the most vital matter of all.
