Hearts 'cannot take cheap option again' in manager search
To use the words of Ann Budge, Neil Critchley is "yesterday's news" and Jambos have discovered that diamonds are not forever.The cacophony of boos was deafening at full-time at Tynecastle following the inevitable defeat to Dundee and Critchley was told by angry fans - I paraphrase - "Please leave our club".In the end, the Hearts board had no option other than to relieve Critchley of his duties as our head coach.As soon as the final whistle went in Motherwell and we failed to get into the top six, most Hearts fans knew deep down it was a question of when and not if the trigger was pulled.I, along with every other Jambo, wished for Critchley to be a success but his appointment – seemingly as a cheaper option to first-choice candidate Per-Mathias Hogmo - coupled with his underwhelming managerial record in England, did ring early alarm bells.Throughout his time in charge, you always got the vibe that he was a supply teacher in a high school, just taking the reins for the day. The fact we are looking for our third permanent boss in seven months is an indictment of the Hearts hierarchy. The appointments in Budge's tenure have generally been poor, Robbie Neilson aside, and you can understand why supporters are concerned about the recruitment process for our next leader.This is where opinion starts to get split – do we go for an experienced head in Scottish football such as Stephen Robinson, John McGlynn or Derek McInnes?Do we try to be data led and get an up-and-coming manager from the UK or Europe, who perhaps has been in charge of an unfashionable team? Or do we try to go for a marquee appointment?It's a really difficult appointment, but we cannot take the cheap option. That's what we have ultimately done twice already with Steven Naismith and then Critchley.Having been to the Netherlands in recent weeks and attended an FC Utrecht game, I'm of the opinion a Dutch manager would do well over here. If it was an ambitious appointment we were going for, I'd say someone like Mark Van Bommel, who took Royal Antwerp to a Belgian league and cup double in 2023. Someone that may be more attainable is FC Volendam boss Rick Kruys, who has just won the Dutch second-tier title with a side punching above their weight. He might come up in the Star Lizard search given his impressive 2.19 points per match average and 4-3-3 formation, not too dissimilar to Hearts.Back to the here and now, interim boss Liam Fox has the tough task of a trip to Dingwall to face Ross County in what is now a relegation six-pointer.The pressure is on the players to show some character and prove to supporters they have the mental resilience and technical ability to play for Hearts.
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