Latest news with #Critchley
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
St. Louis City looking up with new coach, faces Timbers
St. Louis City will try for consecutive victories under interim manager David Critchley when they visit a Portland Timbers side that returns from a well-deserved weekend off. St. Louis City's 2-1 home win over the San Jose Earthquakes halted an 11-match winless run in league play that resulted in the dismissal of manager Olof Mellberg after less than a half season in charge. Joao Klauss and Eduard Lowen each scored their second goals of the season, and Klauss also earned the penalty in second-half stoppage time that Lowen converted to give St. Louis City the desperately needed result. The matchwinner came only nine minutes after Josef Martinez leveled for San Jose. And for Critchley, who was promoted from his role as head coach of St. Louis' reserve side in MLS Next, it was the result of a more aggressive mentality. "Yes, they equalized late and gave us a little bit of adversity," Critchley said postgame. "It's OK. We're changing things around here. We don't sit back in them moments, we go and try and win a football game. And that's what they done." It was only the fourth time St. Louis had scored multiple goals in a 2025 league match, against eight times when they failed to score at all. Meanwhile, Portland is coming off a rare 10-day layoff following a 2-1 home win over the Colorado Rapids on May 28. Antony and Kevin Kelsy each scored their fifth MLS goals of the season in the win, with Kelsy's tally coming in the 76th minute and just seven minutes after Wayne Frederick's violent challenge reduced Colorado to 10 men. Kelsy's winner marked the first time in seven matches Portland scored multiple goals in a league game, a dry run stretching back to late April. And it may have come at the ideal time to boost morale. "I've got to say that it felt really good," Timbers boss Phil Neville said of the extended break. "We were on this treadmill of game after game after game, and I think after the Colorado game there was a huge sense of, one, the result was good, and two, was that the players were running on empty a little bit." Field Level Media
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hearts search for sixth manager in six years: why Neil Critchley was sacked, win rate, Hibs record
Home defeat by Dundee proves final straw for Tynecastle club's board Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts have sacked head coach Neil Critchley in the aftermath of their 1-0 home defeat by Dundee. It was the Gorgie club's fifth successive match without a win in a period where they have scored only one goal. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Boos rang round Tynecastle at full-time following the loss to Dundee and the Hearts board acted swiftly. They issued a statement before 8pm on Saturday night to confirm they had parted company with Critchley and his assistant Mike Garrity. Hearts have sacked head coach Neil Critchley. | SNS Group Critchley arrived in October last year following the sacking of Steven Naismith and his appointment was made utilising investor Tony Bloom's data-based analytics. The former Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers manager signed a deal at Tynecastle that was supposed to run until the end of the 2026-27 season. He took charge of 35 competitive matches, winning 15, drawing six and losing 14 for a win rate of 43 per cent and he leaves with Hearts still not safe from relegation. The club statement read: 'Heart of Midlothian can confirm that it has today parted company with Head Coach Neil Critchley and his assistant Mike Garrity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The club would like to thank Neil and Mike for their efforts during their time in Gorgie and we wish them well for the future. 'Liam Fox will take control of first-team affairs on an interim basis. 'No further comment will be made at this time.' It is the second time that Fox has been placed in charge of Hearts this season. He took over for three games in the autumn between Naismith's departure and Critchley's arrival. Naismith was axed after a club record run of eight defeats in a row which left Hearts floundering at the bottom of the Premiership. Critchley arrived at Tynecastle and sparked a revival. He won his first game 4-0 against St Mirren then followed it up with an impressive 2-0 victory over Omonia Nicosia in the Europa Conference League. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts gradually climbed the table but there was a downturn in November as they lost four in a row, albeit to both halves of the Old Firm and European matches to Heidenheim and Cercle Bruges. The failure to beat Moldovan minnows Petrocub at home before Christmas in their final Conference League match cost them a place in the lucrative knockout stages but Critchley was backed in the January transfer window by chief executive Andrew McKinlay and the board. Hearts Chief Executive Officer Andrew McKinlay. | SNS Group New signings Elton Kabangu, Jamie McCart, Michael Steinwender and Sander Kartum all arrived but results continued to be mixed. Hearts failed to beat Hibs in three attempts under Critchley, with the Gorgie club losing two and drawing one. Unsurprisingly, this did not endear him to the supporters and the failure to make the top six was another blow. Hearts needed one win from their final two pre-split matches but lost at home to Dundee United and drew 0-0 at Motherwell. They did make progress in the Scottish Cup, beating Brechin City, St Mirren and Dundee to reach a Hampden semi-final against Aberdeen. Despite having Steinwender sent off in the first half, Hearts took the game to extra time but then had Cammy Devlin also dismissed and conceded a late goal to lose the match 2-1. Saturday's defeat by Dundee proved to be the final straw and the Hearts board will now begin the search for their sixth boss in six years after Craig Levein, Daniel Stendel, Robbie Neilson, Naismith and Critchley. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Simon Murray scored the only goal of the game to move Dundee within three points of Hearts who drop down to eighth place. With four rounds of fixtures remaining, the Tynecastle club are five points above second-bottom Ross County who they will meet in Dingwall next Saturday.
The Herald Scotland
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Hearts CEO opens up on 'mistake' Neil Critchley appointment
McInnes was unveiled as thew Jambos boss yesterday, having ended his three and a half year stint at Kilmarnock. He replaced Critchley, who lasted just 192 days in charge at Tynecastle. "In October we were looking at different parameters to what we may be looking at this time around, and ultimately, we got it wrong," the club's CEO told Sky Sports. "I'll admit that we got it wrong. If anyone can stand there and say they've not made mistakes, then I challenge them on that. "The main thing is you learn from those mistakes. We went for a certain type of manager and Neil [Critchley] was a very good coach, very nice guy, but I'm not sure he quite got the club and got the demands of the club. "So we decided this time round, let's keep it simple. That's why we're going to go Scottish. That was one of the big reasons behind that. "The whole piece around getting a manager that would understand this and would know what they were coming into, no surprises. So that's the reason why, this time round, we took a different approach. "I think he was very unlucky, in some ways I felt sorry for him, in that every fine margin everything went the wrong way for us. "We could easily be sitting here looking forward to a Scottish Cup final this weekend, looking forward to Europe again, we should have qualified for the top six, but we didn't. "We had two games where we would have got top six, one of them against Dundee United, which if we'd won that we'd have then been hot on their heels for Europe. "In the cup semi-final, we all know what happened there, so we could easily be sitting here in a very, very different place, and those are very, very fine margins. "In some ways you've got to feel sorry for Neil, he's a really nice guy, a really good coach, we just got to the stage where we felt we were concerned, after that Dundee game, that we were going to slip into a relegation situation. "It's important at this point actually, just to put on record how thankful I am to Liam Fox for stepping in, for winning four games in a row at a time when we really needed it. "I'm happy to say that in hindsight, I think he just wasn't the right person at the right time. I'm not trying to criticise Neil, Neil would be a great coach somewhere, I genuinely think that. "We've had a reputation in the past for being patient with coaches, I suspect at the moment, people are now criticising us for being too hasty."
Edinburgh Live
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Live
Derek McInnes confirmed as new Hearts manager following Neil Critchley sacking
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Hearts have officially announced the appointment of Derek McInnes as their new manager, securing him on a four-year contract. The Edinburgh-based club had been on the hunt for a new leader following the dismissal of former Liverpool coach Neil Critchley last month, and with the backing of Brighton owner Tony Bloom and Jamestown Analytics, they've found their man in McInnes. McInnes comes to Hearts after a successful three-and-a-half-year stint at Kilmarnock, where he led the team back into the top-flight and secured European qualification in the subsequent season. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. The move for the former Aberdeen boss was hardly a secret, and news of his decision to join Hearts mid-season did not sit well with Kilmarnock supporters. Consequently, McInnes and his coaching staff were absent from the dugout during Sunday's match in Ayrshire, which saw Stephen Kingsley score a last-minute winner to secure all three points for the away side, reports the Daily Record. McInnes inherits a Hearts team that fell short of the top six this season, despite finishing third just a year ago. The season began with Steven Naismith at the helm, but a poor start led to his dismissal and the appointment of Englishman Critchley in November. Ex-Rangers midfielder McInnes is poised to introduce his own support staff, with Liam Fox - who was promoted from head coach of Hearts B to take on first team responsibilities for the final five games of the season after Critchley's exit - saying a heartfelt goodbye to the club on Sunday. He was informed that he wasn't part of the new manager's future plans.
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Derek McInnes officially Hearts manager as Jambos move quickly to secure Neil Critchley replacement
Hearts have confirmed the appointment of Derek McInnes as their new manager. The Jambos had been looking for a successor to Neil Critchley after sacking the former Liverpool coach last month, and the capital club - backed by Brighton owner Tony Bloom and Jamestown Analytics - have got their man. McInnes joins the club after three and a half-years at Kilmarnock, where he guided the Rugby Park side back into the top-flight and then qualified for Europe in the following season. Hearts' approach for the ex Aberdeen boss was not a well-kept secret and news of his decision to head to Gorgie with the season still ongoing did not go down well with Killie fans. As a result, McInnes and his coaching team were not in the dugout when the two teams faced off on Sunday in Ayrshire, with Stephen Kingsley's last-minute winner handing the away side all three points. McInnes takes over a Jambos side that missed out on the top six after romping to a third-place finish 12 months earlier. Hearts kicked off the season with Steven Naismith in the dugout but a disastrous start saw him get the boot in favour of Englishman Critchley back in November. Former Rangers midfielder McInnes is set to bring in his own backroom team, with Liam Fox - who stepped up from his role as head coach of Hearts B to assume first team duties for the final five games of the campaign following Critchley's departure - bidding an emotional farewell to the club on Sunday after being told he wasn't part of the new manager's plans going forward. Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
