After Hearts’ attempt to reach the top six ended in disappointment, and with something of a whimper, last weekend at Fir Park, there has been a feeling that there is more on the line this afternoon for head coach Neil Critchley than the chance to lead his team into a Scottish Cup Final.
Should Hearts manage to overcome Aberdeen at the national stadium and book a return trip to Hampden at the end of May, then the dogs will be called off the former Blackpool manager. Should they fail to, then weight will be added to the charge that he has so far failed to win any match of real significance during his short Tynecastle reign.
Knowing what he does of life at such a big club, and the average lifespan of managers these days, none of this is a surprise to Billy Brown, the former Hearts assistant manager and chairman of the League Managers Association. That doesn’t make it any less ludicrous though, in his view.
“It’s ridiculous,” Brown said.
“And it's happening throughout football.
“It really bugs me. You know, when he went there, they were sitting bottom of the league. He's brought them up the table, and ok, they've missed out on the top six and that's a disappointment, it shouldn't happen at a club like Hearts. But it's hardly the manager's fault.
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“The manager gets blamed for everything. In fact, it's going to get to the stage where if the pies are cold at the snack stand the manager's going to have to do something. It's just absolutely ridiculous.
“The thing is, if he wins on Saturday, he'll be alright then. All supporters seem to understand now is two things - winning or losing. If you win, you're great. If you're losing, you should get the sack. That's it.
“It's terrible. And I feel for him. But that's the game we're in. I wouldn't expect that from a Hearts supporter, though.
“I've heard a lot of good reports about Neil. I talked to Darren Jackson actually not long ago, and Darren was at Blackpool when he was there, and he said he was a great coach. And he was at the Liverpool Academy too.
“He's got to have time. People say if he gets beat on Saturday then time's up, and he's not won any big games. But you need longer than what he's got.”
Brown, who as well as having three stints as Hearts assistant to Jim Jefferies was also number two at Edinburgh rivals Hibs for a short spell, also recognises that the current dynamic in the capital city isn’t exactly aiding Critchley’s cause.
But he points to the example of the faith shown by the Easter Road hierarchy in David Gray as a great argument for why Hearts should be wary of pulling the trigger too soon.
“What doesn't help is the fact that the Hibs are doing so well,” he said.
“But actually, when you look at Hibs, they were changing managers and changing managers. And then there was a manager in David Gray that everybody was expecting to get the sack, and now he's on a 17-game unbeaten run. That hasn’t happened to Hibs since 1948. And that guy was probably a minute away from getting the sack.
“That just shows you, stand by your manager, stand by your judgement, and give him a real kick at the ball. You're not going to do it in four or five months. It's not going to happen.”
In further mitigation for Critchley, Brown points out that he hasn’t had the benefit of a striker who couldn’t stop scoring, as Steven Naismith had last season.
“I was at most of their home games, and Hearts were only third in the league last season because of Lawrence Shankland,” he said.
“Shankland scored 32 goals last season. It was unbelievable. That's why Hearts were third.
“But Shankland hasn’t scored this season. It happens. I read an article with wee Robbo [John Robertson] the other day and he was talking about that. You have a purple patch as a striker sometimes and suddenly your goals dry up. There's no reason for it.
“Losing Lawrence Shankland’s goals is a big, big thing for Hearts. Because they did depend on him.”
There was never any doubt that Brown would be backing Hearts this afternoon, with the fact he wants to see Critchley given more time to build something at the club only strengthening that desire.
With a huge following travelling through to Glasgow, Brown is hoping that another disappointing day doesn’t lie in wait for the men in maroon.
“Hearts haven’t beaten Aberdeen this season,” he said.
“In two of the games that they played, they should have beaten them. They should have won at Pittodrie, and they should have won at Tynecastle.
“I think, to be honest with you, the two teams are much of a muchness. I think the big thing in this game will be the question of whether last week has affected the Hearts. I hope it hasn't. Aberdeen were 2-0 up against Rangers and got caught too, mind you, so I think it's a close one.
“It’s a big game for both clubs, getting to a cup final is fantastic. I'm certainly the world's worst predictor of football, but I think Hearts might edge it. I don't think there's much in the game at all though, and you wouldn't be surprised if Aberdeen did win. They've been up and down as well this season.
“Even through everything though, the crowds at Tynecastle this season have been great. There were maybe three or four crowds under the 20,000 mark. There is a waiting list for season tickets. The support has been fantastic.
“I know last week would have been disappointing for them, but I think you'll find that Hearts supporters will be well behind the team at Hampden.”
