Heart of Midlothian

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Oraim

Image source, SNS

In May 2012 Neil Critchley was nearing the final year of his long association with Crewe before a move to Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool coaching staff.

Roughly 240 miles north, Hearts were hammering Edinburgh rivals Hibernian to lift the Scottish Cup.

That famous day at Hampden remains Hearts' last triumph in the competition and is fondly retold by many in maroon. Including kitman Gordon Paterson.

So while Critchley may not have been fully aware of the glory day at the time, he is well aware of its importance and legacy now.

"The kitman will always go back to 2012 and a result in the final which is very popular around here," Critchley said as he previewed his first game in the competition on Friday night against Brechin City, live on BBC Scotland.

"You feel it, you see it, people talk about it. This is a proud, traditional club that's built on history, certain values, and that's what we have to uphold every day.

"The way you behave, the way you act, the way the team plays – I'm very aware of that and I'll do everything I can to make sure the supporters can see a team they can be proud of on the pitch."

It's a tight pitch at Glebe Park and Critchley - who was the "wee guy" nearing a top-flight scalp last year when his Blackpool side took Nottingham Forest to a replay - is anticipating a tricky tie against the Highland League leaders.

"We're in good form, but so are they," the head coach added. "They've only lost once in the league all season and that breeds a confidence and an expectation from themselves about winning games, it becomes a habit. We're under no illusions of the task in front of us.

"They're better than the standard they're playing at. If you only lose one game all season at this stage, it suggests that."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Oriam

Image source, SNS

Head coach Neil Critchley sat down with BBC Scotland before Hearts' televised Scottish Cup fourth round tie with Brechin City on Friday night.

Here are the key things he said:

• After three months in the job, and a amid current four-game unbeaten run, Critchley says Hearts "have not cracked it by any means, but are on the right track".

• He says the "mentality shift" required will take time and his ethos is "that never-ending search for perfection".

• Critchley says he understands and "feels" the importance of the Scottish Cup and what it means because Hearts kitman Gordon Paterson speaks often about the club's 2012 success.

• The Tynecastle boss cited his side's good form heading into Friday night's game, but stressed Highland League Brechin are flying too and their results - one league defeat this season - "show they're better than the standard they're playing at".

• Critchley doesn't expect any new signings before the game, but he'd "be very surprised" if there's not more business done in the window as the club are "working extremely hard behind the scenes to strengthen the squad".

• He reiterated his fury at leaks within the club and said the reported figures involving Cammy Devlin - who is yet to be subject of a bid - were "unacceptable and inaccurate". "Whoever that's come from, or wherever that's come from, it's not nice and not really helpful to us."

• Critchley says 17-year-old striker James Wilson "has been fantastic" and "there is no pressure from us, he just has to go and play and be himself".

Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibernian and Rangers are eyeing moves for Luton Town midfielder Allan Campbell, with the 26-year-old interested in a return to his homeland after being sent on loan to Charlton Athletic. (Football Insider), external

Michael Steinwender's proposed move to Hearts should be completed within the next week, with the 24-year-old centre-half close to agreeing personal terms over a six-figure transfer from Swedish club Varnamo before heading to Scotland for a medical. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Johnbosco Kalu has declared he wants to leave Varnamo following a transfer offer from Beitar Jerusalem, but Hearts are also interested in the 27-year-old striker. (Fotbolldirekt), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

There is no doubt things at Tynecastle are looking up yet despite a gallant performance on Sunday at Pittodrie and a valuable point gained, the team remain in an unhealthy 11th place.

The welcome addition of Jamie McCart (below) and Elton Kabunga will bring competition at the back and forward areas on the pitch, and both these players should have major parts to play between now and the end of the campaign.

With only seven points separating Hearts and Motherwell in fifth place there remains a chink of light in terms of trying to obtain a European spot for next season.

Of course all that would be achieved in Hearts could lift the Scottish Cup this year, and that campaign begins on Friday night away to Highland League club Brechin City.

The two teams last met in the cup in February 1985, when a John Robertson goal was enough to take Hearts through in a replay at Tynecastle after they were held 1-1 at Glebe Park.

The result of this game should not be in doubt but as Hearts well know they can't underestimate the Angus minnows.

The defeat at Brora Rangers back in March 2021 still haunts Hearts supporters and after what has been a disappointing Premiership so far, a lengthy cup run would go a long way to show all what the team are capable off.

Image source, SNS

Zander Clark has signed a two-year contract extension with Hearts that keeps him at Tynecastle Park until 2027.

The Scotland goalkeeper joined the Jambos in September 2022 and has featured 68 times for the first team, keeping 24 clean sheets.

The 32-year-old played an integral part in securing third place in the Premiership last season and earned a place in the Scotland squad for Euro 2024.

"It's fantastic news that Zander has committed his future to the club," said head coach Neil Critchley.

"It can be challenging for a goalkeeper when they're not playing but Zander trains at 100% every day, he's supportive to his team-mates and he's a big part of our plans going forward.

"To have top-class goalkeepers competing with each other is a good thing for the club and I'm delighted to get the opportunity to continue working with him beyond the end of this season."

Image source, SNS

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

If there's one thing that won't be dry this January, it's the ink in the pen that's being used for all the transfer activities at Hearts this month.

The ink is barely dry after the signings of forward Elton Kabangu and defender Jamie McCart, yet we are being linked with two more additions on a permanent basis.

Austrian centre-half Michael Steinwender and Kazakhstan winger Islam Chesnokov already have set tongues wagging in Gorgie with their stats and YouTube show reels being passed around social media at speed.

Both Steinwender and Chesnokov would be additions in much sought after positions for us this season and the early indications are, they would both strengthen the starting 11, which is what is desperately needed.

That's no slight on the defensive pairing of McCart and Craig Halkett, who looked assured in Sunday's stalemate against Aberdeen. Halkett has actually been really good in his last three performances and it's no coincidence that we've picked up clean sheets in such games.

In truth, we should've left Pittodrie with three points following a last-minute penalty, but Ross Doohan brilliantly saved Jorge Grant's penalty.

The encouraging thing – or frustrating depending how you look at it – is that for the third game this season, we looked more than a match for Aberdeen and leave disappointed not to have finished victorious. To me, it highlights how important this January window is for us to get good options in the squad, as if we were able to bring on better quality attacking players in that second half, we would have won that match comfortably.

For the third transfer window in a row, we ought to be targetting a target man to act as another weapon in our attacking arsenal and compliment James Wilson, Kabangu and Lawrence Shankland, for his final six months.

We turn our attention to the Scottish Cup and for teams like ourselves, it offers the best opportunity to win silverware in a season.

A Scottish Cup win would absolutely go a long way to reconcile everyone associated with Hearts from players, supporters to the board room.

That said, it's important not to underestimate our opposition on Friday night in Brechin City. Cup games live on the BBC always seem to provide good viewing for the neutral, but I'm hoping it's a one sided affair with Neil Critchley's side dominating the entire 90 minutes.

The last competitive match between the sides, was back in September 1992 at Glebe Park and plucky Brechin took us to extra-time before our legendary talisman John Robertson bailed us out with a 108th-minute winner.

I'm hoping we don't have as close a match this time around but I trust that Critchley will respect this competition and we won't see too many changes. A victory and a fourth consecutive clean sheet will do for me, and hopefully our names inked into the draw for the next round.

Hearts are among the clubs to have held talks with Tobol Kostanay regarding Kazakhstan winger Islam Chesnokov, 25. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription), external

Midfielder Beni Baningime, 26, admits Hearts should not be second bottom of the Scottish Premiership and urges his team-mates to turn draws into wins. (Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter at Pittodrie

Image source, SNS

Beni Baningime is confident Hearts will "definitely be able to get out of this hole they don't like being in" as the Gorgie club remain eleventh in the Scottish Premiership after their draw with Aberdeen.

The midfielder stressed the players have got themselves into this position, but there are "no excuses" with European football now out of their schedule.

He believes Hearts are showing they are "solid" after extending their unbeaten run to four games.

"I think we have been solid recently and that is the emphasis the manager has really given," Baningime told BBC Scotland.

"We have to be hard to beat as a team and the identity is if someone is going to score, they are going to have to score a worldie. We can't be conceding sloppy and silly goals.

"I think from now on it's one game a week – it is always hard with Europe, but even with that we shouldn't be where we are. I think we have enough talent in that changing room to be better and I think we will be better.

"But with fewer games, the gaffer can have a lot of time with us to instill what he wants, whereas maybe before it was like, you're playing Sunday, you're playing Thursday, you didn't have that time, but now I think there are no excuses and I think we will definitely be able to turn it round."

In their last two games, Hearts have drawn with fourth-placed Aberdeen and defeated third-place Dundee United, which the midfielder hopes can breed confidence and a better mentality.

"There are a lot of games left and we need to get ourselves out of this," he stressed.

"We are nine points away from St Johnstone, it's not a nice feeling to be second bottom.

"We don't like it, I know the fans don't like it so ultimately we can't be looking up too much, without understanding the reality of where we are. We are in a situation that we shouldn't be in or I don't believe that we should be in and taking it one game at a time will be the best thing.

"We have beat Dundee United who are third at times we were the better team today, away at the team who are fourth so why shouldn't we have that mentality?

"With that mentality, get out of this situation, get out of this hole that you have placed yourself in and hopefully your ability will show."

Watch Sportscene analysis of Hearts' 0-0 draw against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. Available to UK viewers.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Craig Halkett: Three consecutive clean sheets for Hearts. Halkett has been a solid presence at the back as the Tynecastle side have turned the corner.

James Penrice: Becoming an ever present in my team of the week. His energy, quality and consistency down the left for Hearts has been fantastic to watch this season.

We asked for your views on Hearts' 0-0 draw against Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you said:

Chris: I get worried when the manager is pleased after games like this. Yes we didn't concede but we should have won the game. Aberdeen are a very poor team just now and we aren't much better. We so desperately lack a match-winner and any sort of creation. Our play is still dull and telegraphed, we seem to be happy being mediocre or 'not as bad' as before.

Brian: Devlin, Penrice and Spittal earned that point for us. Grant was poor and I don't know what penalty Critchley was talking about because the one I saw wasn't hit hard enough and was at the perfect height for the keeper. Not enough support for Wilson and a serious lack of creativity in midfield. Though it's still better than watching Shankland...

Robert: The Aberdeen game was sore to watch. Hearts are appallingly poor. No pace, no urgency, no plan, no movement, no creativity and, ultimately, no goals! This is the worst Hearts team I have seen in 75 years as a supporter. Quite simply, no heart! Neil Critchley has his work cut out to avoid relegation. Here's hoping!

Peter: Far from a great performance but we are making progress as a unit. Critchley may not prove to be a Pep but he will get us into the top six over the next four to five games, or at least he and the team will.

Matt: Same old story from us - a lot of fight and a glorious chance to finally win a game at Pittodrie which we completely chucked. I used to laugh when my Hibs-supporting mates messaged me saying 'Jambottled it' but it is unfortunately spot on this season for our mentality.

Watch highlights of Aberdeen's 0-0 draw against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Available to UK users only.

Image source, SNS

• Aberdeen have failed to win in their last 11 games in the Premiership, their last joint longest winless streak was from 24 January 2024 to 13 March 2024.

• Hearts have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer run of games without conceding a goal in the competition was a run of seven games from 9 December 2017 to 24 January 2018.

• Hearts are undefeated in their last four games in the Premiership, their last joint longest unbeaten streak was from 11 May 2024 to 3 August 2024.

• Hearts have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 14 of their 23 games, only Dundee United (15) and Celtic (20) have done this more often in the league this season.

Turkish second-tier club Amedspor have offered Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland, who is out of contract at the end of the season, a lucrative deal. (Scottish Sun)

Hearts head coach Neil Critchley has dismissed a report that Amedspor had made a bid for injured striker Shankland but did confirm Australia centre-half Kye Rowles is set to seal his move to DC United in the coming days. (The Scotsman)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Hearts missed a 93rd-minute penalty in a Pittodrie stalemate as Aberdeen's winless run stretched to 11 games - matching their unbeaten streak at the start of the Scottish Premiership season.

The Tynecastle club haven't won at Pittodrie since 2016 and were gifted the perfect chance when Sivert Heltne Nilsen fouled Kenneth Vargas, but Jorge Grant's spot-kick was tipped on to the post by Ross Doohan.

What did you make of that then, Hearts fans? Did you deserve a point at Pittodrie?

Did anyone impress you?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Hearts boss Neil Critchley told BBC Scotland: "It was a very even game, not a lot in it, not many chances at either end. We had a chance to win it but it was a good save, it was more of good save than a missed penalty.

"It's three clean sheets on the bounce and we nearly nicked it, but maybe a point was a fair reflection of the game.

"It was a really competitive game between two good teams. Not a lot of goalmouth action but both teams were hard to play against. We pressed and went after them in the first half and won the ball back quite a lot but didn't make good use of those moments.

"Second half, we were in control and Craig [Gordon] hasn't had a shot to save, we grew into the game.

"We had some control in the middle third because Jorge Grant was playing for us as a 10. We had to be a little more forward thinking and penetrative with our passing and running. In truth, we probably didn't do that well enough in the whole game.

"I could be standing here with four wins on the bounce. We could have won at Ross County, we could have easily won today. We're a hard team to play against.

"We looked more like the team I want us to be but we're still a million miles away from where I hope we'll be in the future."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

After a dreadful opening to the game, Hearts grew into the game without sufficiently testing Ross Doohan until the second half.

The lop-sided nature of their team was apparent throughout. James Penrice and Blair Spittal link up brilliantly on the left, but on the right the combination of Daniel Oyegoke and Musa Drammeh is uncoordinated and sloppy.

The lack of Liam Boyce was noticeable after his impact in the last three games, while the mystery around the severity of Lawrence Shankland's injury caused whispers in the travelling support.

Jorge Grant was shunted forward, with Beni Baningime dropping in behind. Hearts struggled to get it forward to James Wilson as a result, with Baningime naturally sitting deeper while Grant's link-up play isn't what Boyce's was.

Wilson was particularly quiet and Elton Kabangu was the real threat when he came on - but only he will know why he went down in the box rather than shooting.

Grant's missed penalty - Hearts' first spot-kick this season - sums up how many opportunities Critchley's side have missed this season. Another opportunity goes begging, an opportunity to leap to eighth in the table, and they will rarely get better ones.

Image source, SNS

James Penrice. Who else? The left-back has become the talisman for Hearts, like Andy Robertson was for Scotland in recent years.

Everything good comes through him. He's desperate to get forward, like a coiled spring when he gets the chance to run into space.

Quieter in the second-half, but always willing to send in a dangerous cross and put his body on the line.

New Hearts forward Elton Kabangu, 26, details his brush with death after having Covid in 2022 and coughing up blood. (Sun), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

Image source, SNS

Hearts boss Neil Critchley admitted he's not paying too much attention to Aberdeen's awful form as the sides prepare to meet on Sunday.

The Dons have lost their past five games and haven't won in 10 matches - a run stretching back to the start of November.

"The fact they've not won in 10 makes me very wary," Critchley said. "I don't like those stats because eventually they will win at some point.

"They've got good players. Some of the results, if you look at some of the games, they've just not had a little bit of the rub of the green in some places. Those moments can go for you and go against you."

Hearts have gone through bad runs themselves this season - part of the reason why they currently sit 11th in the table.

Critchley's side lost four games in a row before the draw with Aberdeen at the start of December to stop the rot, and have won four out of nine since.

"We've seen that in some of our games. There's a fine line between winning and losing and they've just been on the wrong side of it a little bit," Critchley added.

"I think it will change for them at some point, just hopefully not on Sunday.

"We're in good form, we can go there confident and I don't think we've won there since 2016. That's about time we change that."

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen could hand debuts to Kristers Tobers and Jeppe Okkels after Gavin Molloy (shoulder) and Ester Sokler (hamstring) were told they face lengthy spells out.

Slobodan Rubezic is suspended, while Dimitar Mitov, Vicente Besuijen (knee), Jack Milne (ankle) and Pape Habib Gueye (quad) are still sidelined.

Hearts could hand a debut to Elton Kabangu after the Belgian striker was granted a work permit following his loan switch from Union Saint-Gilloise.

Lawrence Shankland (calf) is still out along with Gerald Taylor (knee), Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring), Stephen Kingsley (hamstring) and Frankie Kent (quad).