Heart of Midlothian

Chris Bertram
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Philippe Clement will perhaps be surprised he is still in charge at Ibrox after the embarrassing Scottish Cup exit against Queen's Park.

With Rangers failing to mount a title challenge, the defeat against the Spiders has turned up the heat significantly on the Belgian.

Rangers' hierarchy have been tight-lipped all week, which is a backing of sorts. But Clement will surely know a poor result at Tynecastle on Sunday will nudge him closer to an exit.

Six weeks ago he might have fancied his side's chances of earning a morale-boosting victory, but Neil Critchley has steadily improved Hearts once he had time to assess the squad.

They have won four of their five league games in 2025 - with one draw - and Cammy Devlin has been pivotal to the resurgence. He tops the table for the number of tackles (23) as well as being joint-top for interceptions in the Premiership in 2025.

The loan signing of Belgian striker Elton Kabangu seems to have liberated Lawrence Shankland too, and the Jambos showed the sort of resilience that was sorely lacking earlier in the season when they edged past St Mirren in the Scottish Cup.

Yet, despite the cloud hanging over Clement, Rangers have won their past four league games - and all by a margin of at least two goals.

History is in Clement's favour too, with Hearts winless in their past 17 meetings with Rangers in all competitions, a run that includes 13 defeats.

So, Rangers and their fans have become used to success against Hearts, and therefore anything other than another victory in Gorgie could spell the end for Clement.

Read all this weekend's Premiership picks

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• Should Rangers captain James Tavernier play at Tynecastle it will be his 300th appearance in the Premiership, making him the first non-Scottish player to reach that total in the competition since its 2013 rebrand. The only other players to make 300+ are Callum McGregor (336), Andy Considine (319), Marcus Fraser (312), and Stephen O'Donnell (305).

• Midfielder Jorge Grant made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Hearts in Monday night's Scottish Cup win at St Mirren.

• Hearts are winless in their past 17 meetings with Rangers in all competitions (D4 L13) since a 1-0 win in the Scottish Cup in February 2020.

• Rangers have only lost one of their past 26 league games against Hearts (W19 D6), going down 2-1 in January 2020 under Steven Gerrard.

• Hearts have won four of their five league games in 2025 (D1), as many as their final 22 such matches of 2024 (W4 D7 L11).

• Rangers have won each of their past four league games, all by a margin of 2+ goals. That's the club's longest run of league wins by more than one goal since April 2023 under Michael Beale (5 in a row).

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

What has become evident in recent weeks is Hearts have found ways to win games, a trait they lacked earlier in the season.

The performance in Paisley on Monday - particularly the first half - was less than impressive but the substitutes made a huge impact to help Neil Critchley's side squeeze through to the Scottish Cup quarters.

It's not the only time such perseverance has paid off. In the first match of 2025, at home against Motherwell, there was little threat until late on when Craig Gordon pulled off two wonder stops to preserve the 1-0 victory.

At Tannadice three days later, when Hearts were not at their best, a James Penrice strike grabbed three points when a draw looked the most likely outcome.

And against Kilmarnock in late January the defence stood strong in the closing stages to edge a 3-2 win.

All of this and more have lifted the spirits within the club. Just a few months ago it was all doom and gloom, but now the top six is in sight and Hearts are one of eight teams still standing in the Scottish Cup, a tournament they are second favourites to win.

Critchley's men aim to keep the momentum building this weekend by adding to the woes of a Rangers side smarting from their cup humbling by Queen's Park.

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Craig Gordon has backed "fantastic" Calem Nieuwenhof to make up for lost time after the Hearts midfielder marked his comeback from long-term injury with a crucial Scottish Cup strike.

The 23-year-old, who had been sidelined since last March with a hamstring injury, came off the bench to score a late equaliser against St Mirren on Monday night before two saves from Gordon in the shootout sent Hearts through to the quarter-finals 4-2 on penalties.

"It's been great to have Calem back," said Gordon, 42. "He's obviously had some real bad luck with injuries over the last year but he's a really good player, a really solid midfield player.

"He brings a lot to the team. He's a great player for us to have coming back and being fresh at this stage of the season, ready to go again.

"I was absolutely delighted for him to get a goal. Hopefully he can continue to kick on and get more minutes because that's an area of the pitch where it's great to have somebody else coming back into the fold at this stage.

"He was on the bench last week and he never got on so to come on to a game when you're 1-0 down with not long to go to try and help turn it around, he was fantastic. He's so laidback, I would never worry about him in any situation."

Gordon, who saved St Mirren's first two penalties from Oisin Smyth and James Scott, revealed he had been preparing for a shootout in training.

"It was something we did with the guys that were likely to take penalties," he said.

"I'd made a few saves (in training), so I was looking forward to it. I thought I might get one or two. To get the first two and really put the pressure on the guys coming after that and take the pressure off my team was nice."

Hearts, now unbeaten in eight games, have a home tie in the last eight against a Dundee side they beat 6-0 earlier this month.

"You look for a home draw and it's been a while since we've had one, so it was nice to get through and get rewarded with a home tie," said Gordon. "I'm sure they'll be out for revenge, especially after last week there, so it will be a difficult one."

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

The primary objective in a knockout match is to ensure you are victorious when the final blows are traded. After those 120 minutes in Paisley, it felt like everyone watching had been in a boxing ring for 12 rounds.

It wasn't much of a game for the purist but was nonetheless very much pulsating. Jambos' heart rates were racing in the first half and, in truth, we were lucky not to be a couple of goals behind to St Mirren.

WhatsApp group chats of Hearts supporters were scathing of Craig Gordon, with many bewildered at his decision to palm a shot into a busy six-yard box and to the feet of striker Mikael Mandron.

It's funny how football works as two hours later Gordon went from sinner to our very own maroon saint, with his two saves in the penalty shootout ultimately proving decisive.

We can be satisfied with how we played from the second half onwards and the promising thing is our many substitutes - an astonishing seven - each made a positive contribution. Special mention to Calem Nieuwenhof, who scored with his first touch after 11 months out injured.

We've been rewarded with a home time in the quarter-final versus Dundee, who I'm sure will be a much more formidable threat than they were in our recent 6-0 win.

Before all that, there's league business to concentrate on and we have Rangers up next at Tynecastle on Sunday.

We have not defeated them in the past eight meetings, conceding 19 goals in the process. But Rangers now are at a low ebb, with their supporters turning on their players and beleaguered manager, and their away record is nothing to be feared.

Sunday's match is going to be a cracker and I hope the positivity of 2025 around Hearts continues and we're able to add another scalp and keep momentum as we try to break back into the top six.

We asked for your views on Hearts' win on penalties against St Mirren to secure a Scottish Cup quarter-final at home to Dundee.

Here's what some of you said:

Chris: A terrific win but goodness we make it hard for ourselves. The line-up played into St Mirren's hands. Horrible pitch and hoofball almost won it for them. Subs made a difference though and well done to those who turned it around. Great character and determination, and a special hats off to Craig Gordon for his saves in the shootout. Home tie at last.

Jim: Very lucky to make the quarter-final draw. Overall we looked very sluggish, second in almost every challenge and second best for a loose ball. The back four looked like they hadn't played together often and did not compete well with St Mirren's very lively and direct approach in the forward areas. We need a bit more time for new recruits to fit in.

Derek: What a cup tie - admittedly, not one for the history books score-wise, but neither set of fans can say their club did badly. Gordon saved our skin long before the heroics in the penalties, and James Penrice is too good for Scotland. Some things to work on defensively, but we're through, and I can't complain. Roll on the next round!

Paul: St Mirren are a huge team. Full of NFL-type players. The route one football was working for them and they should have been further ahead. The pitch was a glue pot and Hearts need to learn that their tippy-tappy football cannot be played on a pitch like that. They were lucky to get through.

Chris: That was a tough watch. St Mirren were a danger constantly and we were all over the place in every position in the first half. We improved in the second but the pitch made it near impossible to play good football. Fortunate to get to extra time, and penalties are a lotto, thankfully we have Gordon in goal! Delighted for the team!

Anon: It's all about winning, especially if you're not playing well.

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Hearts will host Dundee in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

Neil Critchley's beat St Mirren 4-2 on penalties in the fifth round to earn themselves a place in the quarters.

Meanwhile, Tony Docherty's men beat Airdrieonians 4-0 in the fifth round to book their place in the quarters.

The ties will be played on the weekend of Saturday 8 March.

Craig Gordon was the Hearts hero, saving twice in a Scottish Cup penalty shootout win over St Mirren in Paisley.

Mikael Mandron gave the hosts a deserved lead during a fierce spell of first-half pressure, poking in from close range as Gordon parried a shot from Mark O'Hara.

Hearts forced extra time when late substitute Calem Nieuwenhof struck with his first touch.

What did you make of the match? Give us your thoughts here., external

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James Penrice: "Me and Gerry [Taylor] actually switched penalties before the end. It's a brilliant feeling when it hits the net.

"It was a difficult game. We tried as much as possible to get the ball on the ground, but they made it really hard. The lads were brilliant.

"I can't see why we can't go as far as possible.

"Earlier in the season, we wouldn't have come back in that game. We're putting a wee run together and hopefully it continues."

Craig Gordon: "Not really [nervous], I don't think there's much pressure on the goalkeepers. I wanted to make a few saves and give the guys that were stepping up some confidence.

"Really good to get the first two which takes a little bit of the pressure off my teammates coming up to hit the next penalties, so great to get those saves and get us through to the next round.

"It's nice to get a home one, it's been a while since we've had a home dra win the cup.

"It's another top-flight club so it's not easy."

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Hearts head coach Neil Critchley: "Happy to have a home draw, nice to be at home and happy to be in the quarter-finals.

"The game's a few weeks away so who knows what form they'll be in or we'll be in, we've got plenty of league games in between so we'll approach that game when we get to it.

"Not really [happy with first-half performance], you know you're going to have to do the basics really well here, you have to compete with and without the ball and I didn't think we did that well enough.

"We grew into the game a little bit but didn't have the control over it that we'd have wanted.

"We had to fight and scrap and it's taken a big effort to get through tonight."

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Craig Gordon. Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

The 42-year-old was at fault for St Mirren's goal but made a few big saves, notably from Declan John, to keep the scores level and ensure the game went the distance.

It was in the shoot-out that he really thrived though, saving the first two penalties to put Hearts in the driving seat.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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James Penrice has been the standout performer for Hearts in what has been, until recent weeks, a turbulent campaign for the Tynecastle club.

The 26-year-old defender made the move to Edinburgh in the summer after the expiration of his contract with Livingston and made his competitive debut in the opening game of the season against Rangers which they drew 0-0.

Penrice says he became aware of Hearts interest in early January last year when they met Livingston in the Premiership.

"I hit a good bit of form just before January and I knew I was going to leave but Livingston had offered me another deal," Penrice said.

"I had to say to David [Martindale] I'm not going to sign it, which he wasn't too pleased with, but he quickly understood.

"Then we played Hearts on 2 January. As I'm walking around the pitch, Naisy [Steven Naismith] pulled me aside and basically said that he'll be speaking to me soon. Then after the game there, Clare [Cowan] from the club came up to me and asked what was going on with me and if I'd signed a pre-contract anywhere.

"At that point I wasn't really thinking and then they got in touch with my agents. There was talks at other clubs, my agent was talking to a few, but as soon as Hearts was in the pipeline, it was the only decision for me."

Penrice was brought up in Livingston and was a pupil at Meldrum Primary but all he wanted to concentrate on was his football.

"My primary school and high school were kind of taken over by what I was doing in my football career," Penrice added.

"At that time, your club wouldn't really let you play with your school, so it was never a big thing for me.

"It was almost a relief when I actually left a couple of clubs and I managed to get to play for the school. My school was the usual black ash pitch. I broke my collarbone on it playing football at lunch.

"It was just a really, really good school to be at and it only helped my love for football really. It was kind of just my wait until the bell goes for either break or lunch and then eat as quick as you can and then run outside.

"It was a real bad day when it used to rain and we weren't allowed outside. It was like all the kids just sitting in the window looking at the football pitch.

"They let us on as much as possible. As I say, I've got probably a couple of cuts on my body from that time, even that early in my life"

The next step for Penrice is the national team.

The defender has never before featured at international level at any age group but admits it's one of his burning ambitions in the game.

"I think I got maybe in one provisional squad when I was at Thistle but that was the closest I got," he said.

"It's definitely a dream of mine but I'm under no illusion that the left-back slot at Scotland is a tough gig.

"My main focus is to get in and help Hearts. If that was to come in the future, that'd be brilliant.

"It's anybody's dream to play for their country. So I'd be thrilled if it happened but I'm not under no illusion that the squad's incredible right now."

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Calem Nieuwenhof "feels like a new signing" as he prepares to make his long-awaited return from injury for Hearts.

The Australian has been sidelined since March 2024 when he suffered a hamstring injury but made the bench in last weekend's win at Dundee and hopes to feature in Monday night's Scottish Cup tie at St Mirren.

"It's been tough because, obviously, as a footballer, I want to play football," the midfielder said.

"I love the game, I love competing and, to go such a long time without that, it's been tough. The support from my team-mates and the staff here has been incredible. I couldn't thank them enough.

"It was really frustrating for me to be having such small setbacks.

"Now I've been feeling good and just so happy to be back on the pitch again and hopefully, being able to play again very soon.

"As a footballer, when you're injured, you don't really have any choice other than to sort of knuckle down and just do all you can do to get back.

"That's what I'm really focusing on and now I'm in a good place where I feel good in my body, I'm not taking it for granted and I know that now I'm fit. I need to stay fit."

Nieuwenhof hasn't played for Neil Critchley, who joined the club in October, and craves the chance to impress.

"I do feel like a bit of a new signing coming in at the moment, which is funny because I've been her a year and a half now," he said.

"I just can't wait to get back on the pitch in front of the fans again."

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Former league-winning Hearts goalkeeper and Hall of Fame member Gordon Marshall has died at the age of 85.

The shot-stopper made his debut aged 17 in 1956 and went on to win two league titles and three League Cups during a seven-year spell with the club.

Moves to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest followed before Gordon joined Hibernian in 1969, becoming one of a select pack of players to play for both Edinburgh clubs.

He also had stints at Celtic and Aberdeen before seeing out his career at Arbroath.

His son, Gordon, went on to have a successful goalkeeping career, too.

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Neil Critchley says Hearts' transfer strategy "makes the decision-making process a lot easier" as he declared himself delighted with the squad's January revamp.

Hearts, working in conjunction with Jamestown Analytics, added five new players - four on permanent deals and Union St-Gilloise striker Elton Kabangu on loan - while five players moved on, including Australia defender Kye Rowles.

Kabangu, with five goals in three starts, and defender Jamie McCart have already impressed and head coach Critchley said: "They brought a freshness to the group, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well.

"Obviously we've not seen really Michael [Steinwender] and Sander [Kartum] too much and hopefully they'll start to be a bit more evident further down the line.

"But Jamie's been magnificent at the back since Kye has left the building and Elton's come and had a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

"They've been a massive help and it just goes to show that recruitment and getting the right players in is a huge part of developing your squad. I've been delighted with the work we've done."

Among the departures were late moves for two players who only arrived last summer, Daniel Oyegoke and Malachi Boateng.

"I just think sometimes you're not prepared for what's going to come your way and what the player wants to do as well. You have to take that into account," added Critchley.

"We had offers that we thought were acceptable for the club and the players also expressed an interest in wanting those moves to happen.

"But if you look at our work right across January and the players that have left and the players that have come in, you always want to try and end the window as stronger than when you started it.

"I think we've done that and we've got a strategy of how we want to move forward. When you have that, it makes the decision-making process a lot easier."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Neil Critchley has been speaking to the media before Hearts visit St Mirren in the Scottish Cup on Monday - live on BBC Scotland.

Here are the key lines from the Tynecastle boss:

• Critchley is delighted with the first manger of the month award of his career, adding: "It is recognition of all the work that's been going on."

• With Hearts unbeaten in seven, he is determined to keep the momentum - "we enough experience to make sure we don't take the foot off the pedal" - but cautions there is a "long way" to go in getting the team and squad to where he wants.

• Critchley is pleased with the club's business in the transfer window - Hearts added five players and moved five on - and hailed the early impact of "magnificent" Jamie McCart and Elton Kabangu for bringing a "freshness" on and off the pitch.

• On deadline-day arrival Harry Milne: "He can play left-back or left centre-back. If we decide at any point to play in a three, he can play left of a three. I really like his journey."

• On the January exit of summer signings Daniel Oyegoke and Malachi Boateng: "We had offers that we thought were acceptable for the club and the players also expressed an interest in wanting those moves to happen."

• Critchley is braced for a "tough game" against St Mirren and says "form goes out the window" in cup ties.

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Hearts head coach Neil Critchley has been named Scottish Premiership manager of the month following his side's impressive climb up the table.

Critchley's men went unbeaten in January, with wins over Motherwell and Dundee United followed by a draw at Aberdeen, victory over Kilmarnock and a 6-0 trouncing of Dundee at Dens Park.

The Jambos were 11th at the start of the month but now sit seventh, just one point off sixth-place Motherwell.

"I'd like to dedicate this award to all of the staff, not just at Oriam but at Tynecastle too, and the players who have performed very well in the month of January," said Critchley.