BBC-Sports. Lawrence Shankland will rediscover Hearts goalscoring magic as Critchley fiercely rejects captaincy change.
Shankland has only scored once in 15 outings across all competitions for the Jambos this season.
Despite criticism, Hearts manager Neil Critchley is confident in Lawrence Shankland’s ability to lead the team on the pitch.
Since returning from Scotland duty in the summer, last season’s Player of the Year has struggled to recover his form, which saw him score 59 goals in his first two seasons at the capital club. Some Tynecastle supporters have questioned if he should be stripped of the captaincy to help him refocus. But the new Gorgie manager hasn’t even contemplated a downgrade.Critchley responded: “No, not at all.” That never crosses my mind. Lawrence is captain. He is captain for a reason, and he will remain such.
“I’ve been quite impressed with him. I chatted with him again on the training ground this morning, and he’s a striker who wants to score goals and is angry that he’s not scoring. However, I believe his overall performance in recent games has been exceptional.I believe he performed like a true captain and leader. He’s contributed so much to the squad by playing and leading the line for us, and he’s come so close to scoring. If he continues to put himself in situations where he can finish with both feet or his head, he will score goals, I am confident.”
The 29-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season and is generally anticipated to leave, has only scored once in 16 appearances this season. He has three assists and can be seen cheering on teammates, but it has not been enough to please his critics, who accuse him of losing interest. His manager, however, has defended him, claiming that he has no reason to doubt Shankland’s dedication to the cause.
“I’m really comfortable with the way he is. Of course, if he misses an opportunity or a time, he has high expectations of himself. He expects to score goals, so it is natural for him to feel disappointed if he misses a chance or does not connect perfectly.
“When we agreed the other night, I am confident if you looked at me, I would be… It is human. We are all human. We all experience emotions. Lawrence prioritizes scoring goals, yet his overall contribution to the team, physical effort, and stats support this assessment. He’s put so much effort into the previous few games, and if he continues to work hard, things will work out for him.”
That may not be enough to silence many who believe last season’s talisman has returned out of shape and is a poor copy of the guy who led the line so masterfully over the previous two seasons. The striker missed opportunities as Hearts fell to the bottom of the Premier League table, behind city rivals Hibs, following their defeat to Kilmarnock on Wednesday night. It was Critchley’s first loss, and he has called for a good response and a more complete effort in Perth this afternoon [Saturday].
The match with Sy Johnstone might be nerve-racking, given the tight November fixture schedule, which includes games against Rangers, Celtic, and Aberdeen, as well as challenging UEFA Conference League ties. But Critchley remained steadfast in his opinion that Shankland still has the potential to lead from the front.
“I spoke with him this morning,” he continued. “Obviously, we were disappointed about losing the game the other night so there’s an obvious disappointment straight after the game but the response from himself and the team has been excellent so I’m looking forward to seeing how we play.”
He also hopes to have Beni Baningime back in the matchday squad. Critchley went further: “He’s done a couple of days of training so he’s in a better position to be available for this game but other than that, we are as we were the other night.”
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