The Englishman is poised to make his European debut at Tynecastle Park.

While preparing for his debut appearance in European competition, newly hired Hearts head coach Neil Critchley has revealed who is keeping him at the club. His squad will take a somewhat different approach against Cypriot side Omonoia Nicosia on Thursday night, following their spectacular 4-0 victory against St Mirren on Saturday. Critchley accepted the offer to manage at Tynecastle Park in order to pursue prospects in the UEFA Conference League.

He is already relying on individuals with extensive understanding of the club. Kitman Gordon Paterson has been with Heart of Midlothian since 1992, having previously worked in the club store and as the former club mascot, Hearty Harry. His perspective has been invaluable since Critchley’s arrival eight days ago.

“I actually drove from the training ground down here with the kitman because he was kind enough to give me a lift,” said Critchley, speaking before Omonoia arrived at Tynecastle. “He gives me a tour of the football club and explains its history. Brilliant firm. And there are times when you pull up to the ground and say, ‘Wow, this ain’t terrible.’ So, I’m looking forward to this week.

“He (Paterson) tells me everything. He’s the man I turn to. He is the encyclopaedia of Hearts.” Discussions about Sunday’s Edinburgh derby against Hibs at Easter Road have already begun. Paterson shared further insights on that fixture. “Some words I can’t use,” Critchley said with a smile. “But from the first day he makes me well aware of the importance of that game, although it’s Thursday night first.”

St Mirren’s in-game philosophies are vastly different from those of Omonoia. Critchley revealed that he will change some of Hearts’ tactics to deal with the Cypriots, whose game strategy revolves around monopolising ball possession. “Yes, our core ideas remain unchanged, but the team we’ll face on Thursday is completely different from St Mirren. The head coach stated that there is no good or evil, right or wrong, only differences.

“Everyone has a different system, a different method of playing, and Omonoia are different, so we must adjust in our thoughts about how we play the ball in possession and how we will defend. We spent the previous two days doing just that. But, once again, I return to our principles: we want to be a possession-based club that, without the ball, is difficult to play against, on the front foot and pressuring teams.

“Omonoia enjoys having the ball and dominating games through possession. They have many methods for setting up and playing the game. They have several really dynamic offensive players, wide players, No. 9s, and No. 10s. I don’t expect them to come here, park the bus, and then blame everyone else. Their natural inclination is to hold the ball. So we know we’ll need to be good without the ball, but I want us to be a team that strives to dominate possession regardless of who we’re playing against. I want us to strive to ensure that if we have the ball, we can compel them to do things they do not want to do.”

Hearts have no new injury concerns, and Critchley declined to say if anyone will be left out of Thursday’s squad to be fresh for the derby. “I do not call it resting. “I just call it managing the squad,” he explained. “We have Saturday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It’s five games in fifteen days. To play the way we want to play–with enthusiasm and intensity–you must manage the group.

“I also want to see some of the players play, but you have to strike the appropriate balance. Too many alterations would probably be a bad idea. To keep the squad fresh and to play the style we want to play while still giving the players a chance to impress, that is something I must consider during this period.”

When asked which Nicosia players stood out to him, Critchley responded, “Both wide players.” If they make replacements, they are quite attack-minded. The numbers 10 and 9 stick out. I know [Stevan] Jovetic is unable to play in the game. But, again, I know [Filip] Helander participated in the last game. Alpha Diounkou, a right-back for Manchester City, is someone I knew from his youth. Senou Coulibaly, a right-sided defender, is extremely athletic. They have several really talented players. We’re coming off a 4-0 win at home. We’ve already won this tournament [against Dinamo Minsk], so let’s go again.”

Jovetic, the renowned Montenegro international forward, did not join Omonoia until September 30th, and hence is not included in their Conference League team for this phase. His absence is undoubtedly advantageous for Hearts. Critchley’s debut game in command at the weekend coincided with the Edinburgh club’s first league victory of the season. Their sole prior success came at the start of the month, when they defeated Dinamo 2-1 in Azerbaijan.

Critchley, along with assistants Mike Garrity and Liam Fox, does not believe it is necessary to pull his Hearts squad down from their weekend high. “No, I would not say bring them back down to Earth. We don’t get very excited when we win, and we try not to be too upset when we lose,” he remarked. “It was a good sensation, certainly, for the guys.

“The first home victory was critical; we kept a clean sheet and scored a couple goals. That was a fantastic day for the fans, but we arrived on Sunday, were completely saturated in training on Sunday morning, and have spent the last several days preparing for a really exciting game. It’s back to work. Even after Saturday, there are still parts of our game that we can massively improve on.

Omonoia defeated 1-0 at home to Enosis on Saturday, prompting head coach Valdas Dambrauskas to deliver an apologies. Critchley is apprehensive of Thursday’s opponents. “This is a real test,” he stressed. “You see the game they played over the weekend, and nine times out of ten, they win it. They were the dominate team. They should’ve won the game. We are not misled by that defeat. They are a solid squad that has achieved great success in its league. We are aware of the job ahead of us, but we have just come off a strong win, as well as a good win away in Europe. And because we’re at home, we should make the most of it.

I just know from watching them that they have some talented guys. I know they have some really intriguing offensive guys. They enjoy dominating the ball. If you look at some of the players’ backgrounds, where they’ve been, what they’ve done, and what they’ve accomplished, we have complete respect for who they are. But we constantly focus on ourselves, especially since I’m here right now. How can we improve? How can we get better? We will respect our opponents, but on Thursday night, it will be all about us and how we play.”

Hearts’ victory on Thursday night would earn them six points in the Conference League’s new league phase. That sum might be enough to secure a play-off spot in the final 16, however this is the first year of the new structure, so it’s impossible to predict exactly what points will be necessary. “A good question. I do not know. “We’ve been trying to figure it out on our own and had a conversation about it the other day,” said Critchley, who will draw on his experience coaching Liverpool youth players in the UEFA Youth League.

“You may only participate in one game at a time. We have three points on the board and two home games remaining. If we can gain more points, we will be in a great position, and that is our goal – to go as far as we can in this tournament. I’ve had previous experience with this, but it was at a young age. I’ve had the incredible opportunity to travel the world competing in events.

“The UEFA Youth League was definitely for under-19s, but it’s all relative. I still have experience playing against teams from all over the world and seeing how they play the game differently, how the rules are read differently, and even how individuals behave and respond to particular situations. So it isn’t new to me. However, managing against a team like Omonoia is unquestionably one of the reasons I joined this football club.

“I stated yesterday that we’ve only lost one out of four games, and the goal against Ross County, Shanks’ [Lawrence Shankland] goal right in injury time, was a great psychological boost for the team. I believe Liam [Fox] and his crew deserve praise. I sensed it when I initially arrived to the club. I believe that has given the group a morale boost, a lift, and we hope that this continues. We have another one here Saturday and Thursday night, under the lights with our followers behind us, and we hope to take another step ahead.”

Beating Omonoia would also result in an additional £335,000 in UEFA prize money for winning a league-phase tie. “If you’re successful, then you get the rewards off the back of that, but that only comes through hard work and preparing properly and playing well,” Critchley told me. “If the club profits from that, that’s terrific. How about prestige? Yes, of course.

“We aim to be a club in Europe, fighting with the best. You can see how the land is being prepped, and there is something distinct about being in Europe; it seems different, and it has a unique vibe to it. I’m sure it’s exciting for the supporters. Other than the last game, there is no finer feeling than travelling abroad to support your team in Europe while having a nice time. We want to provide more days and nights to our supporters in the future.

“The players have been quite responsive to the training that we’ve done with them. I’ve been tremendously inspired by their character and the personalities in our group. But I also realise there is a lot of work to be done and improvements to be made. That’s my job, and that’s where I come in: to assist the players understand why we’re doing things in and out of possession. But there were some very hopeful signals from Saturday’s game.

“It’s quite a hectic schedule now; I believe it’s midweek for the next two or three weeks.” How will that look? We’ve been preparing for this game for the previous several days, following Thursday’s game. We’ll focus on the game on Sunday, so another two days of training before we leave again. We were really reviewing the schedule yesterday to see what it would look like in the future. Sometimes you have to adjust and be flexible because you have to consider not only the physical loading or how the athletes are feeling physically, but also the emotional side.

“During my time at Liverpool, the under-21s competed in a variety of events, including the Premier League Cup, UEFA Youth League, and the league. We did this on purpose so that the guys could experience what it would be like to play 40, 50, or 60 games. In the [English] Championship, the situation is fairly similar. I’d like to believe that I’m capable of managing a group of players and staff throughout a hectic season. “We’ll see.”

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