Head coach Neil Critchley says Hearts approach Sunday’s match with Rangers full of confidence as they look to keep their unbeaten run in 2025 going.
Last time on league duty, the Jambos thrashed Dundee 6-0 at Dens Park, before a very different kind of victory over St Mirren, on penalties, to reach the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.
Critchley acknowledges the quality of Sunday’s opponents, but admits Hearts will be looking to use the Tynecastle atmosphere to their advantage.
Speaking to the media at the pre-match press conference, Critchley said:
“We're in good form. We can go into the game with a positive feeling, knowing that we face good players, a good opponent, difficult challenge, but it's a great game for us to look forward to. So hopefully we can use the energy of the crowd and feed off their passion and go and do everything we can to keep our unbeaten run going.
“We know we’re going to have to be good without the ball, because they've got very good technical players, intelligent players who know how to handle the ball, and they're used to playing in big games, with big expectations, so they're used to playing under this type of pressure.
“We have to be well-organised, good without the ball, but also, again, we want to try and take the game to the opponent. The game at Ibrox, after our indifferent first few minutes of the game, we grew into it and we really took the game to them, and we pushed them onto the back foot, particularly in the second half. I think we had over 50 per cent of the ball, which doesn't happen often. Particularly away from home against Rangers, so it shows that we're capable of doing that.
“But that's only come through our defensive organisation and how we approach the game. Our mentality has got to be right, and if it is, then I'm sure we'll give a good account of ourselves.”
The men in maroon were second best for much of Monday’s match at St Mirren, but Critchley praised the attitude of his side to ‘fight and scrap’ as they booked their spot in the next round.
“It takes a real collective effort if you want to win any football match, and at times the game wasn't pretty, that's for certain.
“We've had to fight and scrap, but that belief or that willingness never to lose, never to give up, to keep going, that never-say-die attitude, because it was looking unlikely, obviously the closer it gets to 90 minutes, but the players stuck in there, and all the players who came from the bench contributed.
“It took a huge collective effort, and sometimes in cup competitions it's just about getting through, it's about getting through to the next round, and fortunately, or thankfully, we did that.”
Regarding team news, Critchley confirmed that midfielder Cammy Devlin is currently undergoing protocols for concussion but could still feature, meanwhile Lewis Neilson has recovered after being forced off early on against the Buddies.
“Lewis is fine. He's trained, so he's got no problem. He's back training. Cammy is just going through the concussion protocol now, which we have to follow, so that's so far so good. He's not had any setbacks from that, so we'll just hopefully follow that and if that is the case, then he'll make Sunday.
“Obviously, there's a bit where you do a little bit on the bike and then you start to progress and then you start to come onto the pitch and do a bit of running and then semi-opposed stuff, then opposed. As I say, he's coming through that and if he does carry on with no setbacks, then that means he will train tomorrow and be available.”
You can watch Neil’s press conference in full on Hearts TV.
