Craig Gordon tells Hearts fans why Neil Critchley negativity is coming WAY too early as he reveals hotel pep talk

Craig Gordon has called on Hearts fans to give Neil Critchley a chance - insisting he is excited to get working with the new management regime.

Former Blackpool and QPR boss Critchley was unveiled as the new man in charge at Tynecastle on Tuesday, more than three weeks after Steven Naismith was sacked. But his appointment has been met a lukewarm response from supporters unconvinced by the 45-year-old’s track record.

Critchley was axed by Blackpool in August after a second spell in charge of the Seasiders and 18 months after being binned by QPR after just 12 games in charge. He had led Blackpool to promotion into the Championship via the play-offs in his first spell in charge and Hearts leaned on Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics tool to help identify the best candidates for the job. That’s failed to allay the fear of a large swathe of fans. But club captain Gordon insists he can’t wait to get started with the new boss - and has urged the Gorgie faithful to get behind Critchley and assistant Mike Garrity too.

He said: “It’s up to us to win games. If we win games that will soon change. It is everyone’s responsibility to rally and get ourselves out the predicament we find ourselves in. Everybody deserves a chance. It’s quite clearly way too early to be negative about it.

“It’s been a robust process going down the analytics route and that seems to be the way forward. I think it is going to be good, I spoke to a few of the players and they were happy with training and are looking forward to getting started.

“I spoke to him (Critchley) just before he got announced. He was at the team hotel and I managed to grab a couple of minutes in passing just to touch base and wish him all the best. It was a general chat. It’s a new era