Lawrence Shankland's fall from Hearts grace complicates transfer question after contract gamble

Lawrence Shankland could be forgiven for asking himself how it's come to this.

The Hearts striker has gone from John Robertson's heir apparent to public enemy No.1 at Tynecastle. The prospect of the fans singing "Shankland, Shankland get tae f***" last season was frankly ridiculous. But that is what happened on Thursday night as Shankland bore the brunt of the travelling fans' fury in Brugge after blazing a late spot kick over the bar in their 2-0 Europa Conference League defeat to Cercle.

It might have been the Belgian beer talking and emotions were running high after the skipper skied his penalty at 1-0. The way the Jambos' season is going, of course the hosts went up the park and doubled their advantage in stoppage time. That's now two European defeats on the bounce, one win in six and four defeats on the bounce fore Neil Critchley. Despite improved performances, results remain rotten and things need to turn quickly.

Shankland's fall from grace has been a major factor. Thirty-one goals last season, 29 the year before. Just one this term - a last gasp equaliser against Ross County that bounced in off his head back in September.

It's not as if Hearts aren't creating chances. They fashioned enough to win in Belgium, and plenty in the first half against Celtic at the weekend. They are just spectacularly failing to take them and while Shankland certainly isn't the only culprit, he's the one much more is expected of.

Things are either going straight at the keeper or he's missing the target. A first half flick that would have given Hearts the lead on Thursday night trickled agonisingly wide. Kenneth Vargas, who has one eye on a move to a higher level but seemingly neither on where he's putting his shots, fired straight at