Hearts manager Neil Critchley opted not to rub salt in the wounds as Rangers look to recover from that Scottish Cup shock against Queen’s Park.
Rangers are set to face an on-form Hearts side in the Scottish Premiership this weekend as Philippe Clement’s job hangs by a thread at Ibrox.
Rangers’ dismal record of four wins in 12 away matches this season will only intensify the challenge of heading to Edinburgh with the Jambos unbeaten in eight matches.
Rangers also kicked off the Premiership season with a 0-0 draw at Tynecastle in August.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Neil Critchley reckons that far from make his task as Hearts manager easier, Rangers’ shock defeat to Queen’s Park has made things even harder.
It comes with the Gers under pressure to bounce back against Hearts, no mean feat given the Tynecastle club’s resurgent form.
Neil Critchley on shock Rangers Scottish Cup defeat
”You could say that (Rangers’ defeat to Queen’s Park) makes it more difficult for us,” Critchley told Sky Sports.
“Because they’ll obviously be looking for a response from that game.
”Take that game out the equation, and I know Rangers and their supporters won’t do that, but they’ve got excellent players and they’re on a really good run of form.
”We know whenever you play Rangers it’s a tough game.
”However we’re at home. We get the energy and the passion of our supporters behind us and we’re in good form ourselves.
”So it’s got the makings of a really good game.”
Critchley wants Hearts to take game to Rangers
Neil Critchley will be looking to the power of Tynecastle as Hearts look to heap the pressure on Rangers manager Philippe Clement.
The Gers find themselves 13 points off Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic with the club’s domestic season effectively over in a competitive sense before Valentine’s Day.
But there will be no love lost when the boys in maroon welcome Rangers this weekend, with Critchley urging his Hearts team to take the game to the Gers from the first whistle.
“We’re at home, we want to play to our principles, to the team that we want to see on the pitch, be a Hearts team, play with passion, play with endeavour and commitment,” said Critchley.
”You know you’re going to have to do that against Rangers.
“You know you’re going to have to be good without the ball but also, sometimes the best form of defence is attack.
”We want to try and always be the dominant team and take the game to the opposition.
”It doesn’t always work like that, we didn’t start particularly well against Kilmarnock recently, but we still found a way to win. So we have to be adaptable.
”Rangers will be looking to obviously bounce back from their defeat last weekend and they will want to start fast as well.
”On paper it makes for a really exciting game I think.”
