Hearts need Neil Critchley to rediscover his mojo as Blackpool favourite explains why second spell went full 'Austin Powers'
Brett Ormerod was delighted Critchley returned to Bloomfield Road but it went sour at the start of this season
Neil Critchley better hope he can do an Austin Powers and rediscover his mojo at Hearts, with fans certainly not "horny" at the prospect of his impending appointment
The former Blackpool boss is set to be appointed as Steven Naismith 's replacement after talks with Tynecastle chiefs. It comes after discussions with experienced Norwegian Per Mathias Hogmo broke down last friday when the former Rosenborg and Hacken boss looked set to be the new man in the Gorgie hot seat ahead of this Saturday's home clash with St Mirren.
After applying Brighton owner Tony Bloom's Starlizard algorithm to the recruitment process, Critchley has scored highly enough and sufficiently impressed at interview to land the gig. However, it has not gone down well with punters, who have been left seriously underwhelmed that the same system that identified the likes of Roberto Di Zerbi and Fabian Hurzeler for the Seagulls, has landed them with a former youth coach sacked from QPR and Blackpool in his only two senior coaching job.
It must be stressed that Critchley's first spell at Bloomfield Road was a success, leading the Tangerines to promotion. But former striker Brett Ormerod has explained why it just wasn't the same second time around, likening Critchley to Mike Myers' comedy spy character.
"There was a lot of unrest at the end of last season, with the away form. I was delighted when he came back, but it didn’t seem to click, like it did the first time," he wrote in his Blackpool Gazette column. "He had such a good time originally, you were just hoping he could come back and replicate it, but it’s not always the case.
"There was a section of fans that weren’t for forgiving him for leaving in the first place, which is what you get in football. He changed formation, and a lot of people weren’t having it. It seemed like Austin Powers, he’d lost his mojo.
"He did what he believed in, and you live and die by the sword, and that goes for any manager. You do a job to the best of your ability, and you do what you think is right.
"The thing with football, you don’t just have one boss, there’s thousands of them. You’re open to criticism and you can’t please everyone. If you’re winning, then the world is a better place, but when you’re not it could be the worse place.
"As the manager, the buck stops with you. Neil Critchley had his way of playing, and he stuck with it. It’s not stubbornness if you think you’re right.
"It’s a tough job to do. The modern day supporters play Championship Manager and think it’s a breeze."