Neil Critchley's fatal Hearts flaw exposed again and there's no data needed to know it's crisis time at Tynecastle

A Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen is the latest big game Hearts have lost under Critchley after early alarm bells

Watching Hearts has become, for their own fans, a test of their good nature. And most of them are presently failing the examination.

Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final defeat from Aberdeen officially marks the opening of crisis time at Tynecastle. Analyse that.

The club that stands by data and analytics instead of the evidence of their own eyes will now undergo, post split, five games to avoid the unthinkable and duck a relegation play-off.

It was alarm bells, not jingle bells, the week before Christmas that should have alerted Jambos to the fact that all was not well.

When Neil Critchley's side drew 2-2 with Moldovan part-timers Petrocub at Tynecastle, and crashed out of the Europa Conference League, it should have been the red flag to signal danger.

The manager, another data-based appointment, lacks charisma and has a fatal flaw of failing to win games of importance.

Like against Motherwell last weekend that could have put Hearts in the top six and averted the sustained abuse they were subjected to at Fir Park.

At least the bottom six spares Critchley a third defeat in a row from Hibs.

Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.

You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.

We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.

Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.