Ex-Blackpool and QPR boss makes dream start to life with new club
Former Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley has enjoyed a dream start to life with Hearts.
The 45-year-old was appointed as the Edinburgh outfit’s head coach earlier this week, just two months on from his Bloomfield Road sacking.
Kenneth Vargas, Daniel Oyegoke, James Wilson and Blair Spittal were all on the scoresheet on Saturday afternoon, as Critchley’s time at Tynecastle started with a 4-0 home win over St Mirren.
Prior to the match, the Jam Tarts were sat bottom of the SPL table with only two points from their opening eight games, but have now moved above rivals Hibernian into 11th ahead of next weekend’s derby clash at Easter Road.
Critchley enjoyed a successful first spell with Blackpool between 2020 and 2022, guiding the Fylde Coast club to promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs in his first full season.
He departed the Seasiders to become Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Aston Villa, but only lasted a few months with the Premier League side due to the sacking of the former England captain.
The ex-Liverpool youth coach then resumed his own managerial career with QPR, but like his stint at Villa Park, his time at Loftus Road proved to be short-lived, winning just one of his 12 games in charge.
This prompted his return to Bloomfield Road last summer, with the Seasiders back in League One.
Unfortunately he was unable to replicate his past success, and missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the season following a defeat away to Reading.
Blackpool did give Critchley the summer to rebuild his squad, before making the decision to part ways after only two league games, following back-to-back losses to Crawley Town and Stockport County.
Hearts’ game away to Hibernian next weekend will provide the ex-Seasiders boss with a reunion with one of his former players in the form Marvin Ekpiteta, who joined Davis Gray’s side as a free agent in the summer.