Neil Critchley tells Hearts fans the transfer they should be excited about despite ‘time to adapt’ caveat
Elton Kabangu made an instant impression in the Scottish Cup win over Brechin
After the on-loan forward scored a second-half double on his complete debut to save Hearts from a Scottish Cup shock at Brechin, Neil Critchley praised Elton Kabangu.
As the Jambos rallied to defeat the Highland League leaders, who had taken the lead thanks to Scott Bright’s incredible goal at a crowded Glebe Park, the Royal Union Saint-Gilloise forward scored two and assisted on another. Kabangu secured a loan transfer from the Belgian team at the beginning of the transfer window, with the Tynecastle having the option to make it permanent in the summer. However, government red tape delayed his debut. However, Critchley believes Hearts supporters would be happy with him after he was eventually released from the starting lineup and had a fleeting cameo against Aberdeen last weekend.
He stated: “Elton demonstrated his character.” In the penalty area and near the goal, he is a finisher. He will contribute vitality, a great deal of passion, and effort to the top end of the field. He is difficult to manage for ninety minutes. Because he has an excellent balance between speed and endurance, he can run for extended periods of time, making it difficult for defenders to silence him.
The supporters are undoubtedly thrilled with what they witnessed of him tonight. And I believed he made a difference when he came on against Aberdeen.
It has been a good start for him. However, he hasn’t played a lot of football lately, so it will take him some time to get used to the new team’s style of play. We’ve been showing him even this week. Our defensive strategy differs from that of his previous team.
What we want him to do in attack, as well as where he runs. We don’t want to overwhelm him with too much to think about. With any luck, he will thrive once he settles into our surroundings.
After a screamer from Bright, a St Johnstone loanee, Yan Dhanda tied the score. Hearts took the lead before Kabangu’s double thanks to an own goal from former Jambó Kevin McHattie. Critchley declared: “The task is done. Yan’s goal was good, and it put an end to our argument.
We settled down after scoring early in the second half and played some good football. After completing the task, we go on to the next phase.
“They scored a fantastic goal, but we had been playing the game very well before that. The longer it remains at 1-0, the more anxious and tense we get; we needed that special moment to get back into the game. After we were established and regained our football skills, we began to improve our personal comfort level.
