The travelling Jambos support turned on Shankland after shocking penalty miss in Belgium
The Hearts striker has gone from John Robertson's heir apparent to public enemy No.1 at Tynecastle. The prospect of the fans singing "Shankland, Shankland get tae f***" last season was frankly ridiculous. But that is what happened on Thursday night as Shankland bore the brunt of the travelling fans' fury in Brugge after blazing a late spot kick over the bar in their 2-0 Europa Conference League defeat to Cercle.
It's not as if Hearts aren't creating chances. They fashioned enough to win in Belgium, and plenty in the first half against Celtic at the weekend. They are just spectacularly failing to take them and while Shankland certainly isn't the only culprit, he's the one much more is expected of. Accusations of not trying or caring are wide of the mark. He's not simply ditched his professional pride - he's in a slump he can't shake.
James Wilson has produced a couple of goals off the bench and a late leveller at Easter Road will never do you any harm as a Hearts striker. But asking a teenager to lead the line in a struggling side could be a recipe for disaster given the pressure he'll be under as long as Hearts languish in 11th.
The 29-year-old entered the final year of his contract fresh from the season of his life. A bumper contract offer from Hearts was knocked back to see what else would come his way.
Hearts FC Neil Critchley Europa Conference League Aberdeen FC Scottish Premiership
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