Lawrence Shankland looked to the sky, shirt clenched between his teeth, as his chance to draw Hearts level against Cercle Brugge went horribly over the crossbar.
The Hearts striker, who has scored just once so far this season, had stood over a spot-kick as his side went into the final 10 minutes trailing their Belgian hosts in the Europa Conference League.
Just 12 yards stood between him and a chance to end his 10-game goal drought and all but put his side into the knock-out stages.
Whistle. Shot. Over. Despair.
Moments later, another gilt-edged opportunity came Shankland’s way when he got his head onto a wonderful James Penrice cross. Wide. More despair.
One goal in 20 games – after scoring 32 in 47 club appearances last term – begs the question of what has happened to Shankland this season?
What do the numbers say?
Looking beyond the bare goal stats, the numbers don’t look good for the 29-year-old compared to his incredible campaign last year.
In the 2023/24 Premiership season, the Scotland international netted 24 goals in 37 games despite having an expected goals (xG) tally of 17.
This season, he’s scored just one from an xG of four.
To put that into perspective a wee bit, the striker effectively scored seven goals more than he was expected to based on the chances he had last season.
This year, he’s scored almost three fewer than he should have.
Interestingly, though, Shankland’s getting near enough the same number of chances per game.
Last term, the striker enjoyed 50 opportunites – an average of 1.4 per game. So far this season, its been 17, which works out at 1.3 per game.
His touches in the opposition box aren’t far off where they were last year either – 7.1 per 90 minutes compared to 7.0 this season.
If the chances are the same, and the touches are the same – what’s going wrong?
“Shankland, you can see he’s just riddled with that self doubt,” said Sportsound pundit Neil McCann, and that probably sums it up.
‘He just needs that one goal badly’
His team-mates don’t believe Shankland is far from the form Hearts fans became accustomed to last term.
Goalkeeper Craig Gordon said the striker was “devastated” in the changing room and had “not said a word” since coming off the pitch, but insisted they will help him get back to the heights he is capable of.
“We’ll get round him and support him because he’s a top-quality striker and that will never go away,” the 41-year-old said.
“He will be back, back scoring goals and it’s up to the rest of us to support him.
“We’ll all get round him tonight and try and get him up and ready to go again because he just needs that one goal badly.”
Head coach Neil Critchley echoed those sentiments, speaking about Shankland’s experience and “broad shoulders”.
“We’ll stick with him, stand by him and give him the support he needs,” he said.
“We wouldn’t be in this position [in Europe] if it wasn’t for him because of the goals he’s scored.
“But he needs to stay with himself and not be too downhearted and we have to do the same.”
What do you think?
Hearts fans, what do you make of Shankland’s form this season? What do you think has changed?
