To clarify - at least up until Nationals this year...by that point, the harsh criticism was fully warranted.
It's easy to build someone up and up and up and at the least sign of them not living up to this unattainable ideal, tear into them (shades of Sasha Cohen 2005-2006) - whereas, other performers who mess up, but aren't hyped nearly as much, are given more slack/leeway. In the case of Gold, once she fell into a SUSTAINED slump, and Nationals came by and she showed no signs of climbing out of the slump, then it's understandable, and fair game at that point.