Hearts Archives - Page 3 of 10

“He watches forensically” – McInnes conversing with football icon amidst title challenge

Derek McInnes reveals conversations with Sir Alex Ferguson have provided “great pointers”, as Hearts prepare for another seismic Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox. In an interview with the BBC, McInnes advised that Ferguson had contacted him in the lead up to the Edinburgh Derby. “He was on the phone on my way into the game, and he’s got great pointers, little nuggets of information. “He’s able to give you wee things you can maybe do and say, like how you deal with the press.” “He knows all my players. He talks as though he knows them intimately and I tell my players that, and they still can’t believe that he actually knows our game inside out,” adds McInnes. “He watches forensically. So I feel as if I’ve got a real supporter there.” McInnes will be aided by returning centre-back Craig Halkett, who missed Tuesday’s Edinburgh Derby through suspension. The defender accepts that his team may be in uncharted territory, but relishes the title challenge. “I’ve watched Scottish football all my life, and in my lifetime, certainly, it’s unusual for Hearts to be in this position at this time of the year. “I think the fact that the majority of the boys in the changing room haven’t been in this position before is a good thing. “We don’t have any past experience to fall back on or any worries about being in this position. We’ve not done it. Everyone’s just going with the flow and just doing the best that we can every single week. “I think it’s obviously a good thing that world football are looking at Hearts and seeing Hearts’ name out there and making the club known all across the world. That’s only a good thing. Holding position at the summit of the Scottish Premiership for 20 weeks may bring pressure, but Halkett insists his teammates aren’t feeling the pressure of their sensational season. “All the boys are buzzing coming in every day. We’ve been top of the league for a while now but I don’t think anyone’s really thinking or starting to worry that if we don’t win this game or we win that game, where are we going to be? “Personally, I’m not feeling too much pressure. It’s just the pressure to go and win the game at the weekend and then see where it takes us. “It’s been such a great season, you’re just so glad to be involved in it.” Hearts travel to Ibrox on Sunday afternoon, a victory would move the Jambos eight clear at the top of the league, potentially delivering the knockout blow for Rangers’ title credentials.

February 15, 2026

Rangers are in a great position to win the league but crunch game against Hearts is a MUST win – Scott Bradley

It was a frustrating result for Rangers last night as they conceded a late equaliser to ten men Motherwell at Fir Park and now the crunch game against Hearts is MUST win. This Scottish Premiership season has been one for the ages and it’s delivered a title race that nobody could have predicted between Hearts, Rangers and Celtic. The Jambos have been sitting top of the league for the past four months and Derek McInnes deserves all the credit in the world for the incredible job he’s doing at Tynecastle. Danny Rohl is another man who has done an exceptional job since arriving in Glasgow and has worked wonders with what is an average squad. After the sacking of Russell Martin in October, many believed the Light Blues were dead and buried and had no chance of getting back into the title race. Rohl has won 13 of his 18 league games in charge and has got the Ibrox club right back in the title hunt. Before the draw against the Steelmen, the German head coach hadn’t really put a foot wrong but last night he got the tactics and substitutions all wrong. The Gers never tried to kill the game off after the Well got Lukas Fadinger sent off. Rohl decided to put ten men behind the ball and see the result out, which backfired. It felt like a defeat conceding so late on and in a title race every game is a cup final and after failing to win last night – the pressure to get a victory against the league leaders at Ibrox this Sunday is even more intense and important than it already was before. The Teddy Bears are five points behind the Gorgie club and a point ahead of the Hoops who have a game in hand. The 49ers fully backed their man in the January window bringing in four signings and spent around £12 million. That was a clear sign that the Ibrox higher ups aren’t messing about and want to win the club’s 56th league title. There’s been many twists and turns in this historic Premiership season with many more to come but if Rohl’s side were to lose to McInnes’ men and if the Hoops beat Kilmarnock – it’ll be a monumental task to get back into the race. Rohl’s last outing against the Jam Tarts was a 2-1 defeat – his only league loss. The 36-year-old needs to go with his strongest side and not tinker things about with the team selection like he did last night. This will be a real test of this Rangers squads mentality because the pressure is fully on them to get a result and Hearts will be right up for the occasion. Sunday will be Rohl’s biggest and most important game so far in his managerial career and it’s one he cannot afford to lose.

February 12, 2026

“Tynecastle was a beautiful sight” – McInnes Revels in Derby Delight

Hearts boss Derek McInnes highlighted his side’s “desire” as they delivered another late derby victory at Tynecastle over fierce rivals Hibernian. Tomas Magnusson connected with Harry Milne’s driven cross to sidefoot Hearts into a six-point lead at the summit of the Scottish Premiership. The manager believes it was another “brilliant moment” for the Jambos. “On a tight pitch with a greasy surface, players need to concentrate on that first touch and I thought the game was so scrappy at times. “Both teams played the derby in the manner it should be played but you’re looking for bits of quality, bits of calmness. You’re waiting for the game to settle and it didn’t for the full game. “Hibs caused us more anxiety in the first half. When we went full press, they had more of a threat at the top end. They had a couple scary moments, the long throws were causing us an issue. Their best chances came from that type of football.” McInnes admitted that Hibs were slightly better in the first period, but pointed to a second half switch which helped alter proceedings. “We changed the shape, put two wingers at wing back and went to a back three and allowed a wee bit more calmness with our work. It nullified their threat better and gave us more of a foothold. “We recognise we can play a lot better and there’s games coming up where we need to play a lot better. Derby games aren’t always about the best team, the best players, the best passages of play. It’s about way more than that, what’s under the bonnet. “What we’ve got in abundance is a desire to make the game go our way. Harry Milne’s desire to get the ball to the byeline, Tomas Magnusson’s desire to get on the end of it. That’s what I’m talking about. “For all it was scrappy and untidy, that’s the way derbies are. There have been a million of them are. Without the experience we’ve got missing in the team, a lot of our boys were playing that type of game for the first time. “I always feel we’ve got a goal in us. It’s very rarely we don’t score. What a brilliant moment for us. Tynecastle was such a beautiful sight.” After bouncing back from a dismal defeat in Paisley last Tuesday, the Jambos head to Ibrox next. As momentum continues to build within the maroon side of Edinburgh, the question remains, how far can McInnes’ team go this season.

February 11, 2026

Hearts 1-0 Hibernian: The Late, Late Show With Tomas Magnusson

Hearts left it late against city rivals Hibs in a 1-0 victory, extending the Gorgie side’s lead at the league summit to six points at least until tomorrow. Tomas Magnusson’s third goal of the season was all that was needed to secure victory in a cagey affair, as the Hibee’s suffer late derby heartache for the second time at Tynecastle this season following Craig Halkett’s last gasp winner back in October. Derek McInnes’ side have ramped up the pressure on Rangers and Celtic once more, with both sides in action against Motherwell and Livingston tomorrow evening respectively. Hibs gave their opponents a fright inside the first ten minutes with a 2 vs 1 attack. New recruit Felix Passlack done well to find space and create an opening, but his final ball to slip in Martin Boyle lacked the perfection that was desperately needed, giving Hearts time to regroup and defend. In a game that lacked quality throughout, the best chance of the first half for Hearts fell for Islam Chesnokov just minutes before half time. The Kazakhstani attacker, making his first start since signing in January, latched onto a break of the ball inside Raphael Sallinger’s six-yard box following an attempt from Pierre Landry Kabore. He got it all wrong, however, lifting the ball over the bar and keeping the scoreline level heading into the interval. Hibs managed to control periods of the game better in the second period without creating anything meaningful until Nicky Cadden stepped up with just over twenty minutes of play. Cadden, who had produced a couple dangerous balls just prior, easily beat Chesnokov inside the box at the left flank, and put a teasing ball across the deck for Martin Boyle. The Australian flung a foot at it amid pressure from the Hearts’ defence, and it sailed over from close-range. With tension filling the air at a jam-packed Tynecastle Park, a hero stepped up with two minutes to play. Harry Milne drilled a ball into the box and Icelandic midfielder Tomas Magnusson ran onto and putted the ball with precision into the bottom left corner to take the roof of off the place. The result puts Hearts six points ahead of nearest challengers Rangers and nine ahead of third placed Celtic, with the former facing Jens Berthel Askou’s Motherwell at Fir Park tomorrow and the latter at home to bottom of the pile Livingston. The Hibees remain fifth with one win from their last six in all competitions, as they hope Danny Rohl’s side can do them a favour and keep Motherwell from creating daylight between them in fourth. HEARTS: Schwolow 6, Milne 7, Findlay 5, Kent 5, McEntee 5, Baningime 6 (Magnusson 76′ 5), Leonard 5, Kyziridis 5 (Mato 87′ 1), Braga 7 (McCart 90+4), Chesnokov 4 (Altuena 76′ 2), Kabore 4 (Ageu 87′ 1) HIBERNIAN: Sallinger 5, Iredale 5, Bushiri 5, Garananga 4 (O’Hora 78′ 1), Cadden 7, Barlaser 6, Andrews 4, Passlack 5, Chaiwa 3 (McGrath 60′ 2), Scarlett 4 (Suto 60′ 3), Boyle 4 (Youan 73′ 1)

February 11, 2026

‘To lose a goal from a set play with two minutes to go is pretty galling’ – McInnes

Hearts boss Derek McInnes believes his side’s refusal to “play forward” contributed to their third league defeat of the season, leaving an opportunity for Celtic and Rangers to close the gap to three points. Speaking at full-time, McInnes accepts that the first-half dismissal of Craig Halkett gave his side an immediate uphill battle. ‘I thought we caused our own problems. I think it is the third time in four games we’ve gone down to 10 men, which gives us a mountain to climb. ‘We were guilty of putting ourselves in a bit of a fankle, in a bit of a state, to cause the red card ‘We had two opportunities to play forward, and we refused to do it, and we ended up getting caught on it unnecessarily, so we’ve got to accept that part of it. ‘No complaints about the red card, and then you’ve got to try and do all you can. Everybody has to work a bit harder, we’re working harder in the dugout, just to try and give the lads a chance to stay in the game, and we almost did it.’ Miguel Freckleton’s 88th-minute winner seals St Mirren’s first league victory in seven games. McInnes believes his side could have dealt with the set piece in a better manner. ‘To lose a goal from a set play with two minutes to go is pretty galling, but again, we should still deal with that. ‘We can’t have a free header there in the middle of our goal, and it’s harsh because I thought we put so much on it. I don’t think anybody could have denied that the effort we put in, we could have earned a point tonight.’ The manager reckons his side’s inability to play forward in the first half contributed to the defeat, ‘We need to be able to run forward and play forward, and we got to the top of the league with a lot of characteristics, of being that team, and I felt tonight, we were guilty of not playing forward in that early part of the game. ‘The distances between my last centre-half and their centre half was about 30 yards. The grass was all behind them; we needed more runs from the forward line, and we needed more passes into space to make them think twice about coming after us. The distances then become tighter and tighter, and you need to be really on point to break press. We broke their press a few times, and we got out, and we play alright. But we were guilty of that, and it ended up causing a red card, which makes the game so much more challenging for us.’ Hearts return to Premiership action next Tuesday, in the third Edinburgh Derby of the season at Tynecastle

February 4, 2026

Steady Moves in a Busy Month: Hearts’ January Window Reviewed

Heart of Midlothian approached the January 2026 transfer window with a clear aim, to strengthen key areas without disrupting the core of the squad. Defensive reinforcement arrived early with the signing of Dutch centre-back Jordi Altena from RKC Waalwijk. Brought in on an undisclosed fee, Altena has added reinforcements to the Jambos back line while also offering an attacking side as well. In attack, Hearts looked abroad for added pace and creativity. Islam Chesnokov joined from Tobol Kostanay, giving the side another option out wide. His arrival was highly anticipated after signing a pre contract at the beginning of the season. Midfield depth was addressed later in the window through the loan signing of Marc Leonard from Birmingham City. Leonard was part of the Hearts academy and has had a large impact over his first two games. Another attacking option arrived in the shape of Rogers Mato, who joined on loan from FK Vardar. The Ugandan forward came in as Hearts managed injuries among their strikers, with the deal structured to allow for his permanent three year move in the summer. Outgoing business was quieter but still significant. Goalkeeper Zander Clark moved to Doncaster Rovers on loan for the remainder of the campaign. The move allowed Clark to gain regular minutes, while Hearts still have the options of Alexander Schwolow, Craig Gordon and Ryan Fulton. Midfielder Sander Kartum also left temporarily, joining Wellington Phoenix in Australia’s A-League Men. The loan will provide Kartum with more consistent football and he has made an impact already, scoring in his first appearance for the club. One of the more high-profile exits came very late in the window, as academy graduate James Wilson joined Tottenham Hotspur on loan with an option to buy. The 18-year-old striker moved south to continue his development at under-21 level in England. Hearts’ January window was more about smart adjustments than headline moves. Additions were made across defence, midfield and attack, while outgoing loans gave players the chance to play regularly elsewhere. It all pointed to a club thinking sensibly about the present while keeping one eye on the months ahead in their title charge.

February 2, 2026

Hearts Youngster Wilson set for Premier League Move

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to take James Wilson on loan from Hearts till the end of the season, with an option to buy. The 18-year-old managed six goals in thirty-three appearances last season, but has fallen down the pecking order under Derek McInnes, featuring just six times. Arsenal were reported to offer similar interest, offering a trial for the youngster, but Hearts have instead opted for Wilson to join Thomas Frank’s side. The Premier League interest took McInnes by surprise, he told Sky Sports Scotland earlier this week. “He’s been restricted with minutes this season. It’s tough to get into the first team at this age,” “Would we see the benefit of a loan? Yes, to get some minutes. But this one was a wee bit left-field.”

February 2, 2026

Hearts Claim 3–0 Victory Over Dundee United at Tannadice

Hearts extend their lead at the top of the table with a win over Dundee United. It was a clinical night for Heart of Midlothian at Tannadice as they came away with a convincing 3-0 victory over Dundee United, consolidating their grip at the top of the Premiership table. The Jambos made a positive start and opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Pierre Landry Kaboré found space inside the box, after a cross from Harry Milne and he finished from close range saw them go 1-0 up. Dundee United enjoyed spells of possession and attempted to build play, but struggled to convert that control into clear scoring opportunities. Amar Fatah was sent off for the home side after a challenge on Marc Leonard. The decision was originally given as a yellow but referee Calum Scott was sent to the monitor and the card was upgraded to red. Hearts then doubled their lead through a penalty. Claudio Braga was brought down in the box by Ryan Strain. Alexandros Kyziridis stepped up with a right footed shot and scored. United attempted to respond before the interval, pushing players higher up the pitch, but they were unable to test the Hearts goalkeeper in any meaningful way. The pattern of the game remained largely unchanged after the break. Dundee United continued to work the ball forward but struggled to break down a compact Hearts back line. Hearts were content to manage the game with their 2-0 lead. In the 75th minute Panutche Camará saw red, a second sending off for Dundee United this time for violent conduct against Marc Leonard. Kabore got his third goal of the evening after 81 minutes a left footed shot into the right side of goal and that sealed the game for McInnes’ side. Despite their efforts, Dundee United were unable to trouble the scoreboard. Hearts leave Tannadice with a clean sheet and all three points. Dundee United: Maynard-Brewer (4), Cleall- Harding (5), Graham (4), Keresztes (3), Strain (5), Stephenson (4), Sibbald (4), Ferry (5), Fatah (2), Möller (4), Trapanovski (4) Substitutions: Farrugia (3), Sapsford (4), Camara (2), Stirton (3) Hearts: Schwolow (7), Milne (8), Findlay (7), Halkett (7), Altena (7), Kyziridis (8), Magnusson (6), Leonard (8), McEntee (7), Braga (7), Kabore (9) Substitutions: McCart (6), Steinwender (5), Kerjota (6), Ageu (6), Mato (5)

February 1, 2026

McInnes Previews Dundee United

Hearts will make the trip up to Tannadice to face Dundee United in an 8pm kick off. This is the third time the two sides have met with Hearts winning the first game 3-2 and the second meeting ended in a 1-1 draw. Derek McInnes spoke to the media ahead of their game saying: “We’ve had a couple tough games against United, a late winner and deserve no more than a point at Tynecastle. I didn’t think we were great in that game”. “Whereas I thought we deserved the win up there. Albeit, the winner comes a bit late”. “That day the pitch was pristine, sunshine. A brilliant advert for the Scottish game, obviously the nature in the back end of January the pitch won’t be perfect. It’s just the way it is for lots of clubs at the minute”. “I know Dundee United are desperate to get the game on, as we are. Looking forward to it”. “Nonetheless, it will be a tough game there’s three point available and we are well aware of each game and their importance”. Hearts are still without a lot of player due to injury and Beni Baningime is suspended for this game also. The Jambos announced mid week the signing of Rodgers Mato. He joins this side on loan for the remainder of the season before his official three year contract begins in July.

January 31, 2026

“If We Show More Quality, We Win The Game” – Derek McInnes

Hearts manager Derek McInnes feels his side lacked a percentile in quality needed to win in their 2-2 home draw with Celtic. The league leaders came from behind twice against the defending champions to earn a point, with the second equaliser coming once Celtic were reduced to ten men following a red card to defender Austin Trusty. And McInnes feels that his team’s chance creation and control of the game was best of the two sides. He said: “There’s two sides to it. I think when you come from behind twice against a team of Celtic’s quality, there’s always a bit of pride and you want your players to show a bit of perseverance that we did. “But I do think in terms of chances created and how the game played out, I thought we had the better, and more, chances to win the game. “Celtic had a tough game on Thursday night and I think that factored into them, but I thought our energy that we put into the game, our connection from everybody really in terms of effort was there. “And I spoke at half-time to try bring a bit more quality – and if we show more quality, we win the game. We’ve not won the game because of that.” McInnes was irate after Celtic’s opener with a member of Celtic staff’s reaction, which seen the Hearts manager inside the Hoops dugout. The 54-year-old was coy to delve deeper into the incident, but did explain briefly. “That’s one place I’ll not be going! [The Celtic dugout] “It’s nothing to do with Martin [O’Neill] or Shaun [Maloney], it was just one of their inexperienced coaches that got a bit carried away. “That’s all I want to say on it.” Hearts were without captain and top goalscorer Lawrence Shankland today as well as midfield duo Beni Baningime and Cammy Devlin, and McInnes was pleased that their absences were not too hard felt. “There’s no two ways about it, on Sunday/Monday we were all a bit despondent when we get the news on injuries, but overcoming these challenges is part of it. “It’s good that we’ve got boys that have been waiting on the sidelines who played their part today, like [Landry] Kabore who makes us play a bit differently.” Hearts remain six points ahead of Celtic but Rangers reduced their lead at the summit to four points after defeating Dundee 3-0 at Ibrox. The Jambos boss is relishing the title race as the season moves into it’s final fifteen games. “I’m delighted we are where we are. We’ve been there a while now, I think it’s four months now, it’s not a purple patch. “I’m enjoying where we are, but we are well aware that there’s big clubs and good teams are desperate to be where we are, and we’ve got to be ready for that challenge as we go along.” Hearts have three away games in their next four, starting with a trip to Tannadice this Saturday. Their next three games after come against St. Mirren away, Hibs at home and Rangers away. Coming out of these with as few battle scars as possible, might be the difference in a potential historic Heart of Midlothian season.

January 25, 2026

Hearts