Hearts

New Tottenham Hotspur boss Igor Tudor promoted Hearts loanee James Wilson to the bench after the youngster impressed the Spurs management team ahead of the North London Derby. Despite not featuring in the match against Arsenal, the 18-year-old would have gained a new viewpoint of one of English football’s biggest games. Missing several players through injury, Tudor may turn to the Scotland international in the coming months. Wilson had endured a frustrating start to the season for Hearts. But after two appearances for Tottenham’s U-21’s side, he was thrust into the match squad against their bitter rivals. Quite the turn of events for a player who fell down the pecking order in the Gorgie ranks. Despite preferring the likes of Claudio Braga and Pierre Landry Kabore, Derek McInnes had advised that he did not want the youngster to make the London move. James wanted to go, so you don’t want to keep a player who then becomes unhappy,” said McInnes. “I couldn’t guarantee him minutes, such is the way it’s been. I told him and his agent that our preference was to stay, fight for his place, be part of something. “We’d get him a loan in Scotland if need be, to top his minutes up, and we can maybe recall him – still get the best of both worlds. “But his head was turned with the Tottenham thing. First it was Arsenal, then Arsenal went quiet, and then all of a sudden, Tottenham came to the table. “I don’t think it’s the right move for him. Ultimately, it’s academy football and I think he’s better than that. But it was something James wanted to do. “I hope it goes well for him because he’s a great kid. We’ll see how it plays out. I just need to concentrate on the players who are here and who want to be here and play their part.” The move may turn fortuitous for the Hearts Academy graduate, who may feature on the Premier League stage before the end of the season.

Hearts boss Derek McInnes believes there is “no shame” from his side’s thrilling 4-2 defeat against Rangers on Sunday afternoon, as their lead at the Scottish Premiership summit was cut to two points. Speaking at full-time, McInnes advised that he saw enough courage from his side’s performance ahead of the run-in. “Obviously disappointed because we came here to get a positive result. Regardless of how the game plays out, we still feel there’s so much optimism for the season ahead. “We showed good courage in the game. Our biggest downfall was losing three goals out of the four when we had possession of the ball in their half. “When we were set and in our shape, Rangers didn’t cause us too many problems. Where we were susceptible and looked like losing goals was exactly when we had good possession of the ball and we had too many bodies forward. “The crowd helped the Rangers team. The longer we stay in front then that becomes more difficult and challenging for the Rangers player. We didn’t allow that. We allowed the crowd to get behind the team. McInnes was quick to point out the financial discrepancies between his side and Rangers. His side has punched above their weight this season, showcasing excellent fight, and creating an intriguing three horse race for the title. “Rangers have spent £40m-50m in two windows trying to put this squad together so there’s no shame for us losing this game, there’s just disappointment that we put so much into it. “Credit to Rangers, they’ve won a big game. I still think there’s a big fight ahead of us for us all. We’re not too despondent because I see enough courage, I see enough in the performance and I still feel with the fixtures we’ve got between now and the split, particularly so many at home, that we can win games that can keep the whole thing moving along for us. “These lads give everything for the shirt. We’re not going to go along away quietly. We’re top of the league. It takes a lot of good things for a team to be here where we are in the league and hopefully there’s a bit more in it. I do think there’ll be a lot of twists and turns yet. We’ve just got to manage our performances now and try and make some hay.” Hearts will return to Tynecastle, ahead of two huge home matches against Falkirk and Aberdeen, with eleven league matches remaining, it is crunch time for the title challengers. McInnes will hope his side can maintain the right with the Glasgow Giants as the split draws nearer.

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.

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.

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