Former Rangers midfielder and Hearts boss Derek McInnes insisted his side are exactly where they should be after their Tynecastle victory over Rangers, revealing he expected to win the contest and backing his squad’s mentality, depth and belief as the title race gathers momentum.
Speaking post-match, McInnes admitted Hearts took time to settle after being surprised by Rangers initial shape, particularly Mikey Moore operating centrally, but stressed that once those early issues were corrected, the outcome felt deserved.
“I thought we were terrific after the first 10–15 minutes,” McInnes said.
“Rangers shape surprised us and we had to make slight adjustments.
“But once we sorted that out, from 15 minutes on we were very strong.”
Hearts’ authority grew as the first half developed, with McInnes believing his side could have gone further ahead before the break.
“We scored a couple of good goals, and we maybe could have had one more in the first half,” he added.
“We got a wee bit of luck with one goal, you’ve got to say that, but I don’t think anyone could deny us a win.”
Crucially, McInnes revealed the mindset inside the dressing room was not one of caution but control.
At half-time, the message was clear: push on, don’t retreat.
“We spoke about taking a step forward, not a step back,” he explained.
“Don’t play that last-minute football for 45 minutes.
“We expected Rangers to make changes and they did, but I felt we had the answers to negate that once we were in front.”
Those answers, McInnes believes, come from a squad he rates highly - and one he feels is often underestimated.
“We’ve got a good squad here, a strong squad,” he said.
“I know managers always moan about what they don’t have - I’ve been that manager - but we’re blessed with what we’ve got.
“We had the answers in the building.”
While disappointed to lose a late consolation goal, McInnes viewed it as little more than a footnote.
“I’m disappointed we never got the clean sheet because I thought we defended brilliantly,” he said.
“But if we’re going to lose a goal, lose it with ten seconds to go.”
The most striking moment of the press conference came when McInnes was asked if he was surprised by the result, given the stature of the opposition.
His response was unequivocal.
“I expected us to win today. I did,” he said.
“We’re at Tynecastle, we expect to turn up and do our work.
“I expected it to be tough because Rangers have got good players, but I expected us to win.”
McInnes was keen to push back against suggestions that Hearts position at the top of the table is down to others’ failings.
“Our points tally is exactly where it should be for a team who should be top of the league,” he said.
“People think we’re only there because of others but we’re just concentrating on ourselves.”
With Hearts still top nearly halfway through the season, McInnes remains grounded but confident.
“We still need to improve,” he admitted.
“If we’re going to make this the season, we want it to be, we’ve got to get better.
“But I’m not surprised by how well we’re doing.
“The balance, the quality, the professionalism - it’s been there from day one.”
As expectations rise, McInnes’s message was unmistakable: Hearts are not clinging on - they believe they belong – and Rangers look like they don’t know what they are or where they should be.