The difference between Hearts and Aberdeen title challenges as Derek McInnes gets what he didn't at Dons

Derek McInnes reckons Hearts’ strength in depth puts them in better shape for a title challenge compared to what he had at Aberdeen.

The Jambos lost 1-0 against St Mirren midweek in the Premiership but still have a three point lead over Rangers and Celtic after 25 games played, heading into next week’s Edinburgh derby against Hibs. It’s not the first time head coach McInnes has been in this type of position during his managerial career, as while at Aberdeen, the Dons were a point behind Ronny Deila’s Celtic at the same stage in term 2015/16.

Liverpool recalling goalkeeper Danny Ward and striker Adam Rooney’s injury were major blows and McInnes reckons after four additions in the January transfer window at Hearts, the Jambos have a bulkier squad to deal with the rising expectations. He said: “The difference probably is that we probably had tighter numbers.

What title challenge did Aberdeen put up under Derek McInnes?

“We had a really strong core of 12 or 13 players at Aberdeen and I remember, we talk about trying to come out the window stronger than you went into it. I remember Jurgen Klopp phoning up and taking Danny Ward back on the 29th of January or 30th of January. Adam Rooney tearing his thigh muscle, which kept him out for three or four months, the first fixture in February. So we kind of lost our nine and lost our one.

“They are two key positions, to turn one point into three and one point from nothing, just those key positions and I just felt we were really weakened. My relationship with Aberdeen board is brilliant and with Stuart Milne and all the rest of it, but there was nobody really at the club saying, 'right what can we do for you? We've got this amount to spend.'

“We didn't have the money, we genuinely didn't have the money. We were where we were, everybody was enjoying it, but it would have probably been nice at that time maybe if somebody had come and said 'look, we've got a really unique situation at the minute, where can we strengthen?' I feel as though we're getting that here. We've signed four players. There an ambition there to support and help and I'm not saying Hearts are a more ambitious club than Aberdeen. It’s not a criticism of Aberdeen, because it was what it was, and we didn't quite have that strength and depth to be honest."

Derek McInnes on Hearts title ambitions

Now in Gorgie, McInnes hopes to enter the final stretch of league matches with Hearts very much still in the title conversation. He added: “I don't want to be critical of the squad that was at Aberdeen, but numbers wise, we probably had a real core of 12, 13, 14 players and as you've seen in recent weeks with injuries, we've probably been able to tap into a wee bit more than that recently.

“I think we were lucky in the sense that September, October, November, and I've said this, I've more or less picked the same team for a long period. Maybe only one, potentially two changes throughout that, so you take the good with the bad. We got a bit of good fortune then but we've had to rely on the squad, which is something that you take comfort from. The time to talk about it at Aberdeen wasn't in January or February.

“We had to be realistic enough to try and just get further down the line. Unfortunately for us, the back end of March, April, we kind of lost a wee bit of traction and I'm aware this time, I just want us to make sure that I would like us to get down the final stretch. That last part, ideally be once post-split, that we'll still have so much to play for and hopefully that's the case.”