Hearts 'had words' as Derek McInnes not happy despite 12 goals in three Premier Sports Cup games

Anyone thinking Derek McInnes is jovial as Hearts coast towards the Premier Sports Cup knockout phase doesn’t know the new Tynecastle manager. His team have scored 12 goals in three wins against lower-league opponents, conceding just one in the process. There are plenty positives but McInnes is still demanding higher standards from his players.

Words were exchanged in the away dressing room at Forthbank on Saturday night, despite Hearts cruising to a 4-0 victory over League Two Stirling Albion. Defender Craig Halkett, forward Claudio Braga and debutant winger Alexandros Kyziridis scored to put the visitors 3-0 ahead before half-time. Halkett added a fourth in the second half, but McInnes wasn’t entirely happy at full-time.

“The manager has been on at us. We won 4-0 and going into the changing room you’d think it would be buzzing, but it wasn’t,” admitted Halkett. “We had words because we know it wasn’t good enough in certain points of the game and it can get better. We were slack, forcing passes and not doing things quick enough - and even though he told us that, we knew it ourselves.

“That’s good, it’s refreshing because you don’t want someone who is going to tell you that you’re brilliant all the time. Everyone knows the standards have to be high in this team. You have to take it on board and try to get better. It’s not unusual, even if he hadn’t said anything and just left it to the boys, we would have said that among ourselves. It’s a collective from everyone demanding more from each other.

“The manager is big on standards. Go back to before he even came in for pre-season when he spoke to people on the phone, he made it clear the standards were not there last season. It wasn’t good enough so everyone knew before we came back we all had to lift it. That was the reason Hearts were in that position, so right from the first day it’s all been about standards and getting this club back to where it should be.”

Mindful of Hearts’ seventh-place finish last season before he was lured to Edinburgh from Kilmarnock, McInnes wants to build real momentum ahead of this year’s Premiership kick-off against Aberdeen in two weeks’ time. His demand for more does not mean victories over Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical and Stirling have not been positive. Indeed, victory over Dumbarton on Wednesday should secure Hearts a seeding place for the Premier Sports Cup knockout rounds.

“It was good, we have started the season really well,” acknowledged Halkett. “That’s three wins, 12 goals scored and only one conceded. We were disappointed to lose that one to Dunfermline but it’s been a good start, although I think we can still get better. It was a bit slack at times against Stirling but we’re getting the wins, which is important.

Hearts goals ahead of the Scottish Premiership kick-off against Aberdeen

“I feel we have made progress from game to game and that’s something the manager has been talking about. He’s stressed how nobody can be perfect this early in the season, but also stressing these games are not pre-season friendlies for us. We want to win them and thankfully we’re doing that. Everyone knows we can get better, I think we are getting better, but there’s more to come.

“A lot of people are getting a lot of minutes in these games and the manager has told everyone when they get their chance that you have to do everything you can to show it’s your position. You can see when we play that everyone is giving their all and maybe people are trying too hard at times. We have a big squad and everyone has to fight for the jerseys.”

Halkett’s header appeared to cross the goal line for Hearts’ fourth goal, although his defensive colleague Stuart Findlay arrived to make sure. “They told me after the game that the linesman thought it was over the line so it was my goal,” smiled Halkett. “Two in a game, which is great, but as a defender the clean sheet means just as much.

“The last time I scored twice in one match would have also been in the League Cup against Stenhousemuir in my first year at Hearts - when I went up front for the last 10 minutes. I was a striker back in my early days at Rangers before I got moved back. It’s good that those instincts are still there.”

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