Exclusive:Hearts 'have good thing going' as Derek McInnes pens report card and has say on fans
Head coach pleased with start and says backing at Livi shows strength of club
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes admits to being satisfied with ten points from 12 in the club’s opening Premiership fixtures and believes “they have a good thing going” at Tynecastle.
The Jambos remain unbeaten in the league after coming back from behind to defeat Livingston 2-1 in West Lothian. That victory, added to a 2-0 win over Aberdeen, a 3-2 triumph at Dundee United and a 3-3 draw with Motherwell, is in stark contrast to last season, when Hearts were at the foot of the table until Christmas.
McInnes know that much more work needs done at Tynecastle but going into a two-week Premiership pause due to the international break, he expressed contentment at his early weeks as Hearts boss. The only blemish so far is going out of the Premier Sports Cup on penalties to St Mirren.
Asked to reflect upon the start to the league campaign, McInnes told the Evening News: “I think obviously a couple of late winners and a couple of tough away games at Livingston and Dundee United are traditionally tough games to take part in. So it's good we've found a way to win these games.
“The win against Aberdeen got us on our way with a strong performance and obviously we spoke long and hard about the game at Motherwell last week, - there were two sides to that. So I think 10 points from 12. If you can get something close to that throughout a season ... some games are clearly tougher to win than others, but we've had two tough away fixtures.
“We just want to concentrate on ourselves. I think if you look back, by the time the next game comes around, the window will have closed. And every manager just wants that window to close. It allows you to have certainty. It allows you to go, ‘this is what we're working with, this is the way we're going’.
This Hearts team has goals in it
“It pleased me no end that we had the bench celebrate the way we did with all the subs. I look behind me and all the boys who weren't stripped celebrating the way they did. And it pleased me no end that all the players who are injured are now still made their way by themselves to come to the game and celebrate for the team and show that support.
“So we've got a good thing going here. I think 10 from 12 is good. We've scored ten goals now, I think, in four league games. So it feels like there's goals in us.”
Hearts were backed by more than 6000 supporters at Livingston and McInnes says it is an example of where the Tynecastle outfit find themselves right now.
“I think you see the strength of the club when you walk out to that,” the manager continued. “We'd heard about itbefore the game, and I made reference to it yesterday. And then I made reference to it again in the dressing room prior, the fact that over 6,000 Hearts fans have made the effort to come here.
“You see the celebrations at the end as well. It shows you the strength of the club and what we've got. And if we can tap into that, more often than not, positively, then it's going to help us equally. It can be tougher if you're not winning games. And we've just got to make sure we try and give them more winning performances.
“Feeling good about themselves on a Saturday night after watching their team play. And more winning performances. And I think they're quietly excited about the potential that we've got here.
“I think there is an understanding that we're trying to work towards something. But I'm also aware that we're integrating a lot of players who are new to Scottish football and trying to marry that all together. But I think we all feel that we've got an exciting season ahead of us.”