Neil McCann names what Kilmarnock will give 'exceptional' Hearts at Rugby Park as he sets a target for battle
The former Jambo comes up against Hearts in the Premiership this weekend.
Neil McCann can’t give Hearts any more plaudits than they’ve had - but the former Jambo now wants one over his ex-side this weekend with Kilmarnock.
The ex-winger who spent between 1996-1998 and won the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle, now managing a Premiership foe of the Jambos. Hearts travel to Killie this weekend looking to maintain their lead at the top of the league that currently stands at five points, with McCann’s men fighting for survival at the other end of the table.
McCann reckons the Gorgie outfit have had so many compliments this season that it’s hard to dish more out. That said, he insists Kilmarnock will give former boss Derek McInnes and Hearts the respect they deserve, as he targets a Rugby Park response after a 5-1 thumping off Falkirk last time out.
Neil McCann on Hearts
McCann said: "I don't think Derek and Hearts need any more plaudits. What they have achieved this season, and the longevity of the run they have been on to stay top, has been exceptional. He is coming back to Kilmarnock now, where he was very successful, and he'll be looking forward to bringing his team here while still at the top of the table.
"We will give them our full respect and they deserve that respect. But we've been good at home, and we've got to look to make sure we recapture the form that has seen us get back-to-back wins, and also be very unlucky not to take something from the Celtic game here.
"It was pretty easy to see where we had gone wrong against Falkirk. You get a bit of disappointment as an individual. I've been there myself on the pitch when things aren't going well, and the hardest thing is to keep yourself on it, but that's natural. But that watch back with my first coffee at seven the next morning wasn't a brilliant hour for me!
Neil McCann on what he wants from his Kilmarnock team
"By the same token, it turned out to be good because you learn a lot from getting fresh eyes on things. When you're embroiled in it, sometimes you don't immediately see when things are going wrong, so it was good on reflection. We got the boys in after a couple of days' break. Everybody probably just needed a bit of time to decompress, myself included. When the boys came back into the training ground we made them aware of what we'd seen.
"We had a really bright few days on the training ground and it was really positive. Results have been a wee bit inconsistent when you look at the ups and downs, the wins and the defeats.
“But when a team is trying to find form going into the latter stages of the season, it's important that you understand the nature of how you've come up short in the last game. The Falkirk defeat was just uncharacteristic of us since I've been here, but it can happen. It's just a reminder that if you're not at it 100 per cent then you're not going to get anything from this league.”