Tony Pulis in Hearts prediction amid 'unbelievable' Derek McInnes work as response to title doubters expected
The experienced former Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday
Tony Pulis reckons Hearts will send a clear signal to the title doubters this weekend when they take on Falkirk.
The former Stoke City, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday boss has been tuned into Scottish football this term amid a Jambos tilt for the Premiership. A setback was had for the first-placed side last weekend as Rangers in second defeated Derek McInnes’ men 4-2 at Ibrox, leaving them two points behind those in maroon.
Celtic are third and three points off Hearts with a game and boss McInnes will be keen for a victory over John McGlynn’s impressive Bairns, who are pushing for a top six spot. Pulis has made predictions for the weekend’s games on his ‘The Managers’ podcast with ex-Wolves and Sunderland gaffer Mick McCarthy, with a Hearts response expected. While he knows some will doubt title credentials at Tynecastle after a loss, he’s backing McInnes amid top work this season.
Tony Pulis on Hearts vs Falkirk and Livingston vs Rangers
There won’t be any breathing room though as he also feels Rangers will overcome Livingston in their next league game, the Lions without a league win since August. Pulis said: “I'm going up to Scotland and Hearts play Falkirk. Falkirk are not bad, but I just think Hearts, having had a little bit of a kick in the teeth with the result at Ibrox on the weekend.
“Losing the game 3-2, having been winning on two occasions that game, I think that will give them a spur. People will start writing them off. Derek's done an unbelievable job there so I really do fancy them to win. Then I go across the Livingston where Rangers play them. Again, Rangers are flying, and I just can't see Rangers not winning that game.”
Claudio Braga, who scored Hearts’ second goal at the weekend against Rangers, said on the Jambos title tilt: "It's frustrating, of course. In the first half, I think we were better. We let them control the game and we went on the counter-attack. We were doing a good job on that. Then we lost two cheap goals.
Claudio Braga on Rangers 4-2 Hearts
"In the second half, we know that we could do better – also the goals against us. If we did things a little bit different, like one less pass, we would do better. It's frustrating but we're still in first place and there are still a lot of games to go. We have a home game now, so we just need to go for that.
“I don't feel we have that pressure just because it's 40 years now, right? So we're doing something amazing. We're proud of the work we're doing. Of course, the more points we can get, the better. But the pressure, I think, is normally on the teams that win the league.
"So we have, of course, a good pressure. We just need to enjoy it as much as we can, trying to go to games with a good mentality and win games."