Heart of Midlothian

Image source, SNS

Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media ahead of Hearts' visit of Falkirk on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• Says the 4-2 defeat against Rangers was "sore" but he adds that "defeat should feel that, and if it doesn't, then there's something wrong".

• McInnes stresses it's "in our nature" to bounce back from defeats after their 4-2 loss at Rangers, and adds: "It's not always going to be a bed of roses, you've got to respond."

• The Hearts boss was "encouraged by" the performance against Danny Rohl's, despite it being a "difficult afternoon."

• McInnes is hopeful Islam Chesnokov, Rogers Mato and Eduardo Ageu can have a "big part to play" in the remaining games.

• And while he admits that "there's pressure on every club," he stresses that he'd "rather have the pressure" sitting at the top of the league table than the bottom.

• McInnes stresses "nothing is decided" in the title race and that his side have "just got to try and enjoy it".

• McInnes is "full of admiration" for his players and says they are deserving of "so much praise and support."

• He adds that it's his job and the staff's job to keep the players on track, and to keep them "fully motivated," but they're a "tight group" and feels that they're "in a good place."

• The 54-year-old "always expected a fight," but says there's "still a brilliant opportunity" for Hearts to come out on top this season but "every game is a challenge."

• McInnes expects Falkirk to be a "difficult" game on Saturday and knows despite having two league wins over them this season a top performance will be required.

• Praised his sides record at Tynecastle and says Hearts have "got to take encouragement" from it after recording nine wins and four draws in thirteen home fixtures.

• Team news: Oisin McEntee will miss this weekend's fixture after suffering a shoulder injury at Ibrox, but he's hopeful it will "settle pretty quickly" and the 25-year-old defender should be okay for Aberdeen next week.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

If there is one thing to be learned from Sunday's Premiership programme involving those perched at the summit, it's that the road to the 2025-26 title will not be a gentle stroll but a white-knuckle ride.

Hearts travelled west to face Rangers and, on a damp and dreary afternoon in Glasgow, the margins were painfully fine. Hearts competed, they battled, they showed resilience. Ultimately, however, a handful of costly errors proved decisive. At this stage of the season, such moments are rarely forgiven.

There will be no panic inside the Tynecastle dressing room. This is a side that has demonstrated its capacity to respond to setbacks. Time and again this campaign, they have absorbed disappointment and followed it with a statement of intent. The hallmark of genuine contenders is not perfection, but reaction.

Physically, every team at the top end should be finely tuned by now. The heavy lifting was done in pre-season, the miles have been logged.

What separates champions from nearly men over the final eleven fixtures is mentality. Composure under scrutiny. Clarity amid noise. The ability to treat each game as significant, but not suffocating.

The prize is considerable. Even with Hearts still setting the pace at the top of the table, defeat inevitably invites doubt from the outside world. Pundits are quick to shift momentum with their pens. A stumble becomes a "wobble", a narrow loss recast as fragility. It is a narrative as old as the title race itself.

Pressure, though, is a curious companion. Some players draw energy from it, sharpened by expectation. Others can shrink, retreating into anonymity. There will be no such hiding place in this run-in. Every touch, every clearance, every missed chance will be amplified.

Next comes Falkirk, revitalised under John McGlynn and already proven to be awkward opponents. Their penalty shoot-out triumph at Tynecastle in the Scottish Cup still lingers in the memory. They will arrive believing.

For Hearts, however, the equation is simple: three points. Any sort of victory would suffice, and it would heap immediate pressure on Celtic and Rangers, who take to the field 24 hours later. In a title race, timing can be as potent as talent.

There will be further twists and turns before the destination is reached. That much feels certain. If this season has taught us anything, it is that certainty is fleeting and momentum fragile.

Come May, only one side will be crowned champions. Between now and then, expect drama - and plenty of it.

Image source, BBC Sport

Hearts midfielder Oisin McEntee's shoulder injury he suffered at Ibrox does not look as bad as initially feared (Edinburgh Evening News), external.

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

Perspective is required; we're in mid-February and time when supermarkets are chock-full of Easter eggs and Heart of Midlothian are still riding top of the Scottish Premiership.

I wouldn't have imagined it was possible to see us dominate the league since late September.

There are many sceptics out there that believe we've had our great fall and are now going to tumble down the league, but those comments don't get any Jambos humpty at the current situation.

Derek McInnes deserves enormous credit and should be the front-runner to win Manager of the Year for what he has achieved, despite clamour for John McGlynn, Danny Rohl or Jens Berthel Askou.

That said, I still think that one or two of the tactical decisions he made against Rangers deserve to be talked about.

The main issue I have is the decision to move Claudio Braga from being the focal point of attack out to the wing to accommodate Landry Kabore.

Braga assisted one and scored the other despite being starved of service in that first half, and both Rangers centre backs John Souttar and Emmanuel Fernandez would have been both delighted at McInnes' tinkering.

The other main criticism I have is that the majority of our January signings haven't made an immediate impact like the ones Celtic and Rangers have had. If we do end up finishing second, third or perhaps even lower at the end of this season, I think we would all point to the January window being our Achilles' heel.

I know it sounds harsh, but we knew for a couple of months that we needed to strengthen our right side – and although we signed Jordi Altena and Islam Chesnokov, they both appear to be project signings, and both need a full pre-season before they can be properly judged.

Granted we got Marc Leonard in to replace Cammy Devlin, but that right side isn't in better shape than the end of December and we didn't get a striker in to give us another option up top, leaving an almighty burden on Claudio Braga as it's clear McInnes doesn't rate Elton Kabangu.

All that said, I still believe that it was mistakes defensively that cost us at Ibrox and we need to stop conceding goals.

I'll be interested to see what McInnes does for the visit of Falkirk. I don't think any of the January signings – Leonard apart – as well as Ageu or Sabah Kerjota have really had any meaningful contributions to the team but it's these sorts of fixtures, at a sold-out Tynecastle, which would be the perfect opportunity to give these guys a chance to impress.

If you can't perform with 18,000 home supporters backing you, can you do it anywhere else in the league?

I think Ageu might get another chance to impress and I'd also give Kerjota or Chesnokov an opportunity as we need pace in both the wide areas.

The last tactical decision I'd make – and I can't believe I'm suggesting this – is to play Rogers Mato on the left ahead of Alex Kyziridis. I'm a big fan of Kyzi, but he's been off the boil the last half a dozen games and I would feel more confident having a fired up and known quantity in reserve on the bench , should we need it.

Saturday's game against Falkirk is the first in a home double-header, and a game where a lot of Jambos are targeting the first three points out of six. It's definitely not going to be easy and I'd take a nervy 1-0 win if offered to keep the lead at the top whilst the games remaining reduce week by week.

Image source, SNS

Claudio Braga admits to being "frustrated by Hearts' defeat to Rangers but says his side are still in pole position in the Premiership and need to keep going.

Hearts led twice at Ibrox on Sunday before falling to a 4-2 defeat that saw both Rangers and Celtic narrow the gap at the top of the table.

Braga, who scored his side's second goal, lamented the defending that cost his side at least a point but is targeting a response when Falkirk visit Tynecastle on Sunday.

"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.

"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."

Though Hearts have been league leaders for a long stretch of the season, Braga denied there was any extra pressure on the team as they go into the title-run-in, pointing out that it has been decades since a side outside of Glasgow lifted the league trophy.

"No, 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."

Image source, SNS

Derek McInnes insisted his side are not finished in the title race after losing to rivals Rangers at Ibrox.

Hearts still have a two-point lead at the top of the table, although Celtic are three behind with a game in hand. It should be noted that McInnes' side currently have a better goal difference than the reigning champions.

"We still feel, although we've lost a fight today, there's still a war to win and we're still well in it," McInnes said after the 4-2 loss to Rangers.

"For us to be top of the league at this stage of the season is testament to the efforts of the players. And I've seen enough today that there's still a lot of fight and courage about our performance."

Some pundits have suggested Hearts have the easiest run in before the split, as Celtic and Rangers are due to play each other on Sunday 1 March (12:00) at Ibrox.

The Gorgie side have four home fixtures coming up in the six games pre-split: Falkirk (H), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A), and Motherwell (H).

"We've now got some good games on paper coming up and it's important that we try and maximise the games coming up," McInnes said.

"And hopefully, as I said, going into the post-split games, when we play Rangers and Celtic again, there's still a fight to be won."

Image source, SNS

Hearts have "big problems" at the moment, according to former midfielder Michael Stewart, as they struggle with injuries and new signings failing to hit the ground running.

Cammy Devlin, the tenacious midfielder who was enjoying a fine season, is out until the end of February while Lawrence Shankland, captain and top scorer, faces a similar spell on the sidelines.

Without them, Hearts have won just two of their last five in the league and their lead at the top of the table has been cut to just two points.

"Hearts are missing a few players, it's causing them big problems," Stewart said.

"Their signings... I'm not sure about some of the guys that Hearts have brought in. They needed them to come and hit the ground running, and it's definitely not happened.

"[Islam] Chesnokov is one that we've spoken about a lot. He's played a couple of games now, and I've not seen him take a full-back on once yet. Ageu's been in since the summer, he's had injury problems.

"Hearts are a team that have intensity in their play, in regards to physicality, and they've got a real threat at the top of the park. I'm not sure that I'm seeing it with those guys."

Up top, Shankland has been replaced by Pierre Landry Kabore - a summer arrival - and while he scored two against Dundee United, he has struggled to fill the captain's shoes.

"Kabore doesn't look like a real threat up top when Shankland's missing. [Jordi] Altena's come in with a lot of hype, a highly-regarded fullback. Not sure that the manager's convinced about him.

"I can understand why he's wanting to have the sort of more physical presence in there. But then he came on [against Rangers] to play a bit higher up and, again, he never took anyone on."

In the past five games, Hearts have fielded Harry Milne, Oisin McEntee and Chesnokov on the right flank. Milne has mainly featured at left-back this season, with McEntee floating between right-back and central midfield.

"Right-midfield has been a problem position for Hearts all season long, and I'm not sure that they've solved it yet. And without Shankland, centre forward is an issue."

• Michael Stewart was speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, available here.

We asked you Hearts fans for your opinions on the 4-2 loss to Rangers at Ibrox. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

Chris: For all Derek McInnes' media talk, he has got this all wrong in terms of tactics and personnel. His obsession with playing Michael Steinwender at right-back needs studied and Ageu could have been sat next to me watching the game. Deserved nothing and got exactly that.

Steve: Tactics and line-up woefully wrong. We have stopped playing our own game and started to counter what we think our opponents are going to do - depressing. Rangers got a few lucky breaks for goals today but zero complaints with the result, we were miles off the pace for the third game running.

Oliver: Deserved to lose. You have to question the bottle of some players and the management team who seem to be panicking at every turn. That's a very average Rangers team we made look like a team of world-beaters.

Jamie: Poor. Rangers have spent millions to get themselves back into it while we have our best players injured or chasing shadows and we can't seem to catch any breaks. Islam Chesnokov and Ageu were brutal and Steinwender at right back will see us finish sixth at this rate. Bad day all around.

Trevor: It was always a tough ask for us to come to Ibrox and get three points, but with those tactics and that lineup - we beat ourselves. Claudio Braga was fantastic and deserved more, we miss Lawrence Shankland badly and football just isn't fair sometimes.

Frank: To keep our challenge up we need to dispatch Falkirk and Aberdeen next - two of the few clubs who have beaten us this season. Realistically we are punching above our weight and need the Old Firm to lose nerve, but under their new managers I don't think that's likely.

I've enjoyed the ride so far but have never got carried away. If you'd told me at the beginning of the season that we would be disappointed with third place I'd have laughed out loud.

Albert: We've sadly run out of steam at the business end of the season. Credit where it's due to the manager but the Glasgow giants look too strong this season. Long project so all's not lost for us.

Rangers overcome leaders Hearts in a thrilling Scottish Premiership encounter (UK users only).

Derek McInnes gave an update on injured players Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland following Saturday's 4-2 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox.

Australia midfielder Devlin, 27, and Scotland forward Shankland, 30, have not featured since January.

"Lawrence will probably be the back end of March," said McInnes of his captain.

"Cammy's got a chance of being back for Aberdeen [on 28 February]."

Image source, SNS

Youssef Chermiti scored an incredible hat-trick as Rangers beat Hearts for the first time this season to move to within two points of the Scottish Premiership leaders in a rousing contest at Ibrox.

MATCH REPORT

HAVE YOUR SAY

Image source, SNS

Hearts manager Derek McInnes: "Obviously disappointed because we came here to get a positive result. Regardless of how the game plays out, we still feel there's so much optimism for the season ahead.

"We showed good courage in the game. Our biggest downfall was losing three goals out the four when we had possession of the ball in their half.

"When we were set and in our shape, Rangers didn't cause us too many problems. Where we were susceptible and looked like losing goals was exactly when we had good possession of the ball and we had too many bodies forward.

"The crowd helped the Rangers team. The longer we stay in front then that becomes more difficult and challenging for the Rangers player. We didn't allow that. We allowed the crowd to get behind the team.

"Rangers have spent £40m-50m in two windows trying to put this squad together so there's no shame for us losing this game, there's just disappointment that we put so much into it.

"Credit to Rangers, they've won a big game. I still think there's a big fight ahead of us for us all. We're not too despondent because I see enough courage, I see enough in the performance and I still feel with the fixtures we've got between now and the split, particularly so many at home, that we can win games that can keep the whole thing moving along for us.

"These lads give everything for the shirt. We're not going to go along away quietly. We're top of the league. It takes a lot of good things for a team to be here where we are in the league and hopefully there's a bit more in it. I do think there'll be a lot of twists and turns yet. We've just got to manage our performances now and try and make some hay."

Birminghan City midfielder Marc Leonard says that fighting for the league title with Hearts was one of the main things that attracted him to moving on loan to Tynecastle in the January transfer window. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, SNS

Craig Halkett insists the Hearts squad remain completely unfazed despite the huge increased focus on the club this season.

Derek McInnes' side are five points above second-placed Rangers and six clear of Celtic before a high-stakes trip to Ibrox on Sunday.

"I don't think the boys would say that they constantly sit on social media or news outlets and read what's being said about them," said defender Halkett.

"I've watched Scottish football all my life and in my lifetime, certainly it's unusual for Hearts to be in this position at this time of the year.

"I think the fact that the majority of the boys in the changing room haven't been in this position before is a good thing.

"We don't have any past experience to fall back on or any worries about being in this position. We've not done it. Everyone's just going with the flow and just doing the best that we can every single week.

"I think it's obviously a good thing that world football are looking at Hearts and seeing Hearts' name out there and making the club known all across the world. That's only a good thing.

"All the boys are buzzing coming in every day. We've been top of the league for a while now but I don't think anyone's really thinking or starting to worry that if we don't win this game or we win that game, where are we going to be?

"Personally, I'm not feeling too much pressure. It's just the pressure to go and win the game at the weekend and then see where it takes us.

"It's been such a great season, you're just so glad to be involved in it."

Halkett started just 29 matches across the previous three seasons as injuries threatened to end his time at Hearts. But the 30-year-old has started 24 of their 31 games this term and been one of their key players.

"It's obviously been well documented that I've struggled for a period of time in the last few years," he said.

"It's been over three years since I've played this amount of games in a single season so on a personal note, it's been hugely satisfying.

"I've always been confident that the performances I've been putting in this season have been there but I've just not really had that chance to do it consistently, so to do it this year, it's been great. I'm loving every minute of it."

Image source, SNS

Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was keeping his team news cards close to his chest when he spoke to the media on Friday.

Right-back Max Aarons missed the draw with Motherwell, while long-term injured Connor Barron and Derek Cornelius are still out.

Hearts centre-half Craig Halkett returns from suspension, but fellow defender Stephen Kingsley has suffered a fresh injury setback.

Cammy Devlin, Lawrence Shankland, Calem Nieuwenhof and Finlay Pollock remain sidelined.

Image source, SNS

• Since the start of last season, no player has more goal involvements for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership than Nicolas Raskin (22 – seven goals, 15 assists), the midfielder scoring their goal in the midweek 1-1 draw with Motherwell.

• Hearts have kept more clean sheets (five) in the Premiership in 2026 so far than any side, while only Motherwell (two) have conceded fewer goals in the competition than Hearts' three in this calendar year.

• Rangers have won their past nine home games in all competitions by an aggregate score of 28-2, beating Queen's Park 8-0 last time out – their largest home winning margin since beating Hamilton Academical 8-0 in the league in November 2020.

• Hearts have won both of their away league games at Celtic and Rangers this season; in Scottish league history, the only occasions of any team beating the two Old Firm clubs three times away from home in a single season are Aberdeen in 1979-80 and in 1982-83.

• Rangers have lost their past two league meetings with Hearts, last losing three in a row in March 1986 under Jock Wallace. 1985-86 is the only season the Ibrox side have ever lost three times to Hearts within a single league campaign.

Derek McInnes has to be "a bit of a salesman" to convince people his Hearts side can win at Ibrox again but is glad to have recent proof.

Hearts have beaten Rangers in both meetings this season, winning 2-0 in Govan in September (watch the highlights above) for a first victory over Rangers since 2020 and first at Ibrox in 11 years.

That was followed by a 2-1 home success in December and McInnes' Premiership leaders are aiming to make it three in a row in Sunday's trip across the M8 to open an eight-point gap over Rangers.

"I think it's a good reference for us," McInnes said of Hearts' previous win at Ibrox.

"It was well documented to me before the game earlier this season how poor our record was as a club at Ibrox.

"Rangers are a good side, they're expected to be up there, they recruited really well in January and they've spent a lot of money so we're well aware it's a difficult game at any time.

"I do think from our point of view going there and winning previously and putting in a good performance shows what can be done. We beat Rangers at Tynecastle as well.

"I think it's good for me in terms of the message. Sometimes as a manger you've got to be a wee bit of a salesman to convince people you can win games.

"Sometimes when you've got those results to back you up it helps with the whole narrative as well."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Sunday's visit to Rangers.

Here are the key lines:

• On the derby victory over Hibs in midweek, McInnes says "having the late winner was just brilliant, it was such an emotional moment" but admits he'd "rather have been a bit more comfortable in the game".

• Winning earlier in the season at Ibrox is "a good reference" for the team and "going there having won previously shows what could be done" but McInnes admits as manager he has to be "a bit of a salesman and try to convince people you can win games".

• McInnes knows the "significance of the fixture" but says: "Win, lose, or draw it doesn't decide anything... nothing will be decided on Sunday but we will be looking to win the game."

• The head coach reveals their target at the start of the season was to pick up 18 league wins "as quickly as possible" and they're still one short of that total. Now they're focused on being at the top of the table "as long as we can".

• McInnes feels Hearts are now beginning to "annoy a few people" with their league position and knows "some people would have thought we'd have fallen away" by this point in the season.

• He adds: "I'm absolutely fine when people think we can't maintain it and I understand that." McInnes feels his side are "finding ways to win" with key players out but knows the "biggest challenge is still to come".

• McInnes admits his side are "overachieving in terms of what was expected of us" at the start of the season, adding "it's just nice for us to be in among it".

• Trying to turn the Ibrox crowd is not part of his gameplan and Hearts will have to "do a lot of things right" if they are to win on Sunday.

• Team news: Craig Halkett returns to the squad after suspension but Stephen Kingsley, who has been out since December with a groin problem, has suffered a calf injury so will be out for five weeks.

• Cammy Devlin could be fit for the Aberdeen game at the end of the month but McInnes admits it's "more likely he'll back for Kilmarnock" in mid-March. The "plan" for Lawrence Shankland is a return in "the last week of March".