Hearts players saying 'very good things' about McInnes
Beni Baningime has been told "very good things" about potential new Hearts boss Derek McInnes by Tynecastle team-mates.Hearts are closing in on the appointment of Kilmarnock's McInnes, although an official announcement may not come until the sides meet in what would be an awkward final game of the season at Rugby Park on Sunday.Midfielder Baningime believes McInnes would be taking over a Hearts squad that can finish third next season and prove this term was an "anomaly".Prior to tonight's visit of St Johnstone, he said: "I think from the boys that obviously know him, they're saying very good stuff about him."I spoke to Shanks [Lawrence Shankland] about him, I spoke to Barrie McKay, and just all the boys that have known him, he worked in person with Shanks at Aberdeen, and they're saying very good things."I think my time here, we've been quite successful, so I would be hoping this season is an anomaly, that we had a really bad season and that's it."The ambition at the club and the trajectory that we're going on as a club and also us as players, we can't allow another season like this one to happen."I was speaking to Cammy (Devlin, who also joined Hearts in 2021) and we're like, this doesn't happen here, in our time being here, we've never experienced this."We got third and then kind of bottled it when we finished fourth the following season. But yeah, we had third, so it should actually be three thirds in a row, but we obviously didn't get that."But this season's just been like, how are we down here? How is this happening? It's been a strange one. It's draining when you're not winning. I think we all need a break and then come back and redeem ourselves next season, hopefully."Hearts, in conjunction with Jamestown Analytics, are set to revamp their squad this summer but Baningime insists there is already plenty of quality for McInnes to work with."We need to remember, these are the same boys that two of the last three years were easily third, and, as I said, fourth, where we probably should have been (third)," said Baningime. "You don't become bad players overnight."It's a strange one. I do think we have to be better, but I do think the foundation we have with players and the quality and, most importantly, character is good enough for us to get third and beyond next season."
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