Latest news with #DerekMcInnes
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
No excuses on recruitment as Hearts eye statement start
Hearts fans will simply not put up with another season like the last. And the evidence so far suggests the 2025-26 campaign could be a Derek McInnes in as manager the players have a leader who knows what is required to be a with the tools from Jamestown Analytics at his disposal, and already showing signs of success, there can be no excuses now that the thorny issue of recruitment should be an ongoing 16 goals in their four league cup matches with nine different players finding the net tells us Hearts can create multiple the acid test will come on Monday night under the Tynecastle lights against Aberdeen in their Premiership the full house will be a very special guest in the main stand watching with great Bloom, who has invested nearly £10m in the club over the summer, will be keen to have his first look at Hearts and see exactly how some of his cash is being win or lose on Monday Hearts will always be a big story this season. There are many changes taking place at the club behind the scenes and by December a new chairperson will have been appointed to succeed Ann will, however, remain on the board and her experience over the past 11 years will prove invaluable to her first and foremost it's results on the pitch fans want to see - and a victory on Monday against one of Hearts' biggest rivals this season would be an early statement of intent.
Scotsman
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hearts boss makes 'secret admirer' admission and reveals his starting XI dilemma vs Aberdeen
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes has a selection dilemma ahead of next week's Scottish Premiership opener vs Aberdeen. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts head coach Derek McInnes admits his team's form is leaving him with a huge selection dilemma ahead of next week's Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen at Tynecastle. The Jambos have enjoyed a strong start to life under their new head coach, beating English Premier League side Sunderland 3-0 in Craig Gordon's testimonial at the weekend on the back of winning all four of their Premier Sports Cup group games. However, their focus will now switch to a difficult league opener against Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen on Monday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Expected to be two of the sides vying for a European position this season, the early season clash is a chance for both teams to put down an early marker, with Hearts in particular hoping for a vast improvement on their seventh place finish in 2024/25. Cammy Devlin has been highly praised by Hearts' new head coach Derek McInnes for his pre-season performances at Tynecastle. | SNS Group The 54-year-old boss was mightily impressed with his players in Saturday's win over the Black Cats, but admits their impressive early form is making it difficult for him to pick his starting XI. Regardless of who does start though, McInnes is confident they can get the desired result. 'I think when everybody puts their best foot forward, and there's a lot of people putting their hands up to play, that's great for a manager,' said McInnes. 'Obviously, I can only pick XI. I think I could pick so many different XIs, and I'd feel confident we could compete and get results. 'So I've got an idea about how I want to play and some of the players within that, but we've still got nine days or so. Training's important. We've got a bounce game on Wednesday, a closed-door game, to try and top up the minutes for others.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One player who looks almost certain to start the game is Australian midfielder Cammy Devlin, who was lavished with praise by the ex-Kilmarnock boss. 'I'm absolutely delighted with him,' beamed McInnes. 'He's been first class. Even from our first conversation with Cammy, when we were on holiday. I've always been an admirer from a distance. 'Now that I'm his manager, I'm really enjoying working with him. I think he gives you a bit of everything. I just want him to be at midfield. He doesn't need to overthink his game too much. The game will come naturally to Cammy if he keeps getting about his work. He's been different class.' Hearts' Oisin McEntee (R) may have played his way into Derek McInnes' starting XI. | SNS Group New signing Oisin McEntee also looks to have played himself into McInnes' thinking after a monstrous display in the weekend win in Gorgie. The versatile Irishman claimed his preferred position is in midfield, and the Hearts boss has hinted that fans may see him in that role more often than not this season.
Scotsman
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
'Different class': Hearts boss in 'secret admirer' admission amid Aberdeen starting XI dilemma
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes has a selection dilemma ahead of next week's Scottish Premiership opener vs Aberdeen. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts head coach Derek McInnes admits his team's form is leaving him with a huge selection dilemma ahead of next week's Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen at Tynecastle. The Jambos have enjoyed a strong start to life under their new head coach, beating English Premier League side Sunderland 3-0 in Craig Gordon's testimonial at the weekend on the back of winning all four of their Premier Sports Cup group games. However, their focus will now switch to a difficult league opener against Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen on Monday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Expected to be two of the sides vying for a European position this season, the early season clash is a chance for both teams to put down an early marker, with Hearts in particular hoping for a vast improvement on their seventh place finish in 2024/25. Cammy Devlin has been highly praised by Hearts' new head coach Derek McInnes for his pre-season performances at Tynecastle. | SNS Group The 54-year-old boss was mightily impressed with his players in Saturday's win over the Black Cats, but admits their impressive early form is making it difficult for him to pick his starting XI. Regardless of who does start though, McInnes is confident they can get the desired result. 'I think when everybody puts their best foot forward, and there's a lot of people putting their hands up to play, that's great for a manager,' said McInnes. 'Obviously, I can only pick XI. I think I could pick so many different XIs, and I'd feel confident we could compete and get results. 'So I've got an idea about how I want to play and some of the players within that, but we've still got nine days or so. Training's important. We've got a bounce game on Wednesday, a closed-door game, to try and top up the minutes for others.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One player who looks almost certain to start the game is Australian midfielder Cammy Devlin, who was lavished with praise by the ex-Kilmarnock boss. 'I'm absolutely delighted with him,' beamed McInnes. 'He's been first class. Even from our first conversation with Cammy, when we were on holiday. I've always been an admirer from a distance. 'Now that I'm his manager, I'm really enjoying working with him. I think he gives you a bit of everything. I just want him to be at midfield. He doesn't need to overthink his game too much. The game will come naturally to Cammy if he keeps getting about his work. He's been different class.' Hearts' Oisin McEntee (R) may have played his way into Derek McInnes' starting XI. | SNS Group New signing Oisin McEntee also looks to have played himself into McInnes' thinking after a monstrous display in the weekend win in Gorgie. The versatile Irishman claimed his preferred position is in midfield, and the Hearts boss has hinted that fans may see him in that role more often than not this season.
Scotsman
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hearts gaffer McInnes 'has idea' of Hearts starting XI for Aberdeen as players put their hands up
The Jambos will host the Scottish Cup holders in their opening match of the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season at Tynecastle. Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts head coach Derek McInnes has revealed he already has an idea of what his starting XI for their Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen will look like. The Jambos' gaffer has a welcome selection headache with such a large first team squad to choose from and so many players impressing during their undefeated Premier Sports Cup group stage and the 3-0 friendly win over Sunderland in Craig Gordon's testimonial. Attention no turns to the closing match of the opening weekend of league fixtures as the Scottish Cup holders travel to Tynecastle. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad McInnes has had a chance to look at almost every player in his squad, including all the new signings, at some point over the past few weeks. Given the impressive run of results, it has provided the former Kilmarnock gaffer with some tough choices to make. Hearts boss has idea of how team will line up for Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen He said: 'I think when everybody puts their best foot forward and there's a lot of people putting their hands up to play, and that's great for a manager, but obviously, they can only pick eleven. Sometimes I've been charged a team and you try to pick eleven and the best XI doesn't look great and you're not sure you can win that game. 'I think I could pick so many different XIs and I'd feel confident we could compete and get results. So I've got an idea about how I want to play and some of the players within that, but training's important. We've got a bounce game on Wednesday, a closed-door game, to try and top up the minutes for others.' McInnes praises new signing after impressive display in 3-0 win over Sunderland One of the newest signings who stood out in the 3-0 win over Sunderland was Oisin McEntee. The versatile Irishman played in midfield during the testimonial match and was easily the best player on the park on the day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He's a ball winner and keeps it simple,' said McInnes, after the match last Saturday. 'He's progressive, plays up and down the pitch. You've seen everything, why we wanted Oisin in the team today. 'We were a wee bit light in there, obviously with midfield and Calem getting injured and Benny still not quite there. We were a wee bit light in that sense, but McEntee needs to know. Because I said this to you, sometimes in the pre-season games, obviously we've tried them one or two different positions. 'Sometimes in the pre-season games, you don't always get a chance to go and snap into tackles and chance to turn the ball over and show that aggression. Because we've had most of the ball in that sense. So, today was a good game. 'And I said to you, there's seven, eight, nine games, opponents in our league that I can see Oisin really as effective as he was today.' Your next Hearts read: Blair Spittal's Hearts talks - midfielder is told where he stands
Scotsman
a day ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
The Hearts overhaul to satisfy fans' demands
SPFL Scottish Premiership season 2025/26 begins at Tynecastle against Aberdeen Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A very different landscape is shaping at Tynecastle Park as Hearts prepare for the 2025/26 William Hill Scottish Premiership. A much-changed first-team squad is assembling under new management with head coach Derek McInnes putting his own specific philosophy and structure in place. It is a necessary overhaul, as any supporter will acknowledge. Rewind to spring time and exasperated Hearts fans saw their side short on various vital attributes as the 2024/25 campaign deteriorated before their eyes. Frustration had built following a catastrophic UEFA Conference League exit last December, followed by a 2-0 lead squandered in stoppage-time at Ross County, successive defeats to Hibs, failure to reach the Premiership top six, and then a Scottish Cup semi-final exit with nine men against Aberdeen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts badly needed more pace, aggression and goal threat for starters. The demands of the Tynecastle public meant action was inevitable. Previous head coach Neil Critchley was sacked and Liam Fox took interim charge, winning the final four league games and earning notable respect from fans in the process. McInnes was then plucked from Kilmarnock as Critchley's permanent replacement. Within a few weeks, the team has taken on a drastically different complexion with seven new signings so far. There is already significantly more of the aforementioned pace, aggression and goal threat. There is also greater work-rate, energy, size, set-piece threat and tactical flexibility. And, crucially, goals are now coming from different sources - centre-backs, full-backs, wingers and strikers. The over-reliance on Lawrence Shankland seems to have been rectified, witness 19 goals scored across four Premier Sports Cup group ties and Saturday's friendly against Sunderland. McInnes has got pretty much everything right so far, although it is important to point out that greater tests lie ahead once the league kicks off. New recruits bring added competition and a different dimension to the Hearts squad. Players like Oxford United loanee Stuart Findlay, Irish midfielder Oisin McEntee, Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis and Portuguese forward Claudio Braga have already made an impact and can expect to be heavily involved as the season evolves. At least two more new faces will follow as Pierre Landry Kabore and Tomas Bent Magnusson prepare to begin their careers in Scotland. Hearts were today still awaiting final paperwork from the UK Home Office to complete Kabore's transfer from the Estonian club JK Narva Trans. Magnusson is expected to arrive this week to sign a long-term contract after a deal was agreed with his Icelandic side, Valur Reykjavik. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Excitement and anticipation are building in the west of Edinburgh, where fans demand regular European qualification and cup progress from any Hearts team. Fall short of that and both coaches and players will find themselves under increasing pressure. It is a wholly unpleasant experience walking towards the Tynecastle tunnel at full-time as fans brutally unleash their frustration literally yards above on the concourse. Unfortunately, that scene played out too often last season. McInnes is an experienced operator who visited Gorgie enough times as an opposition manager to know the environment, how it works, how to harness it and how it can turn against you. He arrived believing wide players with pace and goals, competitive midfielders and no-nonsense defenders would underpin his Hearts team. He is still piecing together the maroon jigsaw but there is already clear evidence of an astute coach at work. Sky Sports show Hearts v Aberdeen - more transfers to come in Edinburgh Aberdeen visit Tynecastle on Monday evening, McInnes' league debut as Hearts head coach coming against his old club in front of the Sky Sports TV cameras. The Pittodrie side did not take part in the Premier Sports Cup groups as one of Scotland's European entrants, so are behind their hosts in terms of competitive action. It was they who knocked Hearts out in last season's Scottish Cup semi-final, and both teams covet third spot in the league on a yearly basis. A high-octane encounter is guaranteed to start the season. It is possible that only two members of Hearts' starting line-up from that semi-final just over three months ago will be in the team on Monday - Shankland and midfielder Cammy Devlin. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon is injured along with centre-back Jamie McCart, left-back James Penrice was sold to AEK Athens, and Michael Steinwender is likely to be on the bench this time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is unclear whether right-back Adam Forrester will play from the start or if new signing Christian Borchgrevink will be fit. In midfield, Beni Baningime is another injury doubt and Jorge Grant was released in May before joining English club Salford City. Strikers James Wilson and Elton Kabangu may also find themselves on the bench against Aberdeen given Braga's prowess in recent games. All of which underlines the changing face of Hearts. The overhaul is very much central to raising standards, and it's not finished yet.
