Derek McInnes has Hearts three points clear of Celtic with three games left, and the next step is Saturday’s trip to Motherwell. A win at Fir Park could leave Hearts on the brink of their first top-flight title since 1960, with the race shaped again by Celtic’s result against Rangers on Sunday.
McInnes and Hearts at Fir Park
McInnes said his side have built the campaign around a simple edge: the refusal to accept defeat. “It doesn't surprise me that we don't feel as if we're ever beaten in games. The lads have got a real determination,” he said. He also added that “the importance of just wanting to win, a desire to win games, no matter how you do it, is so fundamental to how we've been this season.”
He framed the week as one that can pull the title picture in several directions, but he wants the focus kept on Motherwell. “In the context of the season, it's such a big week, but we're just really trying to focus on Motherwell,” he said. “You can tie yourself in knots looking at all the different connotations if you win there and they lose there. It's so important that we just focus on ourselves.”
Motherwell and Celtic pressure
Motherwell are not a soft landing. McInnes said they have “caused problems for so many teams this season,” calling them “a team who test your organisation and they are a very well-coached team.” That is the immediate complication for Hearts: one result at Fir Park could keep the title in their hands, but anything less opens the door again.
The schedule gives Hearts a narrow route. If they win on Saturday and Celtic drop points against Rangers on Sunday, they could clinch the title at Falkirk on Wednesday night. If Celtic do not drop points, the race could go to the final day and a showdown at Parkhead.
Hearts and the 1960 chase
The title push sits on top of McInnes’ own recognition this season, after he added Scottish Premiership manager of the season to his PFA Scotland prize. For Hearts, the bigger number is still 1960, the last time they won the top-flight title. Three points and three games left is enough to keep the pressure on, but not enough to look past Fir Park.
