After the October international break, the two title-chasers, Celtic and Hearts, will lock horns at Tynecastle for a mouthwatering Premiership encounter.
Everyone knows that Brendan Rodgers will be in the Celtic corner. But will Derek McInnes be in Hearts colours? Given that Rangers are now looking for a new coach.
Over the weekend, after Celtic and Hearts won their respective matches in stoppage time, Rangers dropped points at Falkirk, and it proved to be the last straw for Russell Martin.
Martin was booted out by Rangers pretty much straight away, and Chris Sutton discussed the possibility of McInnes heading to Ibrox for the first time as a manager.
Celtic hero Chris Sutton on Derek McInnes possibly becoming Rangers manager
Rangers are floundering near the bottom of the table, whilst Hearts are flying, unbeaten, and sitting at the top of the tree.
Speaking on the Warm Up podcast, alongside Kris Boyd, the talk turned to McInnes possibly leaving Hearts for Rangers.
But Sutton argued that McInnes, from the perspective of Hearts, will be looking at this current Celtic side, how it’s ‘flat’, ‘dull’, the squad isn’t the same, and feeling he can do better if he stays put.
Sutton: “The new Rangers manager coming in will have to hit the ground running, whether you like it or not, with what he’s got to work with. That’s not an easy task, is it?”
Boyd: “The interesting one, for me, would be Derek McInnes, who has started really, really well at Hearts. Asking questions.”
Sutton: “Would he want to downsize?”
Boyd: “Well, I don’t think he will be downsizing, that’s for sure. He might be going down the table, but he won’t be downsizing.”
Sutton: “Isn’t it interesting, really interesting, isn’t it? The Derek McInnes situation. All his history with Rangers. The Aberdeen stuff.
“But right now, his Hearts team sit top of the table. He is looking at the Celtic performance this season, and their squad isn’t what it was last season. They aren’t playing well. The football is flat. It’s pretty dull.
“He is looking at Rangers and their performance levels this season. They have been woeful. I mean, why would he leave Hearts for Rangers right now? When he has a chance to create history at Hearts?!”
When was the last time Hearts won the title?
Before a ball was kicked, there was a lot of noise coming from Hearts because they had new investment in the form of Brighton owner, Tony Bloom.
So, their rapid start to the season is amplified even more, added to the fact that their squad is stronger than Aberdeen’s from last season, and they have no European football this term.
But there is a reason why Celtic have dominated for two decades now, and nobody outside of Glasgow, including Hearts, has lifted Scotland’s main crown for even longer.
- 65 years since Hearts last won the Premiership title
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
