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Derek McInnes gets ‘honest’ about Celtic title challenge as Hearts boss gets hot under the collar

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Celtic sitting second in the league behind Hearts has got everyone talking about a new title challenge.

The Tynecastle club have enjoyed a good start to the season where, like Celtic, they remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership.

After Celtic’s draw with Hibs on Saturday, Hearts went top of the table with a 3-0 win over Falkirk.

That result prompted John McGlynn to tell Celtic that Hearts are there for the foreseeable future but it seems that another question about a title challenge may well be starting to annoy Derek McInnes.

Hearts boss Derek McInnes when he managed Aberdeen at Celtic Park - Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Derek McInnes seems irked by another question about Celtic title race

McInnes is preparing for the Edinburgh Derby this week as he looks to continue Hearts’ good start to the new season.

However, it appears that another question about challenging Celtic for the title has irked the Hearts boss as he gets ‘honest’ about going head to head with the Hoops.

McInnes told BBC Sport Scotland, “There’s more pundits that’ll say we can’t, let’s be honest.

“We’re six league games into the season. And listen, our fight’s with ourselves. It’s stupid to say we’re in a title fight at the minute, and we’re not getting drawn into that.

“For us, our fight is with ourselves to improve on what wasn’t good enough last season, and we need to try and improve on that.”

Hearts boss McInnes ‘not prepared’ to talk about Celtic and the title

McInnes seems to be getting annoyed at the incessant questions about challenging Celtic for the title as he tells journalists exactly what he is focused on right now.

McInnes continued, “So like I said, and I’ll keep saying it, so everybody can ask me as we go along, but until we’re a couple of fixtures around the block with that, then we’re not prepared to get drawn into that.

“And we have just got to try and deal with the next game. The next game is difficult enough.

“We just need to try and win a derby game, which, regardless of form, up and down the country, all the derbies, and this is a big derby for everyone involved, form normally goes out the window and you just deal with the game.”

If McInnes wants anyone to blame for the constant title talk he should be having a word with Tony Bloom after his Celtic comments started it all.

The Hearts boss was happy to be grabbing the headlines at that time but, it appears, that the more he is continually asked about this, the more McInnes is getting annoyed.

That’s what happens at the top. Can the former Aberdeen man handle it?