Derek McInnes told that losing the title to Celtic or Rangers would be a ‘major embarrassment’

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Hearts are riding the crest of a wave as they sit ahead of Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

With seven points separating Hearts from Celtic, the gap to Rangers is even bigger at 12 points, but before the Tynecastle club dropped the ball at the weekend, it was even bigger.

And that’s what prompted Hugh Keevins to put Derek McInnes straight as the Hearts boss enjoys an unbeaten start to the league.

McInnes has been trying to play down Hearts’ title prospects but now, as the season rolls on and Hearts, Celtic and Rangers approach the business end of the season, Keevins piles the pressure on the Tynecastle boss.

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Hugh Keevins piles pressure on Hearts after allowing Celtic to close the gap

Before Celtic finished their 4-0 win over Kilmarnock, Hearts had dropped points at Tynecastle in their 1-1 draw with Dundee United.

And that result prompted the Clyde 1 pundit to send the Hearts boss an adamant title warning.

Keevins told Superscoreboard, “At the start of play today, they’re 14 points ahead of Rangers. 14 ahead of a Rangers team who have been laughed at by their own fans this season and who are distressing their fans.

“Not this afternoon because they’re 2-0 up, but to lose a 14 point lead, if you are a manager as experienced as Derek McInnes, I think that would be a major embarrassment.

“Well, if you can’t live with the pressure, then you’re in the wrong game. I mean, what do you want? A 14 point start over Rangers, a nine point start over Celtic, and everything going for you, good players, terrific support, every home game is a real event.

“I think it would be a major embarrassment.”

Hugh Keevins slaps down Hearts’ budget to Celtic and Rangers argument

When it was put to Keevins that with the types of budget Celtic and Rangers have, is ‘major embarrassment’ too strong? The Hoops critic wasn’t having any of it.

Keevins continued, “Simply in terms of the figures, the optics, a 14-point lead over Rangers, with a quarter of the season gone, a nine point lead over Celtic, the budget for me doesn’t come into it.

“Because the whole story of Hearts is supposed to be about Tony Bloom, Jamestown Analytics, plucking players out of the second division in the back of beyond, et cetera, et cetera.

“So it’s not about budgets, it’s about Jamestown Analytics versus the rest of the world.

“And at the moment at Tynecastle, they’re making heavy weather of it.”

Keevins is, of course, completely correct. For months Hearts have been lording it up as they triumphantly announced they were challenging Celtic on a fraction of the Glasgow club’s budget.

If they collapsed and lost their lead, they cannot use that as an excuse to then claim their title bid was always going to fall flat because of that.

McInnes has already flinched after his daft Celtic comments at the weekend, so let’s see how he holds up under pressure as the title race continues after the international break.