Derek McInnes ‘confident’ that Hearts can pile on Russell Martin misery at Rangers
Rangers have a must-win game against Hearts up next, after a winless start under manager Russell Martin in the Scottish Premiership.
Martin has drawn all four of his Scottish Premiership games so far, and the pressure is truly on, with Rangers fans eager to change manager already.
Rangers will face an in-form Hearts team at Ibrox on Saturday, who have also undergone a lot of change over the summer, but have done that more successfully than Rangers so far.
New minority ownership and a manager have arrived at Tynecastle, and Derek McInnes is showing Martin up after a transformative start at Hearts.
Derek McInnes gives verdict on Rangers vs Hearts
While Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises completed a major takeover at Rangers in the summer, Brighton owner Tony Bloom bought a minority stake in Hearts, with the hope of transforming their fortunes.
Hearts have won three of their opening four games under McInnes, and they will hope to pile on the misery for Martin when they visit Ibrox on Saturday.
Speaking to The Argus, McInnes admitted that his side are confident of a win, but it is less important for them than it is for the home side.
| Matches | 11 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Points per game | 1.27 |
“I think need is maybe not the right word, but I think it would be nice if we could go and demonstrate that,” McInnes replied when asked if Hearts need to win.
“And that’s what we’re searching for. I think there have been raised expectations. I think there should always be an expectation of a Hearts team, a Hearts player and a Hearts manager.
“And as I said when we came into the job, before Tony said what he said, we’ve just got to meet the expectations.
“We haven’t done that as a club for a bit, so we need to try and be at the very least that. And what is expected is a competitive Hearts team week in, week out, regardless of where it is.”
“I’m confident, and the players have got to feel confident. I’ve got decisions to make on maybe one or two positions, but regardless of what team we land on, I expect us to be really competitive. I expect us to be good enough to get a result, and it’s important that the players feel that.”
Rangers have to beat Hearts
Anything other than a win would be disastrous for Rangers, who are staring down the barrel of five games without a victory to begin the season.
Martin has been heavily criticised and rightfully so, given his woeful start despite 13 new signings arriving this summer.
Hearts, like Rangers, have also had significant change at boardroom level and in the dugout, but these have inspired positivity, while the atmosphere at Ibrox is nothing short of toxic.
Anything other than a convincing win would see Ibrox empty quickly, and fans voting with their feet could be the final straw for Martin’s Rangers future.
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