McInnes ready to 'rip up the script' as Hearts chase title at Celtic

3 min read
McInnes ready to 'rip up the script' as Hearts chase title at Celtic

McInnes ready to 'rip up the script' as Hearts chase title at Celtic

Coach Derek McInnes is intent on parking the controversy around refereeing decisions for another day as he challenged his “special” Hearts team to “rip up the script” by becoming champions of Scotland for the first time since 1960. The Jambos will win the Premiership title if they avoid defeat on Sa

McInnes ready to 'rip up the script' as Hearts chase title at Celtic

Coach Derek McInnes is intent on parking the controversy around refereeing decisions for another day as he challenged his “special” Hearts team to “rip up the script” by becoming champions of Scotland for the first time since 1960. The Jambos will win the Premiership title if they avoid defeat on Saturday at second-placed Celtic, who were handed a lifeline on Wednesday when they defeated Motherwell with a contentiously awarded stoppage-time spot-kick.

Derek McInnes has urged his "special" Hearts squad to "rip up the script" and end a 64-year wait for the Scottish Premiership title—putting the recent refereeing controversy firmly in the rearview mirror.

Hearts head to Celtic Park on Saturday knowing that a draw or victory will secure their first top-flight crown since 1960, and the first for any club outside the Old Firm since Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985. It's a blockbuster finale that McInnes describes as "pure box office."

The stage was set for high drama after Celtic kept their hopes alive with a contentious stoppage-time penalty against Motherwell on Wednesday. The spot-kick, awarded after VAR intervention for a handball call, sparked fury from McInnes, who called it "disgusting" following Hearts' own win over Falkirk that same night.

But with the title on the line, the Hearts boss has parked the debate. "I don't want to get bogged down in talk about referees," he said on Friday. "It's a perfect ending to the season—for the league, for Scottish football, for drama and excitement. It's been building for a while, and we've been preparing for this moment."

McInnes knows his side will face a hostile atmosphere in front of 60,000 Celtic fans, with only a tiny away contingent of fewer than 1,000 Hearts supporters. But he's backing his players to rise to the occasion. "We need one big performance to get over the line. The confidence I feel in the players is so strong. We have to go there with courage, with belief, and be bullish."

Celtic interim boss Martin O'Neill, meanwhile, suggested that the outcry over Wednesday's penalty reflects a wider desire to see Hearts break the Glasgow duopoly. "There's a clamour for a different champion," he noted.

For Hearts, this is more than just a match—it's a chance to etch their name into Scottish football history. And for McInnes, the message is simple: tear up the script and write a new one.

Like this article?

Order custom jerseys for your team with free design

Related Topics

Related News

Back to All News