Derek McInnes has guided Hearts to within two matches of an extraordinary Scottish Premiership title triumph. A victory for the leaders at home to Falkirk, combined with the champions’ defeat at Motherwell, would secure their first league crown since 1960. While Celtic’s recent form makes such an outcome unlikely, the very possibility marks a remarkable shift in the balance of power.
“It’s nice to be able to hear ‘Hearts could win the league at Tynecastle,'” said McInnes. “I don’t know how many people have been able to say that in their lifetime. The likelihood is we are going to have to win two games or certainly pick up four points.” In a historical twist, both of Hearts’ 20th-century titles were clinched at St Mirren’s former Love Street ground.
McInnes pointed to the final two matches of the season as decisive. Hearts lead Celtic by a single point, with the Glasgow side having won five consecutive league games. Since topping the table in 2012, Celtic have only been denied the flag once, and they meet Hearts at Celtic Park on Saturday lunchtime amidst growing confidence they can prevail yet again.
But Hearts show no lack of resolve. “People talk about mentality and how the players cope, the facts show they are coping brilliantly,” McInnes said. “We have already broken a club record for a points tally. We have Champions League qualification already secured. I believe and have believed for a while we have a team that is capable of winning the league. I have an unshakable belief we can do this, and I believe the squad think that as well.”
“We have been trying to hold off a couple of heavyweights for a long time,” he added. “We have managed to see off Rangers and now we have to try to see off Celtic. Our first port of call is to try to see off Falkirk. I just assume Celtic will win the Motherwell game. I have had it in my head we are going to the last game and will prepare for that.”
Hearts’ record of 10 points from 12, despite significant squad disruption and facing a strong Motherwell team twice, contradicts the lazy notion of them bottling it. They carry the weight of history, as Old Firm dominance has reigned since Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1985.
“We have a fantastic opportunity,” said McInnes. “It is a really important five or six days ahead of us, and it is important we try to enjoy it. We feel as though we are in good form. We have complete focus on Falkirk, a game that needs our full attention. This isn’t a semi-final ahead of a final; this is a final for us.”
On the other side, Martin O’Neill, now 74, is overseeing Celtic for a second interim stint in what he calls a “topsy-turvy season.” He acknowledged that more pressure sits on Hearts as the hunted team, but avoided mind games, clearly aware of their strength.
“We have been fighting every week,” said O’Neill. “We have won five games on the trot and still haven’t caught up, so that might tell you everything about our position some months ago. Hearts are a really fine team who have stuck at it all season long. We are trying to make ground, make inroads even with two games to go. We have come a long distance here. You would want it to go to the last game. We are all guilty of talking a really good game. You have to actually do it on the pitch.”
Celtic followed O’Neill’s orders perfectly on Sunday, recovering from a goal down to beat Rangers 3-1 in a raucous atmosphere. “That gives us a big boost in confidence,” said O’Neill. “Winning the game in the manner in which we did was great, but that is gone now. We face a major task tomorrow night. Easier said than done, but if we win the two games, we win it. You would have got long odds on that a number of weeks ago, certainly a few months ago.”
In 2005, under O’Neill’s guidance, Celtic lost the league in the dying minutes after slipping to defeat at Motherwell. He has tasted heartbreak alongside glory. “The anxiety now wouldn’t be that much different, and it is good I feel this way,” he said. “I have the same sort of nervousness and excitement.”