Derek McInnes insists Hearts remain firmly in the title race despite surrendering ground at the top of the Premiership following a 4-2 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.
With Celtic snatching a dramatic late victory at Kilmarnock, the pressure has tightened at the summit. The Tynecastle club now sit two points clear of Rangers and three ahead of Celtic, who still have a game in hand.
“We are not going away,” McInnes said defiantly. The Hearts boss revealed that several players had already delivered that message inside the away dressing room before he addressed them, and he sensed a steely determination among the squad. Upcoming home fixtures against Falkirk and Aberdeen offer an immediate chance to respond.
“Nothing will be decided today,” he added. “It was an opportunity for us to come here and get a positive result and we did not take it. But we are still top of the league. We have to stay calm and recognise what we do well. There were good moments from us, just not enough when it came to defending the goals.
“We are disappointed because we came with high expectations. Even so, losing today does not change the bigger picture. Being top at this stage says a lot about the players.”
McInnes also pointed out there was no disgrace in losing to a Rangers side that has invested heavily over the past two transfer windows. He expects further twists before the campaign concludes.
“You only have to look at Rugby Park,” he said. “Kilmarnock, fighting near the bottom, pushed Celtic all the way into stoppage time. There will be dramatic endings because so many teams have something riding on it. Some are chasing the top six, others are battling to survive. We have work to do, but three of our next four matches are at Tynecastle. It is vital we make the most of that before the split.”
The Hearts manager also explained his tactical reshuffle at the interval, switching from a back four to a back three. Brazilian midfielder Eduardo Ageu was replaced on his full debut, while winger Islam Chesnokov made way for full back Jordi Altena and striker Pierre Landry Kabore.
“At 2-2 the game felt too open,” McInnes said. “We needed an extra body in defence and to take some of the momentum away from Rangers after the way they ended the first half. I felt the changes helped steady us for a spell.
“For me the substitutions were right. We were still in it, but we conceded poor goals. Some of that is on us and some credit goes to Rangers.”