Derek McInnes underlined his trust in the Hearts squad after watching his team topple Celtic for the second time this season with a rousing 2-1 win at Celtic Park.
Following four games without a win, the Jambos returned to winning ways in style in the east end of Glasgow; Claudio Braga and Oisin McEntee striking to secure a valuable three Premiership points.
The boss stressed that the key thought for Hearts before the game was making sure they left Parkhead still firmly at the top of the Premiership summit.
“When you come here, you’ve got to do a lot right to get a victory,” he told Hearts TV.
“Celtic are littered with talented players and they’re a good side. It’s the toughest venue for any team in recent seasons coming here. I think it will help us in terms of that belief, maybe the players weren’t quite there over the last few weeks. Winning here helps with that, clearly.
“It’s an important three points in the context of our season. We had to do a lot right. I didn’t think we started well in the first 15 or 20 minutes. I thought we were a wee bit unsure of our distances. We’d spoke about their shape. We had an idea, having watched a lot of the new manager’s system, what he wants to do.
“We had to fill the middle of the pitch with bodies and make sure we didn’t go overrun in there and the discipline was fantastic.”
With the 2025/26 season now at the halfway stage, Derek knows that every point is a prisoner between now and the finishing line in May 2026.
“Everybody maybe got a bit excited and carried away and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he added.
“But our fight’s with ourselves and it’s important that we just knuckle down, take the good of the day and try and take that into the Falkirk game.
“We’ve been affected a wee bit, maybe not carrying the same goal threat of late, but I trust the players that if that is going to be the case, it’s going to be momentary.
“Good players show they’re good players. It’s important that we take the good for the day and move on now.”
