Hearts head coach Derek McInnes believes his side are currently the “best team” in Scotland, but is not getting carried away despite their unbeaten start to the season.
The Jambos are nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after the first full round of fixtures and have scored as many league goals as both Celtic and Rangers combined.
However, McInnes, who has masterminded victories against both Old Firm sides already this campaign, continues to be reluctant to label his team as title contenders.
Hearts boss Derek McInnes has guided his side to the top of the Scottish Premiership
“I think at the minute, on form, we’re the best team because we’re top of the league,” said the 54-year-old.
“But you get judged about being the best team at the end of the season, and that’s fact. So it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks.
“I’m enjoying what we’re getting at the minute, we have shown over the first round of fixtures that we’re what we’re capable of, but the test is to keep doing it.
“There’s nothing for me to feel as if there’s going to be any downturn in our performances. We just need to keep our shoulders to the wheel, recognise we need to keep improving, and keep trying to win that fight with ourselves to get better.”
Shankland to help Scotland to World Cup qualification?
Hearts have received a lot of praise for their summer recruitment, and rightly so.
Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis, in particular, are shining examples of the success of Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics.
However, perhaps one of the most important pieces of business conducted in the summer was captain Lawrence Shankland’s contract extension. His previous deal expired at the end of last season, and the 30-year-old didn’t agree new terms until midway through pre-season.
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Watch highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Dundee
Shankland is now the league’s top scorer and has been rewarded for his early-season form with a recall to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for this month’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark.
“It’s not my job to pick a team, but I wasn’t surprised when Steve (Clarke) let me know on Sunday that Lawrence (Shankland) was going to be in the squad,” added McInnes.
“I’m delighted for Lawrence, he was over the moon when I told him, which is good for him.
“I think it’s good for me, for Hearts, for Lawrence himself, and for the national team that he has that motivation now to be part of the World Cup.
“We’re hoping that we can get the results in the next couple of games that confirm our place at the World Cup, and then every Scottish player has got to be doing all they can to be part of that. It’s too big a moment for them in their careers not to be part of it.
Gordon ready to answer Scotland’s goalkeeping crisis?
Shankland will be joined on international duty by Hearts team-mate Craig Gordon, who is yet to make a competitive appearance for club or country this campaign.
Gordon, who turns 43 in December, has only recently returned from a shoulder injury sustained in May, but could be called upon as Scotland’s number one, Angus Gunn, is out injured.
“I think it’s up to Steve (Clarke) and Craig (Gordon) to have that conversation,” McInnes continued.
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Jody Morris praises the job his former team-mate and manager Derek McInnes is doing at top-of-the-table Hearts
“What will help him is the fact that he’s got the experience to deal with that.
“He’s been back training now without any real hesitation or any real stoppages for a good four of five weeks. He just got back in training for about a week or so before the last international break.
“He’s trained great today with an 11v11 and he was involved in that. We’re replicating match situations a lot of the time for him, although he’s not getting into the first team at the minute.
“I think if anybody could do it, Craig would be able to deal with that side of it, but that’s up for Steve (Clarke) to decide.”
