Our columnist reckons that the clash between Hearts and the Light Blues will be telling
06:00, 15 Feb 2026
Celtic and Rangers fans during a derby at Parkhead
Derek McInnes’ demeanour during his post-match interviews at Tynecastle on Tuesday night seemed to me like a case study in aggravated behaviour.
But none of his interrogators should take umbrage on the basis that encountering crabbit managers is an occupational hazard. My advice to them would be that you haven’t lived until you’ve had the full “hairdryer” treatment from Sir Alex Ferguson.
It is, I can tell you from personal recollection, an exhilarating experience. A belated win for Hearts over what Fergie used to call the “noisy neighbours” gave Derek every reason to be happy in midweek.
Their 1-0 victory over Hibs on Tuesday was made all the sweeter by the nature of their 88th-minute derby winner by Tomas Magnusson. But it was an invitation to be cheerful Del declined in no uncertain terms and the reason why is a matter of interpretation.
Some might construe the obvious irritation in the manager’s voice to be a sign of nervous anxiety as a last-gasp defeat at St Mirren was followed, a week later, by a last-gasp win over David Gray’s side. My observation would be Derek was putting on a show of sheer bloody-mindedness in advance of the Jambos’ journey today to Ibrox.
A ground where strength of character, and a pugnacious personality, will be a prerequisite if Hearts want to end the day looking relaxed, as opposed to unsteady, at the top of the Premiership table. If McInnes, to employ an expression he used in one of his press conferences to sum up the quality of the game against Hibs, doesn’t “give a (you know what)” about what anyone thinks, then he’ll take that attitude with him to Ibrox.
And the occasion will then become a clash of managerial character. Hearts had a 13-point lead over Rangers when Danny Rohl took control at Ibrox. All of that was supposed to evaporate and the teams were on course to be on level pegging by this evening in the event of a home win.
Until Motherwell rewrote the route map on Wednesday night. Now it’s jungle warfare time for Rohl.
Rangers’ Dujon Sterling and Hearts’ Claudio Braga
The manager comes across at all times as being civilised, affable and a touch professorial when he speaks before and after matches.
Not that there’s the slightest bit wrong with being any of those things. But, to introduce Danny to the Glasgow vernacular for a moment, this afternoon’s match is going to be more of a square go than a seminar.
The professor will need to become the aggressor in a place where the mood will be volatile rising to hostile and all stops in between.
Rohl spoke after the draw at Fir Park about having to “implement players into the rhythm of the game.”
The rhythm today will occasionally resemble a fight at a bus stop.
Those Rangers fans with long memories and short fuses will never forgive McInnes for once having had the temerity to exercise his own free will and turn down the job of managing the club when he was in charge at Aberdeen.
If ever there was a ground where the same supporters would like to see the beginning of the end of Hearts’ title challenge for this season, it would undoubtedly be Ibrox this afternoon.
I might have mentioned this before – but repetition for the sake of emphasis never does any harm.
The balance of power is shifting in Glasgow. It’s moving in favour of Rangers on the back of greater stability on and off the park.
Confirmation of that being the case would come with a win over the present league leaders.
But it would be a shift without substance unless Rangers went on to win the league title at the end of the season. Second is nowhere and all that.
Rohl has therefore pressure on his shoulders today the like of which he hasn’t had to bear since he got here.
McInnes will enter the arena as a case-hardened veteran of such occasions.
Styles, as they say in the boxing game, make fights. And decide winners.