Copyright scotsman
Barry Ferguson expects Hearts to maintain their challenge at the top of the Premiership throughout this season - because they’ve made a great signing in head coach Derek McInnes. The Tynecastle side appointed McInnes from Kilmarnock at the start of the summer and the 54-year-old has masterminded a stunning start to the campaign, with Hearts sitting top of the league, five points clear of defending champions Celtic. Ferguson came up against McInnes last season when he was in interim charge of Rangers and says that the former Aberdeen and St Johnstone manager’s experience will count for so much as Hearts, who face Celtic on Sunday, attempt to maintain their excellent form. Hearts brought in 11 players during the transfer window but one bit of business really stood out - and it was not a player. “I’m not surprised because I think Hearts' best signing has been their manager,” said Ferguson on their surge up the table. “Derek [McInnes] has got so much experience. “He did a fantastic job at Aberdeen. He went to Kilmarnock in the [Scottish] Championship, got them promoted, and got them playing European football. He knows the game inside out. And now he's got the move to Hearts where you know what's going on there with the analytics and Tony Bloom at Brighton. “He's recruited really well and they deserve to be top of the table. So he's had a really good start. I'm sure he's not getting carried away because he's got that experience as a manager. He'll be saying it to the players: ‘it's still really early.’ “People have asked me, ‘do you think they're going to challenge?’ I would rather wait until 20 games in and see how it is - but you can deny that Hearts have been the best team this season in Scotland.” “I do think Hearts will be up there or thereabouts [this season] because of who's in charge of them [Derek McInnes]. He's a person who I respect a lot.” Ferguson added in an interview with Gambling.com: “I came up against his Kilmarnock team last year in my first game in charge [of Rangers as interim manager]. They absolutely battered us for the first 20 minutes and we were two goals down. So I know how good of a manager he is. “Hearts have signed a lot of good players, but their best signing this season has been the manager.”
