Amex Stadium Brighton
**
Tony Bloom, the Brighton-born investor, is making waves in Scottish football with his 29% stake in Hearts. As the Edinburgh team prepares to face Rangers, who have drawn their first four William Hill Premiership fixtures, Bloom’s ambitions to challenge the Glasgow football hegemony are clear. Bloom had previously expressed confidence in Hearts’ potential, suggesting they have “a very good chance of at least being second” this season. This statement has undoubtedly raised expectations among fans and players alike.
Derek McInnes said: “I think need is maybe not the right word, but I think it would be nice if we could go and demonstrate that. And that’s what we’re searching for. I think there’s been raised expectations. I think there should always be an expectation of a Hearts team and a Hearts player and a Hearts manager. And as I said when we came into the job, before Tony said what he said, we’ve just got to meet the expectations. We haven’t done that as a club for a bit, so we need to try and be at the very least that. We’re four games in, regardless of the result. If we win the game, then that’s only going to amplify (the hype) and everybody’s going to be saying a bit more of that. You can’t really affect what people think and say whether it’s good or not. If we lose the game, it’s not going to change either. We’ve got to just see it for what it is. It’s 90 minutes, we’ve got to try and go there and be as good as we can be. I think if we can get to our capabilities, we can get a result. I’m confident and the players have got to feel confident. I expect us to be good enough to get a result and it’s important that the players feel that.”
Derek McInnes added: “I think when you go to Rangers, you’ve got to have that personality and confidence and the arrogance about you that you think you can get a result. Because Rangers, despite a difficult start, they’ve got good players. There’s been significant investment into that team and I think in time that will prove dividends. In terms of the Scottish Premier League, that’s a lot of investment. We’ve just got to really concentrate on ourselves rather than being too focused on ‘they’re not quite at their best or whatever’. I think that’s the first step to losing the game if you concentrate on that too much. We’ve got to concentrate on ourselves.”
Hearts currently find themselves joint top of the table with Celtic, holding a six-point lead over Rangers. The upcoming clash at Ibrox presents an opportunity for Hearts to solidify their position and validate Bloom’s ambitious declarations. McInnes acknowledged the pressure but emphasized the importance of focusing on their own performance rather than the opposition’s struggles. With Rangers yet to secure a win under their current management, McInnes remains confident in his team’s ability to rise to the occasion and deliver a performance worthy of the expectations set by Bloom’s investment and vision.
About The Author
