Rangers ready for 'cup-tie' Tynecastle atmosphere as Derek McInnes knows what to expect on Hearts return

Rangers boss Derek McInnes is expecting a ‘cup-tie’ atmosphere for their Premiership battle with Hearts - and isn’t expecting the red carpet to be rolled out for him by the Tynecastle faithful.

Wednesday night will mark the 55-year old’s Gorgie return, having been minutes away from securing a historic Premiership title victory as Hearts manager last season. A month later, he joined rivals Rangers and in turn, lost some credit in the bank with Jambos fans.

However, on Wednesday night in the capital, McInnes’ full focus will be on delivering three points for the visitors. The Rangers boss knows more than most how intimidating Tynecastle can, having helped to generate it himself as recent as six months ago.

Why does McInnes expect a ‘cup-tie’ Tynecastle atmosphere?

After the Hearts clash, Rangers’ attention will turn to Aberdeen for Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final. However, McInnes is also expecting a ‘cup-tie’ atmosphere at Tynecastle tomorrow night as he believes the stands will dictate a fast-paced contest. Speaking ahead of the match, he said: “I think every component comes into it. Sometimes you think you have time at a place like Tynecastle, but you actually don’t.

“You need to be on your game and ready for that, so that will be part of the message. Both teams have a lot of good players. Both sets of players can play at tempo and speed. They can press properly and move the ball quickly in possession. The speed on the pitch will be there and the environment off it will be there too, so it all lends itself to a cup-tie atmosphere. You’ve got to be ready for it.”

What does McInnes expect on his Tynecastle return?

Having managed five different Scottish clubs over his 20-year career, in terms of returning to a former club, this won’t be McInnes’ first rodeo. Given the nature of his tenure at Hearts, the Rangers boss is hoping there is an element of ‘acknowledgement’ from the home fans on Wednesday night - but isn’t holding his breath.

The manager added: “The hope would be you go onto the pitch and you clap the fans and there’s acknowledgement both ways but I know that’s not going to happen. I totally understand it. I loved my time at Hearts. I need to say that. It was only a short time, but I thought my Hearts team were a breath of fresh air for Scottish football last season.

“I really enjoyed what we managed to achieve. It showed what could be done despite not having the huge financial muscle of Rangers and Celtic to compete with, and I was proud of what we did there. Taking a team who finished in the bottom six and getting to 80 points, we just felt a real injustice at the end of it all. I understand that it’s not going to be great for me tomorrow, but I get it. I felt guilty about the decision over whether I stayed or left.”

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