DEREK MCINNES DROP THE COLDEST LEAST-MEDIA TRAINED RESPONSE OF THE YEAR WHEN ASKED ABOUT RANGERS PERFORMANCE UNDER DANNY ROHL FOLLOWING DEFEAT TO HEARTS

Derek McInnes has delivered what fans are calling the “coldest and least-media trained” response of the year after his table-topping Hearts side dismantled Rangers 2-1 at Tynecastle. The victory, secured by goals from Stuart Findlay and Lawrence Shankland, brought Danny Röhl’s 11-game unbeaten streak to a grinding halt and left the Glasgow giants trailing the leaders by a massive 12 points.
​When asked during a post-match interview about Rangers’ supposed “tactical evolution” and “pragmatic progress” under Röhl, McInnes bypassed the usual coaching platitudes. Instead of praising the opposition’s effort, he delivered a blunt assessment that emphasized the sheer financial gulf his side is currently overcoming.
​”People keep talking to me about systems and pragmatism,” McInnes said with a deadpan expression. “At the end of the day, they spend millions of pounds on a squad and pay thousands a week in wages. If they come here and only manage one shot on target in 90 minutes while we go 12 points clear, that’s not a tactical puzzle for me to solve—it’s just the reality of the work we’re doing. We don’t have their budget, but today, they didn’t have our heart.”
​The response has gone viral among the Gorgie faithful, who have embraced McInnes’ no-nonsense attitude as the club targets its first league title in decades. While the media has focused heavily on Röhl’s “New Rangers” revolution, McInnes’ refusal to play along has reinforced his status as the man leading a genuine title charge.
​The “cold” nature of the interview stems from McInnes’ dismissal of the hype surrounding the Ibrox club. By highlighting the wage bill versus the actual performance on the pitch—where Rangers were “outclassed” for the majority of the game—the Hearts boss effectively shut down the narrative that his side are merely overachieving.
​With Hearts now guaranteed to be top of the table on Christmas Day, McInnes’ filter-free honesty has set the tone for the second half of the season. For the fans, it wasn’t just a win on the pitch; it was a definitive statement in the media room that the monopoly in Scottish football is under serious threat.