With the Scottish Premiership title race heating up in a thrilling three-way battle, Heart of Midlothian head coach Derek McInnes has delivered a classic piece of football pragmatism. Responding to fan complaints about the scheduling of the final five fixtures, McInnes declared he'd be happy to play the decisive matches "in a car park," emphasizing his squad's focus is solely on the football.

The controversy stems from the Scottish Professional Football League's release of the post-split schedule, which breaks from tradition by not giving the league leaders a final-day home game. This means Hearts, who currently sit top, will face reigning champions Celtic away on May 16th in what could be a title decider. Furthermore, numerous kick-off times have been shifted for television, disrupting the classic Saturday 3 PM slot for many supporters.

While McInnes acknowledges the inconvenience for fans, his message is clear: the venue and time are irrelevant. "I actually don’t really care from our point of view where we play and the times and all the rest of it," he stated, highlighting the team's excitement to be in the thick of a championship fight against rivals Rangers and Celtic.

This no-excuses mentality is what defines a title-chasing team. McInnes admitted the fixture list was "no real surprise" and praised the "mouth-watering" matches to come. His comments reflect a leader channeling any external noise into pure competitive fuel, ready to tackle the run-in wherever and whenever required. For Hearts, the mission is simple: perform on the pitch, regardless of the surroundings.