Hearts players at fault for Ian Cathro failure says Derek McInnes

Derek McInnes will pit his wits against Craig Levein tomorrow. Picture: SNS.

McInnes’ Aberdeen side travel to BT Murrayfield tomorrow as the first team to face Hearts since Levein agreed to return to the dugout last month by combining the roles of head coach and director of football.

The Dons are already eight points clear of their opponents going into the game but McInnes believes Levein has inherited a squad capable of cutting the 30-point gap that existed between the sides at the end of last season. That was largely down to a dismal run of just eight wins from 30 games in total after the inexperienced Cathro was appointed last December, something Levein has owned up to as being a  mistake.

However McInnes believes too many others at Tynecastle have failed to admit their own guilt for what happened to the inexperienced coach as he said: “It always saddens me to hear comments from players once a manager has been sacked.

“There were one or two things about not being fit enough and this or that but for me when a manager loses his job it’s a collective responsibility, the staff and the players. Everyone has played some role in a manager  losing his job.

“What Craig will do is put his stamp on it and it may well be different. It probably has to be because results were not coming. Craig has seen Hearts more than anyone so he will know what needs to be addressed and he will have his own ideas about how to get results. I think they’ve got a good squad, they’ve recruited well this summer, they’ve got good options and I think they’ll show that this season. I think Craig will probably look at that as well as part of the reason why he took the job on.”

McInnes knows what an uncompromising character Levein is from his experiences of coming up against him as both a player and manager in the past.

That’s why the Aberdeen manager is certain his Tynecastle counterpart will relish the return to the job he last held in 2004, however reluctant he was initially to get back into the dugout.

He added:”I wasn’t totally surprised [about Levein’s return] but once the appointment is made you see how it makes sense.

“I think it was a surprise more because they went through the process of interviewing people.

“Hearts have obviously felt the need for stability and an experienced pair of hands and Craig being in the building already is quite an obvious appointment.

“I don’t think he would have envisioned him being back in the dugout but now he’s there I’m sure he’ll be relishing the opportunity.

“It’s not unusual for a club to go from a younger manager if it hasn’t worked to turn to an experienced manager.

“I still view Craig as a manager more than anything because I came up against him as a manager.

“I played against him and have managed against him, so I know how much of an experienced operator he is.”

Former Rangers defender Dominic Ball is line for his Dons debut after  agreeing a season-long loan from Rotherham United last week and Gary Mackay-Steven is in the squad after recovering from his river  rescue drama.