Celtic have their say on Hearts' early title charge as Derek McInnes weighs in

The Premiership champions were held to a goalless draw by a resolute Hibs team at Celtic Park and as a result sit in second position, two points behind leaders Hearts after their 3-0 triumph over Falkirk at Tynecastle.

Celtic dominated their encounter with Hibs but were caught short in the final third. Brendan Rodgers’ side have scored eight times in the league, compared to 15 by Hearts, who buoyed by fresh investment from Brighton owner Tony Bloom are intent on mounting a challenge to Scottish football’s traditional Glasgow stranglehold.

Celtic are not overly concerned

Celtic captain Callum McGregor is refusing to panic, however, saying that the only positions that matter are at the end of the season, not the beginning - and he cited Aberdeen’s excellent start to last campaign, where they kept pace with Celtic until November before finishing a distant fifth.

“We’re six games in,” said McGregor after the draw with Hibs, “Maybe at 36 games, you start looking at the table, but not at six games in.

“It’s such a long season and there is so much football to be played. We’re thinking about performances and getting up to speed.

“Although we didn’t win the game I’m sure if we play like that we’ll amass enough points to be where we want to be. They (Hearts) are six games in. If you win all six, you're top of the league.

“Anyone can get off to a good start. Aberdeen did it last year. If you win the games in front of you, you collect enough points.

“Our objective over 38 games is to finish top of the league, so we can judge it when that happens.”

McInnes has say on potential title charge

Celtic will be hoping Hibs are in the same miserly mood when they face Hearts in the Edinburgh derby next Saturday. David Gray’s men remain undefeated in the league, but that record will be put to the test by a Hearts side with a lot of momentum behind them,

Nevertheless, their manager Derek McInnes insisted it was far too early for his Hearts side to be viewed as title contenders - even if the Jambos’ 3-0 win over Falkirk maintained their unbeaten start and cranked up the “vibrancy” in Gorgie.

While minority investor Bloom made bullish claims last month about what Hearts can achieve this season and in the longer term, McInnes has maintained a more pragmatic tone, and that continued after his side seized top spot from Celtic on Saturday.

“Nobody (outwith Hearts), I don’t think, genuinely believes we can mount a challenge,” said the manager. “Nobody for us, on the playing side of it, from the staff, are saying we’re going to do this and that, and neither we should.

“We’ve not earned the right to do that. We’ve earned the right to feel good about ourselves through working hard. I think we’re giving everybody a bit of encouragement and long may that continue.

“Football’s tough, it’s not easy getting into this place. For players to be playing as well, to be as confident, to get the place as vibrant as that, it takes a lot of hard work.

“I want us to try and stay up at the top end of the table for as long as we can. Of course we do, who wouldn’t? But once we’re round the first two rounds of fixtures, I think that’s when managers, supporters, players can normally get a sense of where they’re at.”

Alexandros Kyziridis, Lawrence Shankland and Craig Halkett provided the goals as Hearts geared up for Saturday evening’s Edinburgh derby with another impressive win.

“The next one, Hibs, is always one that everybody looks forward to anyway,” said McInnes. “We go into it in a good place, the players are in a good place with their performance, there’s good confidence, so hopefully all that helps when the game starts next week.”