- Tempers flared at Tynecastle last weekend, with the Jambos manager taking issue with the reaction on the away bench to Benjamin Nygren’s opener.
- McInnes has accepted the apology and has drawn a line under the incident.
- Hearts take on Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday night looking to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points.
- The club are hopeful of adding another striker to the squad before the transfer window shuts next week, but McInnes admits it ‘unlikely’.
Hearts boss Derek McInnes has revealed that Celtic first-team coach Mark Fotheringham phoned to apologise for upsetting him during last Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Tynecastle.
McInnes stormed into the visitors’ technical area immediately after Benjamin Nygren’s opening goal, visibly angered by the way a member of Martin O’Neill’s backroom staff was celebrating.
‘It was just one of their inexperienced coaches who got a bit carried away,’ he said at the time. ‘That’s all I’ve got to say on it.’
It subsequently emerged that former Huddersfield boss Fotheringham was the source of his anger. However, McInnes admitted yeserday that a contrite Fotheringham had since got in touch.
‘Just to clarify, I was annoyed,’ he said. ‘I’ve been up against loads of different dugouts over the years and loads of Celtic teams and I was really annoyed with the reaction.
‘It surprised me and I thought it was out of order, so that was why I was annoyed about it.
Derek McInnes admitted he was ‘annoyed’ by the behaviour of Mark Fotheringham last week
The Hearts boss stormed into the Celtic technical area following the visitors’ opening goal
Fotheringham has since apologised for his actions and McInnes is keen to move on
‘In fairness to Mark, he’s not a boy I know too well, but I know people that know him. He’s a great lad, seemingly — but he phoned me Monday afternoon to apologise.
‘He said there was no offence meant and, if there was, he said he was sorry for that. I think that says a lot about him, so we move on.’
McInnes then turned his attention to his team’s trip to Dundee United today, when Uganda forward Rogers Mato could make his debut after becoming Hearts’ fourth January signing.
The Gorgie boss would still like to add another striker before the window closes on Monday if possible, but conceded: ‘As we sit here now, it looks unlikely at the minute.
‘We’ve hit the bar with a couple, to be honest. We’ve tried to exhaust one or two situations.
‘The club’s still chipping away at it but I’m just trying to be realistic in the sense that we’ve signed four this window that we were delighted to get in.
‘We won’t give up on a fifth but, at this moment in time, it might just seem a bit unlikely.’
With leaders Hearts — four points clear at the top of the table — taking on United this evening, it gives them a chance to steal a further march on title rivals Rangers and Celtic, who both play tomorrow.
Rogers Mato could be in line for his Hearts debut against Dundee United this weekend
McInnes played down any notion that victory at Tannadice would crank up the pressure on the Old Firm.
‘It just helps that we’ve got another chance to win a game,’ he said. ‘It shows that we’re not going anywhere and we’re still winning games of football.
‘I’m just really concentrating on making sure we pick the right team and try to get the right performance for the lads.
‘It’s not really about mind games and trying to send out a signal, or this and that. Take care of the game first, win the game, and then how people react to that is up to them.’
