Heart of Midlothian midfielder Oisin McEntee says the team is focused purely on the game ahead as they prepare to face Celtic at Celtic Park on Sunday. The Irishman dismissed any notion of a revenge mission for last season's final-day heartbreak, insisting the new-look squad is ready for the challenge. Heart of Midlothian, who sit third in the Premiership on 16 points from eight games, are five points behind the leaders they will face this weekend.
McEntee stressed that the group is different this season, with a fresh style of play under a new manager. He said the players are concentrating solely on the match itself and are not burdened by thoughts of the past. The 25-year-old believes the number of new faces in the squad helps, as many have not experienced playing at Celtic Park before and are simply excited for the occasion. The team's form of five wins, one draw and two losses this season has been built on a solid defence, having conceded only eight goals while scoring 19.
New group, new approach
He highlighted that the team's fresh makeup means they are not fazed by the big stage. McEntee pointed to the collective performance that earned a 2-1 victory at the same venue back in December, a match where he scored the decisive goal. He described that day as a brilliant career moment and said a similar full-team effort will be required again this weekend. The squad's recent form of two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five matches includes a 5-0 victory over St Mirren and a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock.
Looking forward, not back
The upcoming fixture is a rematch of the May 16 title decider, where late Celtic goals denied Heart of Midlothian their first top-flight championship in 66 years. McEntee, who missed that game through injury, acknowledged the lingering disappointment for supporters but said the first-team squad's mindset is different. He stated that excitement, not revenge, is the primary emotion within the dressing room, with the sole aim being to go to Glasgow and win. The team's top scorer this season, J. McPake with three goals, will be a key figure in that effort.
Heart of Midlothian travel to face the league leaders sitting third in the Premiership table with 16 points from eight matches. They are five points behind Celtic, making Sunday's clash a significant one in the early title race. Steven Naismith's side head into the game with a recent form of two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five outings. Their most recent result was a 1-1 draw with FC Nordsjaelland on Thursday, where McEntee was on the scoresheet. That result followed a commanding 5-0 win over St Mirren on Saturday 10 October. The full fixtures list shows a demanding schedule ahead for the Jambos. The team will be looking to close the gap at the top when they run out at Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon.
This story first appeared at heraldscotland.com
