The 53-year-old took charge of Kilmarnock on Wednesday ahead of his move to Hearts.

Kilmarnock have responded after fans expressed their dissatisfaction as manager Derek McInnes’ move to Hearts became closer.

The Tynecastle side has agreed terms with Killie for their manager, who expressed his desire to be in the Ayrshire dugout for the final two games of the season against Motherwell and his new club. Kilmarnock faced Motherwell on Wednesday night, and the man who will most likely be in the Gorgie dugout next season was met with some chants, as were Hearts by travelling fans at Fir Park.

Motherwell won 3-0, capitalising on Robbie Deas’ red card in the first half. Luke Armstrong scored twice, and Callum Slattery also scored to secure a comfortable victory for the Steelmen, who are now the only team with a chance of finishing ahead of Hearts in seventh place on the final day.

Kilmarnock respond to anti-Hearts chants.

McInnes did not attend the post-match press conference, so Paul Sheerin took his place. He was asked about the ‘anti-Hearts’ chants and admitted that McInnes deserves better. Sheerin said, “It’s disappointing, but fans will remain fans. It’s one of the things that people expect. I’m biassed, and I believe he deserves much better, but that’s easy for me to say. He’ll be devastated by it.

“I know he’ll be devastated, because he has given his all to the club. I believe that football progresses and that events occur during the game. You get opportunities, and they can be difficult to turn down. Although he will be disappointed, he understands what he has done for this club. It’s been nothing short of incredible to get them to this point. We’re all frustrated with this season.

“We all want it to be in the mix again for Europe, but for various reasons, it hasn’t happened. But he’s done brilliantly here. It’s a terrible situation, the way it happened, and the timing. You can’t get away from that, but I think he handled it brilliantly. I am confident that he will continue to do so until things change.
The verdict on Derek McInnes’s tenure at Kilmarnock

Sheerin believes he has improved Kilmarnock beyond what he found in the Championship. When asked if he wants him in the dugout on Sunday, the assistant coach replied, “I think, as I say, business as usual.” He is our manager. We want him to be front and centre, where he belongs. I believe he has handled this business extremely well. I think it’s a terrible situation for him, and the fixtures haven’t been kind to him since Hearts on the final day of the season. He has always stated that he wants to finish the season.

“He wanted to finish as strong as possible in terms of league positioning. Unfortunately, we can’t improve from where we are right now. But I believe he has been completely professional during his time at the club. He has made the club a better place. I believe we were both in the Scottish Championship when he arrived, and it is undoubtedly a better environment than when we arrived. If he has to leave and things go as expected, he can be proud of his efforts.”

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