In Edinburgh's Tynecastle Stadium, a city that has waited 65 years for this moment is holding its breath. Hearts FC stand on the precipice of footballing history — 76 points with three games remaining, and a chance to claim their first Scottish league title since 1960. If they pull it off, they won't just end a historic drought. They'll become the first club outside Rangers or Celtic to win Scottish football's top flight since 1985.

Manager Derek McInnes, who was named PFA Scotland Manager of the Year on Sunday, has heard the doubts about his squad's mentality. He's not having it. "You don't get to 76 points with three games to go if you've not got a good mentality," he said, noting the unique pressures that come with a club like Hearts. "There's an insistence on winning games here and an expectation, so the players have answered that time and time again."

The numbers back him up. Hearts have racked up five victories against the Old Firm this season — beating both Glasgow giants multiple times. They've won three of four derbies against rivals Hibernian, and they've been unbeaten at home. That's not a fluke. That's a mentality.

Despite the magnitude of what's at stake, McInnes insists the dressing room remains "pretty relaxed." But even he admits switching off is difficult. "Normally days off can be a chance to switch off, but with the greatest will in the world, it's hard to do that at the minute," he said. The next week will tell the tale: a trip to Motherwell on Saturday, then potentially clinching the title at home against Falkirk on Wednesday.

Hearts could have wrapped it up weeks ago. Instead, the title race has stretched to the final days, with Celtic lurking on the horizon. But McInnes has no patience for scoreboard-watching. "We can't get obsessed with all the different connotations and what happens there if we win that one and they win that one," he said. "The message to the players is just concentrate on trying to win against Motherwell."

McInnes was quick to share credit for the season's success, pointing to sporting director Graeme Jones and coaches Paul Sheeran and Alan Archibald. "I regard it as an award for everybody," he said.

For a city that has watched the Old Firm dominate for four decades, Hearts' charge toward the title feels like more than a football story. It's a reminder that dynasties can fall, that communities can rally, and that sometimes, the waiting is worth it.