Should McInnes be in charge of Kilmarnock against Hearts?
Kilmarnock have won three of their four games since the Scottish Premiership split
- Published
It is not a situation many - if any - football managers will have ever been in.
On Sunday, Derek McInnes will manage Kilmarnock for, seemingly, the final time before his protracted move to Heart of Midlothian.
The team he will be managing against? Hearts.
His current employers against his future ones.
The 53-year-old is negotiating personal with the Tynecastle club and, all going smoothly, will take over once the season finishes.
Awkward? Certainly. Unprofessional? Up for debate.
McInnes nowhere to be seen post-match
Although McInnes met the media before Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Motherwell, it was assistant manager Paul Sheerin who faced the music post-match.
"The manager made his point in the press in the lead up, so we know his stance on the situation," Sheerin said. "That's the only reason I'm stood here.
"There's walks of life where you work your notice and nothing is really said about it. It's part and parcel of people's contracts.
"I understand their frustrations and there is an awkwardness about it. We can't get away from that, but I'm sure the manager will do his best for the club."
It was a united front from the Kilmarnock coaching staff - and, given Sheerin could be in line to McInnes in Gorgie, that is perhaps as expected - but it did not impress everyone.
"That's feeble," BBC Scotland chief sports writer Tom English said on Sportsound. "Front up. He's excusing himself of his managerial duties, of which post-match media is one.
"His team were poor tonight. Derek McInnes is the manager of Kilmarnock until the end of the season and he's put Paul Sheerin in that position to explain that.
"He was happy to talk pre-match and eulogise his team's recent record, a lot of wins. Now he's had a sore defeat and he's nowhere to be found.
"Why not front up? What's he afraid of">