The Reasons Hearts' Landmark Title Tilt Isn't as a Surprise.
JAMBOS BLAZING
Perhaps the sole surprising element of Hearts' triumph over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish top flight was just how taken aback observers seemed when reports of the result and its consequences for the summit of the standings circulated. While this 3-1 win at their home ground, which leaves the Edinburgh side leading of the league and a significant margin clear of Celtic, was earth-shattering in nature, nobody who has been following the progress of either squad this campaign will have been even remotely shocked by the result.
Over the past four decades, the Glasgow duopoly of Celtic and Rangers have carved up the Scottish football between them, reducing the beautiful game to something of a joke in the process. Nine games into the present season it has become apparent that Hearts – who count celebrated snooker player, Sir Chris Hoy and renowned actor among their famous supporters – could be ready to strike while the Old Firm iron is at its weakest.
THE CHAMPIONS' SLUMP
While a lot of the attention in Scotland has been on the absolute bin-fire being suffered by Rangers, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at their stadium has meant that the title holders' slightly less terminal decline has been able to fester below the radar. The reigning champions have already lost 10 points from nine league games this season under their manager. The Celtic manager has acquired the distant look of a man who can't stop consulting his schedule to see how many time are remaining until his contract ends, and awoke this day to learn the answer is over two hundred.
"No one has put in more effort in my entire tenure at the club," he told the media following the loss, after they had doubted his desire for any kind of a title fight. "So the motivation is present to attempt to flip the levels that we're at. Everything is under control, there is plenty of time."
NEW CHALLENGER
Given the dreadful beginning to the campaign being experienced by Rangers, Rodgers and his players could normally be expected to get away with their own inability to start strongly, but this year an capital city challenger has joined the fray. Despite being obliged to function with a budget that isn't so much a small portion of Celtic's as a minuscule amount in comparison, the Tynecastle outfit have introduced the investment and knowledge of Tony Bloom to the SPL mix. In addition to putting in £10m during the summer, the Brighton owner has provided Hearts exclusive use of his highly confidential analytics-based proprietary scouting recruitment tool.
In Oisin McEntee, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has allowed them to discover unpolished gems from an English lower-league side, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other exotic footballing outposts, for the combined cost of a modest car. Seen at their home venue on Sunday wearing a Hearts scarf, the famously shrewd professional gambler could be observed cheering each goal with the enthusiasm of a person who had almost certainly realized the bookies had massively misjudged his side's chances of defeating the out-of-sorts champions, and filled his boots as a result.
COACH'S RESPONSE
"In my opinion it's a message-sending victory," said bearded Hearts gaffer the head coach after his team's latest success, their eighth win in nine outings. "It might be for those on the outside looking in. It might change opinions. It might validate opinions that there's a fine line. But we must be realistic, we are delighted with what the players have given us. In terms of skill, we appear in a strong position, and definitely physically we seem in a good place, so we hope it persists. Naturally, this is not a situation that this club is accustomed to being in." Correct, Derek, it isn't. But the wonderful, analytics-backed truth is that for the initial occasion in many years, the Scottish game might genuinely have a championship battle that somebody besides the traditional powers can win.
