Why Hearts' Historic Title Tilt Isn't as a Surprise.
JAMBOS BLAZING
Perhaps the sole unexpected aspect of Heart of Midlothian's triumph over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish Premiership was the extent to which surprised people seemed when news of the result and its impact for the top of the table emerged. While this 3-1 win at their home ground, which leaves the Jambos top of the league and eight points clear of Celtic, was seismic in nature, no one who has been following the progress of both team this campaign will have been in the least shocked by the result.
Over the past 40 seasons, the dominance of two Glasgow clubs of the Old Firm have divided the Scottish football between them, turning fitba to almost a joke in the meantime. Nine games into the present season it has become apparent that Heart of Midlothian – who count Stephen Hendry, Olympic champion and renowned actor among their celebrity fans – might just be prepared to strike while the Glasgow duo iron is at its weakest.
THE CHAMPIONS' SLUMP
Although a lot of the attention in Scotland has been on the absolute bin-fire being suffered by the Ibrox club, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at their stadium has meant that the title holders' comparatively less severe decay has been able to fester unnoticed. The reigning champions have so far dropped 10 points from nine fixtures this season under Brendan Rodgers. The Celtic manager has developed the thousand-yard stare of a individual who constantly checking his Google calendar to find out how many days are remaining until his contract expires, and awoke this day to learn the number is 246.
"No one has put in more effort in all my time at the club," he told the media following the defeat, after they had doubted his desire for anything resembling a title fight. "So the motivation is present to try and flip the levels that we're at. Everything is under control, it's still so early."
NEW CHALLENGER
Considering the horrific start to the season being endured by Rangers, Rodgers and his players could normally be anticipated to get away with their own failure to roar out of the traps, but on this occasion an Edinburgh disruptor has entered the mix. In spite of being obliged to operate with a budget that is not just a tiny fraction of Celtic's as a comparative budgetary baw-hair, the Tynecastle outfit have introduced the money and expertise of Tony Bloom to the Scottish Premiership equation. As well as investing ten million pounds during the off-season, the Premier League figurehead has granted the club sole use of his top secret data-driven proprietary scouting player identification system.
In an Irish defender, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has allowed them to unearth unpolished gems from an English lower-league side, the Slovakian top flight and the Norwegian second tier, among other lesser-known leagues, for the combined cost of a modest car. Seen at Tynecastle on matchday sporting a club colours, the famously shrewd professional gambler could be seen celebrating each score with the enthusiasm of a person who had likely realized the bookies had massively underestimated his team's chances of beating the struggling title holders, and filled his boots as a result.
COACH'S REACTION
"In my opinion it's a message-sending victory," said bearded team manager the head coach after his side's most recent victory, their eighth win in nine outings. "Perhaps it is for those on the periphery. It could alter opinions. It might validate opinions that there's a tightrope. But we must be realistic, we are delighted with what the players have given us. In terms of skill, we look in a good place, and definitely in fitness we look in a excellent shape, so long may that continue. Of course, it's not a position that this club is accustomed to being in." No, Derek, it isn't. But the wonderful, analytics-backed reality is that for the initial occasion in many years, Scottish football might genuinely have a championship battle that somebody other than Celtic or Rangers can claim.