The Reasons Hearts' Historic Title Tilt Shouldn't Come as a Surprise.
JAMBOS BLAZING
Perhaps the sole unexpected aspect of Hearts' victory over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish top flight was just how taken aback observers appeared when reports of the outcome and its consequences for the summit of the table emerged. Although this convincing victory at their home ground, which puts the Jambos leading of the league and eight points ahead of their rivals, was seismic in nature, nobody who has been tracking the progress of both team this campaign will have been in the least shocked by the final score.
Over the last 40 seasons, the Glasgow duopoly of Celtic and Rangers have divided the Scottish league between them, reducing the beautiful game to something of a joke in the process. Several matches into the current campaign it has become apparent that Hearts – who count celebrated snooker player, Sir Chris Hoy and renowned actor among their famous supporters – could be prepared to strike while the Old Firm iron is at its weakest.
THE CHAMPIONS' SLUMP
While a lot of the attention in the Scottish game has been on the absolute bin-fire being suffered by the Ibrox club, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at Ibrox has meant that Celtic's slightly less terminal decline has been allowed to fester below the radar. The reigning champions have already dropped 10 points from their opening nine fixtures this term under their manager. The team's boss has acquired the thousand-yard stare of a man who constantly consulting his Google calendar to see how many time are remaining until his deal expires, and awoke this day to learn the number is over two hundred.
"I've never worked harder in all my time here," he told the media following the defeat, after they had questioned his appetite for any kind of a title fight. "Therefore the drive is there to try and reverse the standards that we're at. It's absolutely fine, it's still so early."
NEW CHALLENGER
Given the horrific start to the season being experienced by the other Glasgow side, Rodgers and his players could normally be anticipated to escape scrutiny for their own inability to start strongly, but this year an Edinburgh disruptor has entered the fray. Despite being forced to operate with a budget that is not just a tiny fraction of Celtic's as a comparative budgetary baw-hair, Hearts have introduced the money and expertise of a renowned businessman to the SPL mix. As well as putting in ten million pounds during the summer, the Brighton owner has provided the club exclusive use of his highly confidential data-driven proprietary scouting recruitment tool.
In an Irish defender, a Greek talent and a Brazilian prospect it has enabled them to unearth hidden talents from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other exotic footballing outposts, for the total price of a mid-range family saloon. Spotted at Tynecastle on Sunday wearing a club colours, the famously shrewd professional gambler could be observed cheering each goal with the enthusiasm of a person who had likely noticed the bookies had greatly misjudged his team's prospects of defeating the out-of-sorts title holders, and placed large bets as a result.
MANAGER'S REACTION
"I don't think it's a statement win," said the facial-haired Hearts gaffer the head coach after his side's latest success, their eighth win in nine league matches. "It might be for those on the outside looking in. It might change perceptions. It may confirm views that there's a fine line. But let's not kid ourselves, we are delighted with what the lads have given us. Technically, we look in a good place, and certainly physically we seem in a good place, so we hope it persists. Of course, this is not a situation that the team is used to being in." No, the manager, it isn't. But the glorious, data-driven truth is that for the initial occasion in ages, the Scottish game might genuinely have a championship battle that somebody besides Celtic or Rangers can win.