Why Hearts' Historic Championship Challenge Isn't as a Surprise.
HEARTS ON FIRE
Maybe the only unexpected element of Hearts' triumph over Celtic in the Scottish Premiership was just how taken aback people seemed when news of the outcome and its impact for the summit of the table circulated. While this 3-1 win at Tynecastle, which puts the Jambos top of the table and a significant margin clear of their rivals, was seismic in scale, no one who has been tracking the progress of both team this season will have been in the least astonished by the result.
For each of the past four decades, the Glasgow duopoly of Celtic and Rangers have carved up the Scottish league between them, turning fitba to almost a punchline in the process. Nine games into the current season it has become apparent that Hearts – who count Stephen Hendry, Olympic champion and Ken Stott among their famous supporters – might just be prepared to strike while the Old Firm iron is freezing cold.
CELTIC'S DECLINE
Although much of the attention in the Scottish game has been on the disastrous season being suffered by Rangers, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at Ibrox has meant that Celtic's comparatively less severe decline has been able to fester below the radar. The reigning champions have so far lost 10 points from nine fixtures this season under Brendan Rodgers. The team's boss has acquired the distant look of a man who constantly consulting his schedule to find out how many time are remaining until his deal ends, and awoke this day to discover the number is over two hundred.
"I've never worked harder in all my time here," he informed reporters following the defeat, after they had doubted his desire for anything resembling a title fight. "So the motivation is there to try and reverse the levels that we're at. Everything is under control, it's still so early."
NEW CHALLENGER
Considering the dreadful start to the season being endured by Rangers, the Celtic boss and his players could typically be expected to get away with their own failure to start strongly, but on this occasion an Edinburgh disruptor has joined the mix. In spite of being obliged to function with a budget that is not just a small portion of their rivals' as a minuscule amount in comparison, the Tynecastle outfit have introduced the investment and knowledge of Tony Bloom to the SPL equation. As well as putting in £10m during the summer, the Premier League figurehead has provided Hearts 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 enabled them to unearth unpolished gems from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other exotic footballing outposts, for the total price of a modest car. Spotted at Tynecastle on matchday sporting a Hearts scarf, the famously shrewd sports betting expert could be observed celebrating each goal with the gusto of a person who had almost certainly realized the bookies had greatly misjudged his side's chances of defeating the out-of-sorts champions, and filled his boots accordingly.
COACH'S RESPONSE
"I don't think it's a statement win," said bearded Hearts gaffer Derek McInnes after his side's most recent success, their eighth win in nine league matches. "It might be for those on the periphery. It might change perceptions. It may confirm opinions that there's a tightrope. But we must be realistic, we're really pleased with what the players have provided us. In terms of skill, we look in a strong position, and certainly physically we seem in a good place, so we hope it persists. Naturally, this is not a situation that the team is used to being in." Correct, the manager, it isn't. But the wonderful, analytics-backed reality is that for the first time in many years, the Scottish game might actually have a championship battle that a team besides Celtic or Rangers can win.
