Why Hearts' Landmark Title Tilt Shouldn't Come as a Shock.
HEARTS ON FIRE
Perhaps the only unexpected aspect of Hearts' triumph over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish top flight was just how surprised people seemed when reports of the outcome and its consequences for the top of the standings emerged. Although this convincing victory at their home ground, which leaves the Jambos top of the league and a significant margin ahead of Celtic, was earth-shattering in scale, nobody who has been following the fortunes of both team this season will have been even remotely shocked by the result.
For each of the last 40 seasons, the Glasgow duopoly of the Old Firm have divided the Scottish league between them, reducing the beautiful game to something of a punchline in the meantime. Several matches into the present campaign it has become apparent that Heart of Midlothian – who count Stephen Hendry, Olympic champion and Ken Stott among their celebrity fans – might just be prepared to strike while the Old Firm iron is freezing cold.
THE CHAMPIONS' DECLINE
Although a lot of the focus in the Scottish game has been on the disastrous season being endured by the Ibrox club, the complete turmoil of the situation at Ibrox has meant that Celtic's slightly less terminal decline has been able to fester unnoticed. The reigning champions have already dropped a considerable number from nine fixtures this season under their manager. The Celtic manager has acquired the distant look of a individual who can't stop consulting his schedule to find out how many days are left until his contract expires, and woke up this day to learn the answer is over two hundred.
"No one has put in more effort in all my time at the club," he told reporters following the defeat, after they had questioned his appetite for anything resembling a championship battle. "Therefore the drive is present to attempt to flip the levels that we're at. Everything is under control, it's still so early."
EDINBURGH DISRUPTOR
Considering the horrific start to the season being endured by the other Glasgow side, the Celtic boss and his players could typically be expected to get away with their own failure to roar out of the traps, but on this occasion an capital city challenger has entered the fray. Despite being obliged to operate with a war-chest that is not just a tiny fraction of their rivals' as a minuscule amount in comparison, the Tynecastle outfit have added the investment and expertise of a renowned businessman to the Scottish Premiership equation. As well as putting in ten million pounds during the summer, the Premier League figurehead has granted Hearts sole use of his highly confidential analytics-based Jamestown Analytics recruitment tool.
In an Irish defender, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has enabled them to discover hidden talents from an English lower-league side, the Slovak first division and the Norwegian second tier, among other lesser-known leagues, for the total price of a mid-range family saloon. Seen at their home venue on Sunday sporting a Hearts scarf, the notoriously astute professional gambler could be observed celebrating each goal with the enthusiasm of a person who had likely noticed the oddsmakers had massively misjudged his team's prospects of beating the out-of-sorts champions, and placed large bets as a result.
COACH'S REACTION
"In my opinion it's a statement win," said the facial-haired team manager Derek McInnes after his team's most recent victory, their eighth win in nine league matches. "It might be for others on the outside looking in. It might change perceptions. It may confirm views that there's a fine line. But we must be realistic, we're really pleased with what the lads have provided us. In terms of skill, we appear in a strong position, and certainly in fitness we look in a good place, so long may that continue. Of course, this is not a situation that the team is used to being in." Correct, Derek, it is not. But the wonderful, data-driven reality is that for the initial occasion in ages, Scottish football might genuinely have a title race that a team other than Celtic or Rangers can claim.
