Why Hearts' Historic Title Tilt Shouldn't Come as a Surprise.
JAMBOS BLAZING
Perhaps the sole unexpected element of Heart of Midlothian's victory over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish Premiership was just how taken aback observers seemed when reports of the outcome and its consequences for the summit of the standings emerged. While this convincing victory at their home ground, which leaves the Jambos top of the league and eight points clear of their rivals, was earth-shattering in nature, nobody who has been tracking the fortunes of both team this campaign will have been even remotely shocked by the final score.
For each of the past four decades, the Glasgow duopoly of Celtic and Rangers have carved up the Scottish league between them, reducing fitba to something of a joke in the meantime. Several matches into the present season it has become apparent that Heart of Midlothian – who number celebrated snooker player, Olympic champion and renowned actor among their famous supporters – might just be ready to make their move while the Old Firm iron is at its weakest.
THE CHAMPIONS' DECLINE
While a lot of the focus in Scotland has been on the absolute bin-fire being suffered by Rangers, the full-spectrum nightmare of the situation at their stadium has resulted in that the title holders' comparatively less severe decay has been allowed to worsen below the radar. The defending title winners have already dropped a considerable number from their opening nine league games this season under their manager. The Celtic manager has acquired the distant look of a man who can't stop checking his Google calendar to find out how many days are remaining until his deal expires, and woke up this morning to discover the number is over two hundred.
"No one has put in more effort in my entire tenure here," he told the media following the defeat, after they had questioned his appetite for any kind of a championship battle. "So the motivation is there to try and reverse the standards that we're at. Everything is under control, there is plenty of time."
NEW CHALLENGER
Given the dreadful start to the season being endured by the other Glasgow side, Rodgers 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 forced to function with a war-chest that is not just a tiny fraction of Celtic's as a comparative budgetary baw-hair, the Tynecastle outfit have introduced the investment and expertise of Tony Bloom to the Scottish Premiership equation. In addition to investing ten million pounds during the summer, the Brighton owner has granted the club sole use of his top secret analytics-based proprietary scouting player identification system.
In an Irish defender, a Greek talent and a Brazilian prospect it has allowed them to unearth unpolished gems from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other lesser-known leagues, for the total price of a modest car. Spotted at Tynecastle on Sunday wearing a club colours, the notoriously astute sports betting expert could be seen cheering each goal with the gusto of a man who had almost certainly realized the bookies had greatly underestimated his team's chances of defeating the struggling champions, and filled his boots accordingly.
MANAGER'S RESPONSE
"I don't think it's a message-sending victory," said bearded team manager the head coach after his side's latest victory, their eighth win in nine league matches. "It might be for others on the outside looking in. It could alter opinions. It may confirm opinions that there's a tightrope. But let's not kid ourselves, we're really pleased with what the players have provided us. In terms of skill, we appear in a good place, and definitely physically we seem in a good place, so we hope it persists. Naturally, it's not a position that this club is accustomed to being in." Correct, Derek, it isn't. But the wonderful, data-driven truth is that for the initial occasion in many years, the Scottish game might genuinely have a title race that a team besides the traditional powers can win.
