Why Hearts' Landmark Title Tilt Isn't as a Shock.
JAMBOS BLAZING
Perhaps the sole surprising element of Hearts' triumph over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish top flight was just how surprised people seemed when reports of the result and its impact for the top of the standings emerged. Although this 3-1 win at their home ground, which leaves the Jambos top of the league and eight points ahead of Celtic, was seismic in scale, nobody who has been tracking the progress of both squad this season will have been even remotely astonished by the result.
Over the last four decades, the Glasgow duopoly of Celtic and Rangers have carved up the Scottish league between them, turning fitba to something of a joke in the process. Nine games into the present season it has become clear that Heart of Midlothian – who number Stephen Hendry, Olympic champion and renowned actor among their celebrity fans – might just be ready to make their move while the Old Firm iron is freezing cold.
CELTIC'S SLUMP
Although much of the focus in Scotland has been on the disastrous season being suffered by the Ibrox club, the complete turmoil of the situation at Ibrox has resulted in that the title holders' comparatively less severe decline has been allowed to fester below the radar. The defending title winners have so far dropped 10 points from nine league games this term under Brendan Rodgers. The Celtic manager has developed the distant look of a individual who can't stop consulting his Google calendar to see how many days are left until his deal ends, and awoke this day to discover the number is 246.
"No one has put in more effort in all my time here," he told the media following the defeat, after they had doubted his desire for any kind of a title fight. "So the motivation is there to attempt to reverse the standards that we're at. Everything is under control, there is plenty of time."
EDINBURGH DISRUPTOR
Given the horrific start to the campaign being endured by Rangers, the Celtic boss and his players could normally be anticipated to escape scrutiny for their own inability to roar out of the traps, but on this occasion an Edinburgh disruptor has entered the fray. In spite of being forced to function with a budget that isn't so much a tiny fraction of their rivals' as a comparative budgetary baw-hair, the Tynecastle outfit have introduced the investment and knowledge of a renowned businessman to the SPL mix. In addition to putting in £10m during the off-season, the Brighton owner has provided the club sole use of his top secret data-driven Jamestown Analytics player identification system.
In Oisin McEntee, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has allowed them to discover unpolished gems from an English lower-league side, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other lesser-known leagues, for the total price of a modest car. Seen at their home venue on Sunday sporting a club colours, the famously shrewd sports betting expert could be seen celebrating each score with the gusto of a person who had almost certainly noticed the bookies had greatly misjudged his side's chances of defeating the out-of-sorts champions, and filled his boots accordingly.
MANAGER'S REACTION
"In my opinion it's a message-sending victory," said bearded Hearts gaffer the head coach after his team's latest success, their eighth win in nine league matches. "It might be for others on the outside looking in. It could alter opinions. It might validate views that there's a fine line. But we must be realistic, we're really pleased with what the lads have provided us. Technically, we look in a good place, and certainly physically we look in a good place, so long may that continue. Of course, it's not a position that the team is used to being in." No, Derek, it is not. But the glorious, data-driven truth is that for the initial occasion in ages, Scottish football might genuinely have a championship battle that somebody other than the traditional powers can claim.