Why Hearts' Historic Title Tilt Isn't as a Shock.
JAMBOS BLAZING
Maybe the only unexpected aspect of Heart of Midlothian's victory over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish Premiership was the extent to which taken aback observers seemed when news of the result and its consequences for the summit of the standings emerged. While this convincing victory at Tynecastle, which puts the Edinburgh side leading of the league and a significant margin ahead of their rivals, was seismic in scale, no one who has been following the fortunes of both team this season will have been even remotely astonished by the final score.
For each of the past four decades, the dominance of two Glasgow clubs of Celtic and Rangers have carved up the Scottish football between them, reducing fitba to something of a joke in the meantime. Several matches into the current season it has become clear that Hearts – who number Stephen Hendry, Olympic champion and Ken Stott among their celebrity fans – could be ready to make their move while the Glasgow duo influence is at its weakest.
THE CHAMPIONS' SLUMP
Although much of the focus in Scotland has been on the absolute bin-fire being suffered by the Ibrox club, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at their stadium has meant that the title holders' comparatively less severe decline has been allowed to fester unnoticed. The defending title winners have already lost a considerable number from nine fixtures this season under Brendan Rodgers. The team's boss has developed the thousand-yard stare of a man who can't stop consulting his schedule to find out how many time are left until his deal expires, and woke up this day to learn the number is over two hundred.
"No one has put in more effort in my entire tenure here," he told reporters following the loss, after they had questioned his desire for anything resembling a championship battle. "Therefore the drive is there to try and flip the standards that we're at. It's absolutely fine, there is plenty of time."
NEW CHALLENGER
Given the horrific start to the campaign being endured by Rangers, Rodgers and his players could typically be expected to escape scrutiny for their own failure to roar out of the traps, but on this occasion an capital city challenger has joined the fray. Despite being obliged to operate with a budget that isn't so much a small portion of Celtic's as a minuscule amount in comparison, Hearts have introduced the investment and knowledge of a renowned businessman to the Scottish Premiership equation. In addition to putting in £10m during the off-season, the Brighton owner has provided the club exclusive use of his highly confidential analytics-based proprietary scouting player identification system.
In an Irish defender, Alexandros Kyziridis and a Brazilian prospect it has allowed them to discover hidden talents from an English lower-league side, the Slovakian top flight and the Norwegian second tier, among other exotic footballing outposts, for the combined cost of a mid-range family saloon. Seen at their home venue on Sunday sporting a Hearts scarf, the famously shrewd professional gambler could be observed cheering each score with the gusto of a person who had likely realized the oddsmakers had massively misjudged his side's chances of defeating the out-of-sorts champions, and filled his boots accordingly.
COACH'S RESPONSE
"In my opinion it's a statement win," said the facial-haired team manager Derek McInnes after his side's most recent success, their eighth in nine league matches. "Perhaps it is for those on the periphery. It could alter opinions. It might validate opinions that there's a tightrope. But we must be realistic, we're really pleased with what the lads have given us. In terms of skill, we look in a strong position, and definitely physically we look in a excellent shape, so we hope it persists. Of course, it's not a position that this club is used to being in." No, Derek, it is not. But the glorious, analytics-backed reality is that for the first time in ages, the Scottish game might actually have a title race that a team besides Celtic or Rangers can claim.