The Reasons Hearts' Landmark Title Tilt Shouldn't Come as a Surprise.
JAMBOS BLAZING
Maybe the only unexpected element of Heart of Midlothian's victory over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish top flight was the extent to which surprised observers appeared 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 Edinburgh side top of the table and eight points ahead of their rivals, was earth-shattering in scale, no one who has been following the progress of either team this season will have been in the least astonished by the final score.
For each of the past 40 seasons, the Glasgow duopoly of the Old Firm have carved up the Scottish league between them, turning the beautiful game to something of a punchline in the process. Nine games into the present season it has become apparent that Heart of Midlothian – who count Stephen Hendry, Olympic champion and renowned actor among their celebrity fans – could be prepared to make their move while the Glasgow duo influence is at its weakest.
CELTIC'S SLUMP
While much of the attention in Scotland has been on the absolute bin-fire being suffered by Rangers, the full-spectrum nightmare of the situation at Ibrox has resulted in that Celtic's comparatively less severe decline has been allowed to fester below the radar. The defending title winners have so far lost a considerable number from their opening nine fixtures this season under their manager. The team's boss has developed the thousand-yard stare of a man who constantly checking his Google calendar to see how many days are remaining until his contract ends, and woke up this morning to discover the answer is over two hundred.
"I've never worked harder in all my time here," he told reporters following the loss, after they had doubted his appetite for anything resembling a championship battle. "Therefore the drive is there to try and flip the standards that we're at. Everything is under control, it's still so early."
EDINBURGH DISRUPTOR
Considering the dreadful start to the season being experienced by the other Glasgow side, the Celtic boss and his players could normally be anticipated to escape scrutiny for their own failure to roar out of the traps, but this year an capital city challenger has joined the fray. In spite of being obliged to function with a budget that isn't so much a tiny fraction of their rivals' as a comparative budgetary baw-hair, Hearts have introduced the investment and expertise of Tony Bloom to the Scottish Premiership mix. As well as investing ten million pounds during the summer, the Premier League figurehead has provided the club exclusive use of his highly confidential data-driven Jamestown Analytics player identification system.
In Oisin McEntee, Alexandros Kyziridis and a Brazilian prospect it has allowed them to discover unpolished gems from an English lower-league side, the Slovakian top flight and the Norwegian second tier, among other exotic footballing outposts, for the total price of a modest car. Spotted at Tynecastle on matchday wearing a club colours, the notoriously astute sports betting expert could be seen cheering each goal with the enthusiasm of a man who had likely realized the bookies had greatly underestimated his team's chances of beating the struggling title holders, and placed large bets accordingly.
MANAGER'S RESPONSE
"I don't think it's a statement win," said bearded Hearts gaffer the head coach after his team's most recent success, their eighth in nine league matches. "It might be for others on the periphery. It might change perceptions. It may confirm views that there's a tightrope. But let's not kid ourselves, we are delighted with what the lads have provided us. In terms of skill, we look in a strong position, and definitely in fitness we look in a excellent shape, so long may that continue. Naturally, this is not a situation that this club is used to being in." No, the manager, it is not. But the wonderful, data-driven reality is that for the first time in many years, the Scottish game might genuinely have a championship battle that somebody other than Celtic or Rangers can claim.
