The Reasons Hearts' Historic Title Tilt Isn't as a Surprise.
HEARTS ON FIRE
Maybe the only unexpected element of Hearts' triumph over Celtic in the Scottish Premiership was the extent to which taken aback observers seemed when reports of the result and its consequences for the top of the table circulated. While this convincing victory at Tynecastle, which puts the Edinburgh side leading of the league and a significant margin ahead of Celtic, was seismic in scale, no one who has been tracking the fortunes of both team this season will have been even remotely shocked by the result.
For each of the last four decades, the Glasgow duopoly of the Old Firm have carved up the Scottish league between them, reducing fitba to something of a punchline in the meantime. Several matches into the current campaign it has become apparent that Hearts – who number celebrated snooker player, Sir Chris Hoy and Ken Stott among their celebrity fans – might just be prepared to make their move while the Glasgow duo influence is at its weakest.
THE CHAMPIONS' SLUMP
While much of the focus in the Scottish game has been on the disastrous season being endured by Rangers, the full-spectrum nightmare of the situation at their stadium has resulted in that Celtic's comparatively less severe decline has been able to worsen unnoticed. The reigning champions have already dropped a considerable number from nine league games this season under their manager. The Celtic manager has acquired the distant look of a man who constantly consulting his Google calendar to find out how many days are left until his deal ends, and woke up this morning to learn the number is over two hundred.
"I've never worked harder in all my time at the club," he informed reporters following the defeat, after they had doubted his desire for anything resembling a championship battle. "So the motivation is there to attempt to reverse the standards that we're at. It's absolutely fine, there is plenty of time."
NEW CHALLENGER
Considering the horrific start to the campaign being endured by the other Glasgow side, Rodgers and his players could normally be expected to escape scrutiny for their own failure to start strongly, but on this occasion an capital city challenger has entered the mix. Despite being obliged to operate with a war-chest that isn't so much a small portion of their rivals' as a minuscule amount in comparison, Hearts have introduced the investment and expertise of a renowned businessman to the SPL mix. In addition to investing ten million pounds during the off-season, the Premier League figurehead has granted Hearts exclusive use of his top secret data-driven proprietary scouting recruitment tool.
In Oisin McEntee, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has enabled them to unearth unpolished gems from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norwegian second tier, among other lesser-known leagues, for the combined cost of a mid-range family saloon. Spotted at their home venue on matchday wearing a club colours, the famously shrewd professional gambler could be observed celebrating each score with the gusto of a person who had likely realized the oddsmakers had massively underestimated his side's prospects of beating the struggling title holders, and placed large bets accordingly.
MANAGER'S REACTION
"I don't think it's a message-sending victory," said bearded Hearts gaffer the head coach after his team's most recent victory, their eighth win in nine outings. "It might be for those on the periphery. It could alter opinions. It might validate opinions that there's a tightrope. But let's not kid ourselves, we're really pleased with what the lads have given us. In terms of skill, we appear in a strong position, and definitely in fitness we seem in a excellent shape, so we hope it persists. Naturally, this is not a situation that this club is accustomed to being in." No, the manager, it is not. But the glorious, data-driven truth is that for the first time in ages, the Scottish game might genuinely have a title race that somebody besides the traditional powers can claim.
