🔗 Share this article

HEARTS ON FIRE

Perhaps the only unexpected aspect of Hearts' victory over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish Premiership was the extent to which surprised observers seemed when news of the result and its consequences for the top of the standings circulated. While this 3-1 win at their home ground, which puts the Jambos top of the league and a significant margin ahead of their rivals, was earth-shattering in nature, no one who has been tracking the progress of both squad this campaign will have been even remotely shocked by the final score.

Over the past four decades, the Glasgow duopoly of the Old Firm have divided the Scottish league between them, reducing the beautiful game to something of a punchline in the process. Several matches into the present campaign it has become clear that Heart of Midlothian – who number celebrated snooker player, Sir Chris Hoy and Ken Stott among their famous supporters – might just be prepared to make their move while the Old Firm iron is at its weakest.

THE CHAMPIONS' DECLINE

While much of the attention in the Scottish game has been on the absolute bin-fire being suffered by the Ibrox club, the full-spectrum nightmare of the circumstances at their stadium has meant that the title holders' comparatively less severe decline has been allowed to fester below the radar. The reigning champions have so far dropped 10 points from nine fixtures this season under their manager. The Celtic manager has acquired the distant look of a man who constantly checking his Google calendar to find out how many days are left until his contract expires, and awoke this morning to learn the answer is 246.

"No one has put in more effort in all my time here," he informed reporters following the loss, after they had questioned his appetite for any kind of a championship battle. "So the motivation is present to attempt to flip the levels that we're at. It's absolutely fine, there is plenty of time."

NEW CHALLENGER

Considering the horrific start to the campaign being experienced by the other Glasgow side, Rodgers and his men could typically be expected to escape scrutiny for their own failure to start strongly, but on this occasion an Edinburgh disruptor has joined the fray. In spite of being forced to operate with a war-chest that isn't so much a tiny fraction of Celtic's as a comparative budgetary baw-hair, the Tynecastle outfit have added the investment and expertise of Tony Bloom to the Scottish Premiership equation. As well as putting in £10m during the off-season, the Premier League figurehead has granted the club sole use of his highly confidential data-driven proprietary scouting recruitment tool.

In an Irish defender, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has enabled them to unearth hidden talents from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other lesser-known leagues, for the combined cost of a modest car. Seen at Tynecastle on Sunday sporting a club colours, the notoriously astute sports betting expert could be seen cheering each goal with the gusto of a person who had likely noticed the bookies had massively misjudged his side's chances of defeating the struggling title holders, and placed large bets accordingly.

COACH'S REACTION

"I don't think it's a message-sending victory," said bearded team manager the head coach after his side's most recent success, their eighth in nine outings. "It might be for others on the outside looking in. It could alter opinions. It may confirm views that there's a tightrope. But we must be realistic, we're really pleased with what the players have provided us. Technically, we appear in a strong position, and certainly in fitness we look in a excellent shape, so long may that continue. Of course, it's not a position that this club is used to being in." Correct, the manager, it isn't. But the glorious, data-driven reality is that for the first time in many years, the Scottish game might genuinely have a title race that a team besides the traditional powers can win.