The Reasons Hearts' Landmark Championship Challenge Isn't as a Surprise.
HEARTS ON FIRE
Maybe the sole surprising aspect of Hearts' victory over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish Premiership was the extent to which surprised people appeared when news of the result and its impact for the summit of the table circulated. Although this convincing victory at their home ground, which puts the Jambos top of the league and eight points ahead of their rivals, was earth-shattering in nature, no one who has been following the progress of either team this campaign will have been even remotely astonished by the result.
For each of the past four decades, the dominance of two Glasgow clubs of the Old Firm have divided the Scottish league between them, turning fitba to almost a punchline in the meantime. Several matches into the current season it has become apparent that Heart of Midlothian – who count celebrated snooker player, Sir Chris Hoy and renowned actor among their famous supporters – could be prepared to strike while the Glasgow duo influence is freezing cold.
CELTIC'S SLUMP
Although much of the attention in the Scottish game has been on the disastrous season being suffered by Rangers, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at Ibrox has resulted in that the title holders' comparatively less severe decline has been allowed to worsen below the radar. The defending title winners have so far dropped a considerable number from their opening nine fixtures this season under their manager. The Celtic manager has acquired the thousand-yard stare of a individual who constantly consulting his Google calendar to see how many days are remaining until his deal ends, and awoke this morning to learn the number is over two hundred.
"I've never worked harder in my entire tenure here," he informed the media following the defeat, after they had doubted his appetite for any kind of a championship battle. "So the motivation is present to try and flip the levels that we're at. Everything is under control, it's still so early."
EDINBURGH DISRUPTOR
Given the dreadful beginning to the campaign being experienced by Rangers, Rodgers and his players could typically be expected to get away with their own inability to roar out of the traps, but this year an capital city challenger has joined the fray. In spite of being obliged to operate with a budget that isn't so much a tiny fraction of Celtic's as a minuscule amount in comparison, Hearts have added the money and knowledge of a renowned businessman to the SPL mix. In addition to investing ten million pounds during the off-season, the Premier League figurehead has provided the club sole use of his highly confidential data-driven proprietary scouting player identification system.
In Oisin McEntee, a Greek talent and a Brazilian prospect it has enabled them to discover unpolished gems from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other lesser-known leagues, for the combined cost of a mid-range family saloon. Seen at Tynecastle on Sunday sporting a club colours, the famously shrewd sports betting expert could be observed celebrating each score with the enthusiasm of a person who had almost certainly realized the bookies had massively underestimated his side's chances of defeating the out-of-sorts title holders, and filled his boots as a result.
MANAGER'S REACTION
"In my opinion it's a statement win," said the facial-haired team manager Derek McInnes after his side's most recent victory, their eighth in nine outings. "It might be for those 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 given us. In terms of skill, we look in a good place, and certainly in fitness we look in a good place, so long may that continue. Naturally, this is not a situation that the team is accustomed to being in." No, Derek, it isn't. But the glorious, analytics-backed truth is that for the first time in many years, Scottish football might genuinely have a championship battle that somebody besides the traditional powers can win.
