The Reasons Hearts' Historic Championship Challenge Isn't as a Shock.

HEARTS ON FIRE

Maybe the only unexpected element of Hearts' victory over Celtic in the Scottish top flight was just how taken aback observers appeared when news of the result and its consequences for the top of the standings circulated. Although this convincing victory at Tynecastle, which leaves the Edinburgh side top of the league and a significant margin clear of Celtic, was seismic in nature, no one who has been tracking the fortunes of both squad this campaign will have been in the least astonished by the final score.

For each of the last 40 seasons, the dominance of two Glasgow clubs of the Old Firm have divided the Scottish football between them, reducing fitba to something of a punchline in the meantime. Several matches into the present campaign it has become apparent that Heart of Midlothian – who count Stephen Hendry, Sir Chris Hoy and renowned actor among their celebrity fans – might just be ready to make their move while the Old Firm iron is at its weakest.

CELTIC'S SLUMP

While a lot of the focus in Scotland has been on the disastrous season being endured by the Ibrox club, the full-spectrum nightmare of the situation at their stadium has meant that Celtic's slightly less terminal decline has been allowed to fester unnoticed. The defending title winners have already lost 10 points from nine league games this season under their manager. The team's boss has acquired the thousand-yard stare of a man who constantly checking his schedule to find out how many days are left until his deal ends, and woke up this morning to discover the number is over two hundred.

"No one has put in more effort in all my time at the club," he told reporters following the defeat, after they had doubted his desire 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."

NEW CHALLENGER

Considering the horrific start to the campaign being experienced by the other Glasgow side, Rodgers and his men could normally be expected to get away with their own failure to roar out of the traps, but this year an capital city challenger has entered the mix. Despite 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 knowledge of Tony Bloom to the Scottish Premiership mix. In addition to putting in ten million pounds during the off-season, the Brighton owner has provided Hearts sole use of his top secret data-driven Jamestown Analytics recruitment tool.

In an Irish defender, Alexandros Kyziridis and a Brazilian prospect it has allowed them to unearth hidden talents from Walsall, 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 matchday sporting a Hearts scarf, the notoriously astute professional gambler could be seen cheering each score with the enthusiasm of a man who had likely noticed the oddsmakers had greatly misjudged his side's chances of defeating the struggling champions, and filled his boots accordingly.

COACH'S RESPONSE

"In my opinion it's a message-sending victory," said bearded Hearts gaffer the head coach after his team's most recent success, their eighth win in nine outings. "It might be for those on the periphery. It might change perceptions. It might validate views that there's a tightrope. But we must be realistic, we're really pleased with what the lads have provided us. Technically, we look in a strong position, and certainly in fitness we look in a good place, so long may that continue. Of course, this is not a situation that the team is used to being in." No, Derek, it is not. But the wonderful, analytics-backed truth is that for the initial occasion in ages, Scottish football might actually have a championship battle that a team other than the traditional powers can claim.