🔗 Share this article Why Hearts' Historic Title Tilt Isn't as a Surprise. JAMBOS BLAZING Maybe the sole surprising aspect of Heart of Midlothian's triumph over the Glasgow giants in the Scottish top flight was just how surprised observers appeared when news of the result and its consequences for the summit of the standings emerged. While this convincing victory at their home ground, which puts the Edinburgh side leading of the league and a significant margin ahead of their rivals, was earth-shattering in scale, no one who has been tracking the progress of both squad this season will have been in the least shocked by the result. Over the last 40 seasons, the Glasgow duopoly of the Old Firm have carved up the Scottish football between them, turning the beautiful game to almost a joke in the process. Nine games into the current season it has become apparent that Hearts – who count celebrated snooker player, Olympic champion and renowned actor among their celebrity fans – might just be prepared to make their move while the Glasgow duo iron is at its weakest. THE CHAMPIONS' SLUMP While much of the focus in the Scottish game has been on the disastrous season being suffered by the Ibrox club, the complete turmoil of the circumstances at their stadium has resulted in that Celtic's slightly less terminal decline has been allowed to worsen below the radar. The defending title winners have already dropped a considerable number from their opening nine fixtures this season under Brendan Rodgers. The Celtic manager has developed the thousand-yard stare of a individual who can't stop consulting his Google calendar to find out how many days are remaining until his deal expires, and woke up this morning to learn the number is 246. "No one has put in more effort in all my time at the club," he told reporters following the defeat, after they had questioned his desire for anything resembling a championship battle. "So the motivation is present to attempt to reverse the standards that we're at. Everything is under control, it's still so early." NEW CHALLENGER Considering the dreadful start to the season being experienced by Rangers, the Celtic boss and his men could normally be anticipated to get away with their own inability to roar out of the traps, but this year an capital city challenger has joined the fray. Despite being obliged to function with a war-chest that isn't so much a small portion of Celtic's as a minuscule amount in comparison, the Tynecastle outfit have introduced the money and expertise of Tony Bloom to the SPL equation. In addition to investing £10m during the off-season, the Brighton owner has granted the club exclusive use of his highly confidential data-driven Jamestown Analytics recruitment tool. In an Irish defender, a Greek talent and Cláudio Braga it has allowed them to discover unpolished gems from Walsall, the Slovak first division and the Norway's second division, among other exotic footballing outposts, for the combined cost of a mid-range family saloon. Seen at their home venue on Sunday wearing a Hearts scarf, the notoriously astute professional gambler could be observed cheering each score with the enthusiasm of a man who had likely noticed the oddsmakers had massively misjudged his side's prospects of defeating the out-of-sorts title holders, and placed large bets accordingly. COACH'S REACTION "In my opinion it's a message-sending victory," said bearded team manager the head coach after his team's most recent success, their eighth win in nine outings. "Perhaps it is for those on the outside looking in. It might change opinions. It may confirm 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 seem in a good place, so long may that continue. Of course, it's not a position 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 ages, the Scottish game might genuinely have a title race that somebody other than the traditional powers can win.