‘Hoops’ internal problems can boost title dream’
EARLY Ladbrokes Premiership leaders Hearts can maintain their bid to land the Scottish title – due to internal strife at Celtic between manager Brendan Rodgers and the board.
That was the claim from former Tynecastle chairman George Foulkes today as he assessed whether the Edinburgh club could protect their five-point lead. The Labour peer was on the board at the Gorgie outfit at the beginning of the 2005/06 season when George Burley’s team went 12 matches undefeated.
He believes that Hearts, who have won their first five league matches of the 2018/19 campaign, are better placed to maintain their fine run of form due to their off-field stability.
And he also feels that Craig Levein’s men, who
beat Celtic 1-0 at home in their second league game, may benefit from behindthe-scenes tensions at Parkhead in the coming months.
“Everything needs to go in Hearts’ favour for us to win the league,” said Lord Foulkes.
“We need other clubs to trip up a bit and not be their usual powerful self. But that’s beginning to happen. Celtic have had internal problems between the manager and board and with certain players. Aberdeen have got off to a very poor start.
“Our great rivals Hibs have got a good manager and great potential, but they haven’t got off to a good start.
“Rangers are a danger because they are picking up.
“But not as much as they had hoped. All the other clubs have got issues which they need to deal with which might help us.”
Lord Foulkes, who still attends Hearts matches regularly, believes the capital club can emulate English giant-killers Leicester City in the coming months due to their main rivals’ problems.
The King Power Stadium club stunned football by winning the Premier League down south in 2016 as Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester City and Manchester United all underachieved.
He said: “People have said to me ‘you’re absolutely mad, there’s no way Hearts are going to win the league’.
“I have said: ‘Well, that’s what they said about Leicester’. It is an object lesson in how to surprise people.”