Jambos blow title race open
Could the Scottish Premiership have a Leicester City story on its hands?
After Hearts picked up their fifth win from five on Saturday after sneaking out of Fir Park with all three points, the maroon half of Edinburgh’s football supporters certainly think so. Lets set things straight early. There have only been five games so far this season. There are still 33 to go.
A five point lead can evaporate in the space of a week. So while the lead looks convincing at the moment, any realistic links to Leicester’s famous underdog story needs to be found elsewhere.
Firstly starting at the top - the manager.while I won’t directly compare Craig Levein to former Chelsea and Juventus great Claudio Ranieri, their team’s styles on the pitch are comparable.
Looking beyond the fact they have both managed the Foxes, for a start they are both pragmatic.they both put their trust in a blend of youth and experience, and they are both well respected by other managers.
Levein has had to work incredibly hard to repair his reputation after his woeful time trying to lead Scotland to the promised land of an international tournament.
But while his time leading the Dark Blues was a painful one for all involved, he got the job on the back of impressive work with Dundee United.
His youthful side saw a host of current Scotland internationals brought through, playing exciting football in the process.
He didn’t become a bad coach overnight, as his current stint with Hearts looks to be proving.
Hearts’ young crop include hotly-tipped teenagers Harry Cochrane, Anthony Mcdonald and Christopher Hamilton.
Thrust into the first team last season, Levein has added significantly to the squad – 18 signings so far since the summer – to allow him to now use his youngsters when he can, not because he has to.
He seems to have unearthed a few gems this time around. Peter Haring has been imperious in midfield, while Uche Ikpeazu is running riot through defences.
Kyle Lafferty’s move to Rangers looked like a big blow, but the real coup for Hearts was convincing Steven Naismith to return totynecastle over the summer.
The Norwich striker has been in blistering form, and almost every Hearts player has credited him with setting the standard during training. The same could not be said for self-professed joker Lafferty, whose presence often led the team to go more direct last season hoping for a miracle from him or Naismith.
This Hearts side is much more dynamic. It seems Levein has finally got his players in to play his style of football.
The addition of English Premier League defenders Demetri Mitchell (Man Utd) and Jimmy Dunne (Burnley) has shored up the defence in Christophe Berra’s absence, with John Souttar stepping up massively in the skipper’s absence.
Berra himself will be like a new signing when he returns in January.
Whether Hearts are still in the title race by then remains to be seen. But with Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen all stuttering in the early stages, the Scottish Premiership might have a genuine scrap for silverware this season.