As you’d expect from a time-served lawyer and a long-standing sporting greysuit, Hearts CEO Andrew McKinlay isn’t quite as bullish as major investor Tony Bloom in proclaiming the Tynecastle outfit as Scottish football’s disruptors-in-waiting.
‘It might not be this season, but I do think we could win the league at some point,’ he admitted in an interview published on Saturday.
It’s no big statement. If anything, it’s a watered-down version of what Bloom said after buying a 29 per cent stake at the start of the campaign and confessing he’d be ‘very disappointed’ if the Tynecastle outfit didn’t lift the title within a decade.
The comments of McKinlay, whose track record should make him thankful Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics operation hasn’t got round to identifying chief executives yet, do raise a pertinent question, though.
Why shouldn’t Hearts finish top of the Premiership this term? Bloom has already expressed his view that they have ‘a very good chance of at least being second. And there’s no question a pretty unique window of opportunity exists right now — even if it is coming inconveniently early in the revolution playing out in Gorgie.
First up, there’s only one team to beat. Rangers are a shambles under dead duck head coach Russell Martin, sporting a squad that beggars belief given the money invested in it.
Craig Halkett celebrates putting Hearts 3-0 up on Falkirk as they moved to the top of the table
Lawrence Shankland was also on target against Falkirk and will be a key man this season
Hearts investor Tony Bloom’s prediction of good times to come looks more promising than ever
They’re out of the title race after five games. If you think that’s premature, ask yourself this. Can they be fancied to go to Livingston today and win? Yes, exactly. The voice in your head right now tells you everything you need to know.
That, then, leaves Celtic. On paper, the title race should be a procession. They’ve got the dough, the wage bill, the ability to invest in January if the race for the flag is still tight.
Their problem is that they also have a manager in Brendan Rodgers likely to bail out in the summer, someone inside the club briefing against him, a failed recruitment set-up and a series of protests in the planning against a boardroom the fanbase hates.
A crisis in the making? Perhaps. A solid foundation upon which to construct a season of dominance? Definitely not.
Celtic are there to be got at. And Hearts, currently top of the standings, must see that ahead of getting them to Tynecastle at the end of next month.
Of course, everyone sees reasons from history to pooh-pooh talk of a Tynie title. Aberdeen’s recent collapse is one. They flew out of the traps last term, unbeaten in 16, and are still in the process of falling off the edge of the cliff.
Hearts’ 2-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox underlined their credentials to mount a challenge
No one’s won a championship outside of the Old Firm since 1985, so we keep being reminded. Hearts came agonisingly close in ’86, but couldn’t get over the line. And McKinlay fears having players with little experience of getting over that line and winning silverware might prove to be a factor in the short term.
This is all worth mentioning, but so is the fact that Hearts have shown in living memory that it is possible to launch a bona-fide title challenge. They have shown it can be possible with the right mix of talent and the right mix of chaos within the country’s biggest two clubs along the M8.
Consider season 1997-98. Hearts had a cracking squad under a terrific manager in Jim Jefferies. Everyone remembers they won the Scottish Cup that year, but do they ever recall just what a fist they made of it in the title race too?
They were bang in the mix at the beginning of April. Having gone to Celtic Park and dug out a goalless draw at the end of March, they were just two points behind the Parkhead outfit and a point ahead of Rangers with 30 games played.
As it was, a home draw with Motherwell damaged momentum and was followed by an Edinburgh derby loss to Hibs that left the dream in tatters. But that dream was most definitely real.
For those of us who spent time in-camp with Jefferies and Co, the realisation slowly dawned on those players during that campaign that there was an opening to do something amazing.
Aberdeen’s title triumph in 1985 remains the last time a team outwith the Old Firm prevailed
Like now, the Old Firm didn’t have their problems to seek. At Rangers, Walter Smith was leaving and the whole place had just gone stale as a result of putting the pursuit of 10-In-A-Row ahead of continued progression.
Celtic had a good squad under Wim Jansen, but no lack of turbulence either. There was friction between dugout and directors’ box. Jansen didn’t quit at the end of the campaign, having guided the side to a last-day title triumph, for nothing.
These, of course, are different problems from the ones affecting the Old Firm right now. Hearts are in a different place too.
Back then, they had a really solid squad of guys built for the Scottish scene. Davie Weir, Neil McCann, Dave McPherson, Stevie Fulton, Colin Cameron, Stephane Adam. There was real quality in there. Stability and dependability.
Derek McInnes, on the other hand, is cobbling together a multinational squad on the hoof. He doesn’t even know his best XI yet. This is a head coach and a squad of players still developing relationships, understanding what works and what might work.
However, they have been finding ways to win despite that. In taking Rangers apart at Ibrox a couple of weeks ago, they put in their most cohesive performance by far. They’re getting better and will keep getting better.
Hearts won the Scottish Cup in 1998 but also ran the Old Firm close in the league
In McInnes, they also have a manager with the bit between his teeth. After leaving Aberdeen, he had to kickstart his career at Kilmarnock. That required courage and it’s why he deserves this opportunity.
At Pittodrie, he tended to downplay expectations. In his current guise, he looks more than willing to buy into the air of outward confidence exuded by Bloom and the concept of conceding control over recruitment to a proven data analytics model and those who know how to harness it.
Yes, he’s been quick to point out that Hearts are well away from where they need to be, but he’s not been shy of drumming up excitement either. He was almost slabbering at Livingston the other week when talking about what ‘Rolls Royce’ record signing Ageu — currently out injured — will bring to midfield.
Kazakhstan international Islam Chesnokov has also been signed on a pre-contract with McInnes stating that the wide man should hit the ground running as he is ahead of many other players signed ‘in terms of the levels and the experience’.
Jefferies constructed something really special at Hearts back in the day and there are clear signs of the snowball gathering pace at the club again. Maybe a visit from the old gaffer or a few of the Class of ’98 to talk about what it takes to shake up the old order might be worthwhile somewhere down the line this term.
When the Old Firm are wobbly and you can convince yourself you have what it takes to make their lives difficult, all sorts can happen.
Not even arch-gambler Bloom would argue that a Hearts title win is something to put the house on, but everyone at the club from McKinlay down needs to join him in dreaming big. Slim or otherwise, a chance exists here to do something incredible.
