Hearts continue to lead the Scottish Premiership, maintaining an unbeaten record that has propelled them to the top of the league standings. Under the stewardship of Derek McInnes, Hearts have reached an incredible 6-figure landmark. They’ve made their best start to a top-flight campaign since 2005/06, collecting 30 points from only 12 games. Despite this impressive performance, recent draws against Dundee United and others have raised concerns about the team’s form as they aim to secure their position ahead of rivals Celtic and Rangers.
The team are now seven points ahead of Celtic, who have since rediscovered momentum with new interim manager Martin O’Neill at the helm. Rangers are further behind, lying five points behind Celtic. With both Celtic and Rangers fully finding their form as the season’s midway point has approached, the Scottish Premiership title race has never been closer in recent memory.
Hearts’ Strong Start and Recent Challenges
Derek McInnes has felt a little conflicted – as we all are – by Hearts’ early season displays. While their team has yet to lose, they’ve recently drawn two out of three in league play. This has led to roof-raising frustrations among the squad. After a 1-1 draw at home to Dundee United, McInnes said that “a lack of quality” had cost them points.
“It actually feels as if we’ve lost a game in the dressing room, which is no bad thing,” – Derek McInnes
Even through these obstacles, McInnes is excited to see the team move in the right direction. He went on to note that it’s a big accomplishment to reach 30 points with only 12 games played.
“Draws should feel like defeats, particularly at Tynecastle. But listen, we’re in the second week in November, we’ve got to 30 points after 12 games,” – Derek McInnes
For one, he was willing to acknowledge the underperformance of his players. He said they had to recover and return to the normal state they’re in otherwise.
“Some of the players, some lads weren’t quite on point where they’ve been,” – Derek McInnes
Celtic and Rangers Finding Their Footing
Celtic, led by Martin O’Neill, are on the upswing, winning their last two matches in a row. O’Neill’s return to the touchline has breathed fresh life into the squad, giving them an attitude full of swagger that’s truly infectious. Those last few home games for the club provided a much-needed shot of momentum. Most particularly, that they are motivated to come back against Hearts.
“Great to win, great to score a few goals, and just a nice performance in terms of confidence building again,” – Martin O’Neill
Rangers have been much better since Danny Röhl replaced Michael Beale as their gaffer. Our winning team has now won three times in a row! Röhl has quite remarkably picked up nine points from his first three Premiership matches — a feat that took Russell Martin seven games to achieve.
“I’m happy, now I can recover a little bit after a busy schedule, but I must say I enjoyed the first three weeks. I see how big this club is, which potential we have and from this point we carry on,” – Danny Röhl
Röhl underscored that his squad has taken “positive strides” in the league. Like any team who lost their competitive edge, they’re equally intent on winning back their competitive edge.
“We spoke about the small steps, I think in the league we made good steps forward,” – Danny Röhl
Upcoming Fixtures and Implications for the Title Race
As the team settles into the new season, Hearts will play Aberdeen on Sept. 16, then Motherwell on Sept. 24. These fixtures will be key to them keep their grip atop the Supporters’ Shield table. At the same time, Celtic will be eager to build on their recent strong form and continue to close the distance between them and Hearts.
The prospects of the title race might change completely, depending on how these next matches play out. With both Celtic and Rangers finding their stride, the pressure mounts on Hearts to sustain their unbeaten streak while addressing any shortcomings evident in recent performances.
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