Hearts’ Historic Title Challenge and the Pressure on Rangers
As Hearts manager Claudio Braga spoke about the possibility of his team winning a historic title, he described it as a “beautiful story” that could be enjoyed “around the world.” However, for many in Scotland, particularly supporters of Hibernian and Rangers, this scenario is far from a celebration. For Hibernian fans, the thought of their Edinburgh rivals winning a first league title since 1960 is akin to “doomsday on Easter Road.” Yet, the emotional impact might be even greater for those in Glasgow.
Rangers supporters would likely feel a deep sense of regret if they fail to capitalize on Celtic’s struggles and end up losing the title to either their Old Firm rivals or the unexpected challengers, Hearts. This season has seen Rangers invest heavily, spending over £40 million across their last two transfer windows—ten times the amount spent by Hearts. Despite this, their performance has not matched their financial commitment.
Celtic have dominated Scottish football, winning 13 of the last 14 titles. However, with their rivals sacking two managers and Martin O’Neill returning for two caretaker spells, Rangers had an opportunity to seize the initiative. Instead, a defeat to Hearts on Monday night may have knocked them out of the title race, leaving them seven points behind with three games remaining.
“We like to play from a hunter position and now we want to hunt again,” said Danny Rohl ahead of the trip to Tynecastle, where Hearts have not lost all season. The challenge for Rangers is clear: they must overcome their recent struggles and perform consistently in high-stakes matches.
Rangers’ season has been marked by inconsistency. They were 13 points behind Hearts when Rohl took charge, but a resurgence during the winter pulled them closer. A comeback win against Hearts in February reduced the gap to just two points, giving hope that they could take the lead. However, the team quickly dropped points at Livingston and then blew a two-goal lead at home to Celtic.
The accusation against Rohl’s team is that they have failed to capitalize on key moments, missing chances when the opportunity was there. Even when Hearts slipped up at Kilmarnock and Livingston, and their lead was just one point, Rangers’ inconsistency came back to haunt them. After the Premiership split, they had a chance to go top before Hearts faced Hibs, but instead, they lost 3-2 at home to Motherwell.
McInnes still refers to Hearts as the “underdog” in the fight, but the reason they are leading is due to their ability to perform in big matches. They have already beaten both Rangers and Celtic twice this season. Another couple of victories against the Old Firm could break their stranglehold on the title for the first time since 1985.
Fittingly, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen, the last champions outside of Glasgow’s big two, were also the last team to beat Rangers and Celtic five times in a single campaign.
“We’re comfortable with where we are,” McInnes told Rangers legend Ally McCoist on TalkSport this week. “As the weeks go by, there’s more expectation and the pressure can build, but you would never really know. It’s all quite relaxed.”
Tynecastle may soon host its biggest game in a generation, with Celtic able to go level on points with Hearts with a victory against Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday. However, McInnes has seen his side rise to the occasion. “We’ve beaten Celtic twice, beaten Rangers twice, we’ve beaten Hibs three times – the bigger the game, the bigger the performances,” he said. “That’s built the resolve and the strength of mentality.”
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland referred to the arrival of Rangers as feeling like a cup final. He is not wrong in the sense that it would be down to a two-horse race if Rangers lose—though an away victory would put them back in the mix again. “All the players say we can win, we still have an opportunity,” Rohl said. “Now we need our results and a bit of help, but there is big, big belief.”
“I think every single one of us would be remembered forever,” Braga said when the Portuguese dreamed of what Hearts could achieve. The reality is, Rangers won’t forget either. Except history would be haunting for them.
