Celtic’s closest challengers for the title have, more often than not, been Rangers.
The Ibrox club have spent millions trying to catch Celtic since 2012 and have managed to win just one league title in all that time.
Celtic’s domination of Scottish football and Rangers has been relentless and it looks like this season, that is set to continue.
With nine points and nine league places separating Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership table, only Hearts are offering up a challenge at the start of the new season.
But can Derek McInnes’ side keep the challenge to Celtic going for the entirety of this season? The BBC Sportsound panel discusses.
BBC panel discuss Hearts challenging Celtic for the Scottish Premiership
After Hearts beat Rangers, the BBC panel on Sportsound discussed the possibility of the Tynecastle club challenging Celtic for the title when Kenny McIntyre appeared to press Rory Loy’s buttons with a simple question.
McIntyre asked on The Scottish Football Podcast, “Can Hearts separate or perhaps go even further, separate the big two this season?”
Rory Loy replied, “I think that question needs to be rephrased because I think it’s disrespectful. But Celtic will win the league, so can they finish above Rangers?
“I don’t think they will have enough over the course of a season.”
Clearly McIntyre’s tongue-in-cheek question about Hearts finishing between Celtic and Rangers and pushing the Ibrox club into third didn’t go down well with Loy.
BBC man says Hearts challenging Celtic is ‘a non-starter’
But the conversation continued as the debate moved on to how awful Rangers are at the moment and if Hearts could be Celtic’s main challenger.
McIntyre: “One word.”
Tom English: “I don’t know, they’re going brilliantly at the moment. Great start. It’s a long season. There’s no one word to answer to that question. It’s far more nuanced than that.
McIntyre: “From what we’ve seen, Rangers look awful. They’re a mess. Celtic are far from their vintage best. Hearts have invested well. They’ve got a top manager.”
Loy: “They [Rangers] were [a shambles] today. Steven Naismith said there, I think, longer term over the next four or five years, yes, that’s a discussion.
“I think it’s a non-starter to suggest Hearts could win the title and beat Celtic to it. I don’t think that will happen.”
Tony Bloom said at the start of the season that he believed Celtic can be challenged by Hearts but the investor probably didn’t think it would be so soon.
Whether or not a challenge can happen this season, remains to be seen but if Hearts can continue their current form, Rangers not Celtic, will have plenty to worry about this year.
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