Scottish Championship: What to Expect from Hearts in Their Matchup with Rangers

Football league seasons can be long and gruelling affairs. Hearts, however, have shown little sign of flagging upon entering their critical Scottish Championship top-of-the-table clash with Rangers at Tynecastle this Saturday (kick-off is at 12:45 p.m. local time). 

After 13 matches, the Jambos sit proudly atop the league table on 35 points. Rangers are right behind them in second place—albeit with a six-point disadvantage.

Prior to last weekend, Hearts held a four-point lead but, following Rangers' unexpected 1-1 draw at home to Alloa and Hearts' 2-1 away victory against Falkirk, the gap between the two was extended, making tomorrow's meeting all the more crucial.

The opportunity is clearly present for Hearts to further embolden their control at the summit of the Scottish Championship—possibly even swinging the title race in their favour once and for all—by beating Rangers in front of a fervent home crowd on Saturday afternoon.

Despite such high stakes, Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has maintained an assuredly calm stance ahead of the game. Speaking in a press conference this morning, Neilson stated:

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"I don't think we're under any pressure. It's up to Rangers to decide if they are or not. I don't know what they think. We don't look at it as a pressure game for us. It's a great game. We look at it optimistically, that we can go into it, perform and hopefully get the three points."

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Neilson's confidence is symptomatic of a season in which Hearts have confounded expectation levels following a year of turbulence on and off the pitch.

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With a squad full of home-grown youth players (such as Billy King) mixed with Scottish Premier League drop-outs like Morgaro Gomis, the Edinburgh club have asserted themselves upon almost everyone they have played this season, matching aesthetically pleasing football with the ability to grind out results.

This combination was evident from the very first day of the campaign, when Hearts travelled to face Rangers at Ibrox. On territory where most Scottish clubs tend to flounder, Hearts played without fear, taking the lead before recovering from an injury-time equaliser to win the game at the last gasp. 

Ibrox was deathly quiet—bar a small gathering of Hearts supporters—following that late defeat, but that isn't the only game in which Hearts have delivered a fatal last-minute blow upon a rival this season.

On October 26, Hearts trailed their loathed neighbours Hibs 1-0 going into the final seconds. With little hope remaining, centre-half Alim Ozturk unleashed a shot from the gods—a 40-yard thunderbolt that caught the wind and swirled over Hibs goalkeeper Mark Oxley, hitting the underside of the bar on its way in.

In asking what to expect from Hearts this weekend it may seem cliche to suggest "the unexpected," but based on the moments they have tended to produce in key matches this season, it seems perfectly appropriate.

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Rangers, meanwhile, have dropped points in surprising fashion. Also, lingering off-field uncertainties—including near-disastrous financial issues, per the BBC's Chris McLaughlin and Richard Wilson, and a protracted conflict regarding the ownership of the club—are hardly conducive to strong on-pitch performances, even if manager Ally McCoist has urged his players by saying, "the only thing[s] they should concentrate on are the things they can affect."

Hearts, however, have already navigated the best part of that long, dark tunnel. Their financial woes have been alleviated by Ann Budge's purchase of the club earlier this year, and victory this weekend will move them even closer to seeing the light of Scottish Premier League football next season.