Ally McCoist backs Hearts to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson and win Scottish title

The Edinburgh club – backed by Brighton’s Tony Bloom – are eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership seeking to become the first non-Glasgow winners since Aberdeen in 1985

Rangers legend Ally McCoist has backed Hearts to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson and become the first non-Glasgow team to win the Scottish title since 1985.

Tony Bloom invested £9.86m to buy 29% of the Edinburgh club with the aim to “disrupt” the dominance of the Old Firm.

And the Brighton owner was at Tynecastle on Sunday to see Derek McInnes’ side beat champions Celtic 3-1 and take an eight-point lead.

Jambos fans sang “we shall not be moved” and “only one Tony Bloom” during the statement win.

In the summer, Bloom claimed that Hearts could split the Old Firm this season and he would be disappointed if the title wasn’t won in ten years.

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Helped by his Jamestown Analytics company, the Gorgie Road club could achieve a Leicester-style miracle in this campaign season after finishing seventh last year.

Speaking on talkSPORT McCoist said: “It’s brilliantly refreshing, certainly for the neutral – of which I am not – but it would have to be a good thing for Scottish football.

“But you have to balance it out. Would it be a good thing for Scottish football? Yes. But what is it going to take for it to happen?

“The demise in the Old Firm squads is alarming. It has dropped off a cliff, it hasn’t fallen away. Hearts have been great and I don’t see them going away, but the demise in the quality of Rangers and Celtic is both alarming and staggering

Asked if Hearts will win the title, McCoist added: “Yes. Oh, what have I done – I’ve got to go back up the road!”

The feelgood factor for Hearts on and off the pitch – they have won eight out of nine – has been accompanied by the utter incompetence over at Celtic and Rangers.

After a disastrous transfer window and failing to reach the Champions League, Brendan Rodger’s side have won two in their last seven. Ange Postecoglou is now 6-4 favourite to return to Parkhead.

And Rangers have been even worse and Danny Rohl is the second manager of the campaign after the sacking of Russell Martin.

Since Fergie’s Aberdeen team won back-to-back titles in the mid-1980s, Celtic (22) and Rangers (18) have shared the last 40 titles.

Hearts won their fourth and last title in 1959-60. They have twice held early five-points leads this century under George Burley and Craig Levein while Aberdeen won their first 13 matches last season before finishing fifth.

But Hearts have the backing of Bloom and his analytical genius with the signings of Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis early successes. The Brighton boss’s system has already got Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise into the Champions League.

McInnes said he played to meet Bloom after the Celtic game but played down title expectations before Wednesday’s visit to St Mirren. With the Old Firm meeting in the League Cup semi-final on Sunday, Hearts could be 11 points clear on Saturday evening.

“I’m keeping a lid on it,” said the former Bristol City manager. “I think it’s a long, long way to go.”

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