That front two.

Funny how football works out sometimes. Proper homecoming buzz about this despite us never getting to see him at first team level when he and his academy peers were all breaking through. Could be an incredible "full circle" story if he helps us achieve what we want to this season.

Full Bloom: Hearts ride to the top off investment and analytics The Edinburgh side host Celtic on Sunday five points clear, boosted by the Brighton owner’s access to ‘the best dataset in the world’

Full Bloom: Hearts ride to the top off investment and analytics www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Great piece! Certainly exciting times ahead for Hearts fans, regardless of how Sunday and the rest of the season pan out.

Hearts could open an eight-point gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership this weekend if they defeat Celtic.

Backed by Tony Bloom’s analytics and clever player recruitment, @mattfurniss.bsky.social looks at how the Edinburgh club could change the landscape of Scottish football.

This was actually a four-game run though, as Cathro kept the same lineup in his first game away to Rangers.

Last time we did it in the top flight was between 26 Nov 2016 (a 3-0 win v Motherwell in the penultimate game of Neilson's first spell) and 3 Dec 2016 (a 2-2 draw v County with Daly/Kirk as caretakers).

Revised my earlier findings to @sked21.bsky.social's query about the last time we kept the same lineup three times in a row. Looks like it was the 2020-21 season between 6 March 2021 v Dundee and 20 March 2021 v Arbroath.

I missed that game so couldn't count it on a personal level. Even then, Humphrys' goal (as great as it was) was an opportunistic one that I'm not convinced he'd score again in similar circumstances. There was something so deliberate about Kyzi's yesterday that made it even better.

It may be recency bias at play, but I'm struggling to think of many Hearts goals I've seen at Tynecastle that would rank above Kyziridis' yesterday.

Strange feeling around that win yesterday. Considering Hearts wins at Ibrox are like hen's teeth, the elation should be off the charts. I never expect anything from that fixture. And yet this Rangers side is such a bin-fire just now that I would've been incredibly disappointed if we hadn't won.

🌎 🇨🇷 | In the wee small hours this morning, Kenneth Vargas opened the scoring for Costa Rica with a cool, composed finish less than a minute into their World Cup qualifier against Haiti. He also set up his side's second goal on the night. Hope yet for his Hearts career?

While I agree with the sentiment, Hanley's played three games for Hibs.

Good piece but at this stage, for Hearts fans, it's preaching to the converted. For those that still need this broken down (mostly fans and pundits not affiliated with Hearts) it's almost futile trying. They'll maintain wilful ignorance regardless. Best we can do is quietly go about our business.

If I had a pound for every time I saw a Scottish football pundit say something along the lines of "£10m won't be enough for Hearts to challenge the Old Firm", I'd probably have enough to match Tony Bloom's investment. We should welcome this widespread ignorance (wilful or otherwise) of Bloom's work.

They won't admit it openly, but deep down they know this has potential, that it's not some clueless crackpot like Romanov, and it's causing them concern. In public, they'll double down, dismiss it, mock it, wilfully misunderstand it, but it's nothing more than a coping mechanism.

Fair play! The fact that you've denied Hibs guaranteed Europe until December is absolutely hilarious from a Hearts fans' perspective. Never thought it would happen given how honking Aberdeen have been lately, but I'm all for it. 👏🏻

Shades of Rousset 1996 about Schmeichel's error today. Only difference is Rousset's mistake wasn't the main catalyst for the eventual defeat.

Quite strange seeing him on our side. Hopefully turns out to be a good fit.

As funny as it would be for Aberdeen to win the cup and deny Hibs guaranteed European group stage football, I fully expect Celtic to annihilate them. The 5-1 on Wednesday could end up looking like foreplay.

Deserves credit for stepping up when required but this is for the best. Despite a period away from the club, he was always part of that Levein "boot room" legacy that seemed to linger around every head coach appointment. First clean break we've had in a decade.

Watching that Aberdeen team slide to fifth place, I simply cannot overstate how galling it is to have not beaten them in four attempts this season. Thelin will be gone before the year is out.

I'd love Beni to be our captain next season but I also imagine any chance of holding onto Shankland would involve him keeping the armband.

Massive missed opportunity for a final day heel-turn from McInnes: steps into the home dugout, shakes everyone's hands, then plants a couple of chair shots on Kyle Vassell and Bobby Wales, before putting on a Hearts jacket and stepping into the away dugout; JR on the PA system damning him to hell.

I really hope so. It's certainly not like this board to act so swiftly.

Constantly refreshing YouTube hoping to see a live reaction video from @sked21.bsky.social and @craigcairns.bsky.social.

These players though: fuck me. None of them are blameless. Some of them have now seen off three managers. I sincerely hope this sacking has been done with Tony Bloom's impending involvement in mind and that everything - from board to playing staff - will be razed to the ground over the summer.

Right decision for me, though I'm genuinely surprised they've pulled the trigger at this stage. Nice enough guy who clearly cared, but there were far too many on-field red flags by the end. The thought of handing him a full summer was giving me Cathro-like dread all over again.

Footballer swinging his leg to kick a loose ball is now considered reckless. Dear Lord.