Former Hearts sporting director Joe Savage believes Celtic will still have the edge in the Premiership run-in despite Hearts sitting top of the table.
The former Tynecastle sporting director has watched the noise grow around the champions after a slow start, but he isn’t buying the idea that Celtic are in trouble. For him, the story of the season has been shaped more by injuries than anything else.
Savage pointed to the long list of absentees that hit Celtic early and repeatedly. Key players missing for months disrupted rhythm, selection and stability, leaving the side looking far from their best. Even so, he expects that gap to close once the squad begins to heal and the younger players settle into bigger roles.
He also highlighted that only a few clubs in Europe can sustain the volume of setbacks Celtic have endured. But once the spine of the team is restored, he still sees the levels rising. There’s no panic in his assessment, just a belief that Celtic normally find their stride at the right moment.
With Hearts enjoying their best position in years, Savage knows how this looks from the outside. Still, he insists experience and history matter over a full season. That’s why he’s backing Celtic to climb back to the top.
He said: (RecordSport), “Injuries have clearly impacted on that, nobody knew Carter-Vickers, Johnston, Saracchi, Osmand and Iheanacho would be sidelined for lengthy spells.
“What people forget is that Celtic have won 13 of the last 14 league titles so it’s anything but a disaster zone.
“Once Celtic click it will be very hard for anyone to catch them, it’s just what Celtic do.
“Is the current Celtic side, with the players who are available at this time capable of winning the league, the answer is ‘yes’.”
Savage isn’t buying the story that Celtic are in real bother. He knows they’ve fallen short so far, but he puts most of that down to the injuries piling up. In his eyes, once the big players return, there’s more than enough quality in the squad to go on a run.
He’s seen it before. When Celtic click, they usually steam through games and rack up points quickly, and he reckons they’ve still got that in them. It’s the kind of run that will put real pressure on Hearts.
Hearts deserve credit for the start they’ve made, no question. But Savage is looking at what tends to happen over a full season, and Celtic usually come on strong when it matters. Keeping pace with that will be the real test for the team at the top.
For Savage, it comes down to trust in Celtic’s depth and know-how. Hearts might be leading the pack just now, but he still thinks Celtic have what it takes to haul them in before it’s all over.
