Rodgers said he had been given the keys to a Honda Civic<\/a>\u00a0after the defeat at Dens Park, and that he couldn\u2019t be expected to have it racing like a Ferrari.<\/p>\n But with performances not trending in the right direction, there are now serious questions over when the Hoops can discover form actually worthy of winning a league title.<\/p>\n Celtic<\/a>\u00a0play Hearts at Tynecastle this weekend \u2013 and\u00a0Chris Sutton<\/a>\u00a0has been discussing his thoughts on the title race in Scotland.<\/p>\n Chris Sutton on Hearts vs Celtic<\/p>\n Hearts may have a fraction of the Hoops\u2019 budget, but with the influence of Tony Bloom and Jamestown Analytics, they can narrow the gap with their data scouting.<\/p>\n But existing players have also been contributing to their fantastic form at the beginning of the campaign.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0Chris Sutton addresses rumours he\u2019s heard about Brendan Rodgers\u2019 Celtic future<\/a><\/p>\n A five-point gap at the top is impressive, but not insurmountable \u2013 the Hoops hero does however have his concerns over how the Hoops can claw things back.<\/p>\n Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live\u2019s\u00a0Monday Night Club,<\/a>\u00a0Sutton laid things out for the current state of play in Scotland, in pretty bleak fashion.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI think Hearts can win the title this year, I really do. Partly because of the way that they have recruited, partly because of the manager, partly because of their form.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd partly because of the way that Rangers and Celtic are playing at this moment in time. I don\u2019t really see a way out for Rangers and Celtic until January, because Hearts have got themselves into a handsome position.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re pretty clear at the top, they don\u2019t have European football to contend with as Rangers and Celtic do. So there\u2019s a lot of things pointing in Hearts\u2019 favour, and who knows whether Jamestown Analytics \u2013 they may well go again in the transfer market in January and bring a couple of gems in.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they recruited well in the summer, got a really impressive win at the weekend against Kilmarnock on a plastic pitch, they\u2019ve beaten Rangers at Ibrox this season, won the Edinburgh Derby.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are a well-balanced team. They play Celtic this weekend, and at this moment in time, I don\u2019t think there are many Celtic fans out there who think that the Celtic team are capable of beating them.\u201d<\/p>\n Are Hearts favourites to beat Celtic?<\/p>\n The Hoops have European action against Sturm Graz at Celtic Park on Thursday, and after a poor start to their\u00a0Europa League<\/a>\u00a0campaign, Rodgers\u2019 eyes will firmly be on that.<\/p>\n But the trip to Tynecastle after that will be a hugely fascinating encounter. It\u2019s too early in the season to be a title decider, but it\u2019s certainly a rare instance of many Hoops fans not seeing them as favourites in the league.<\/p>\n![\"Celtic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2186605681-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt \u2013 AMA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n