Kris Boyd was not interested in going over the Scottish Premiership table after Celtic's 7-1 win over Hearts on Saturday evening, and his reaction said plenty about how quickly the weekend had changed the conversation at the top of the league.
Appearing on Sky Sports, the former Rangers striker was asked to assess the standings after Celtic's rout at Celtic Park, which left them four points clear of Rangers and eight ahead of Hearts. But Boyd immediately shut that line of discussion down, saying: "No, I will pass it over."
Boyd's blunt response
When Eilidh Barbour pressed him on the table, Boyd made it clear he did not want to dwell on it. He added: "Because it doesn't make good reading for me right now."
There was at least one upside from his point of view. Boyd noted: "Well, it does at the bottom - because Kilmarnock are off the bottom." But the broader picture was far less comfortable for Hearts, whose title challenge has taken a significant blow after being put to the sword by Celtic less than 24 hours after Derek McInnes' side had drawn 2-2 with Dundee at Dens Park.
Testing time for Hearts
Boyd said the defeat leaves Hearts entering a difficult spell, with the next few games likely to shape how quickly they recover from the setback. "It's testing time now for Hearts. They have a horrible game coming up on Thursday night in Europe going to Trabzonspor," he said.
He then pointed to the schedule that follows: "Then, they play Motherwell away and Rangers at home - then that huge semi-final [Premier Sports Cup, vs Hibs], and I bet that is one that can't come quick enough." Boyd also added: "That is one they will win, they always seem to do against Hibs."
The sense from his comments was straightforward. Hearts have been pushed hard before and know how quickly a promising challenge can be undermined, especially after a result like this one at Celtic Park. Boyd's final verdict reflected that reality: "It's a tough one for Hearts and they are just going to have to erase this [7-1 defeat to Celtic] from their memory and move forward."
For now, Celtic's emphatic win has widened the gap at the top, while Hearts are left to reset before a demanding run that starts away to Trabzonspor on Thursday night and continues into domestic and cup pressure straight after.
