Bloom link-up 'potentially seismic' for Hearts

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your questions on Hearts.

Tennent asked: Do you think the rumoured Tony Bloom and Starlizard investment is going to pose a threat to the Old Firm?

Tom answered: I think this is potentially seismic for Hearts. I genuinely do. Because this Jamestown Analytics company are fascinating.

They're a bit mysterious. They're very secretive, but they're very successful. Any of the clubs that they go into, they improve them. No doubt about it.

And we're not just talking about Brighton here, that's their pin-up. They've done it in other clubs, smaller clubs, clubs of similar sizes to Hearts. And if they can identify players that make Hearts a better team, that can then be sold on for profit, that's potentially game changing.

I don't think it's game changing to the extent they're going to challenge Celtic, I think Celtic are in a different sphere financially, but they could get into the shake-up for second place and change the landscape in this country.

If this works out for Hearts and if they're seen to be buying in unheralded players who do well and then are sold on for profit, then everyone is going to want to get involved in analytics more than they already are.

Jamestown will only take on a limited number of clubs. Hearts are their club in Scotland, but there are other companies out there that are dealing with this. Maybe not as sophisticated or as successful as Jamestown, but there are other clubs doing this. I could think of a few clubs, maybe not far from Tynecastle, that could do with some help on recruitment.

It's not the future, it's the present. Every club in the Premier League down in England, they're pretty much involved in this to an extent. They can afford to be, they've got buckets of money. But I think every club in Scotland is going to have to engage in this.

This is why everyone is looking at Hearts and Jamestown and what happens here. They were involved in the selection of Neil Critchley, the new manager. So that's the first examination. And the next window in January, that would be the next examination of their worth.

It's a very interesting addition to the landscape up here. What are Hearts going to do? They're going to have to do something, because where they are at the moment is mortifying.