John McGlynn tips Hearts to challenge Old Firm again with Tony Bloom's support and boardroom stability

Falkirk boss John McGlynn believes his former club Hearts are now primed for sustained success with the backing of Tony Bloom.

The 63-year-old was part of the Jambos’ backroom staff when they last finished in the top two in the Premiership in 2005/06 while madcap owner Vladimir Romanov was calling the shots.

With highly-regarded Brighton owner Bloom offering his expertise as a minority investor and things far more settled in the boardroom than they were two decades ago, McGlynn views the joint league leaders as a genuine force equipped to lay down a long-term challenge to Celtic and Rangers.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he said ahead of Falkirk’s visit to Tynecastle on Saturday. “Particularly the way they’re playing now and the position they’ve got in the league, it does take you a little bit back to the very start of the Romanov thing (in 2005).

“I think this is going to have much more longevity than that did. They seem to be on a very, very sound footing and have real back-up to what they’re doing.

“It’s been shown before in that Romanov era where they split the Old Firm and won the Scottish Cup that it’s doable.

“It won’t be easy and the Glasgow teams are not just going to roll over and let that happen. There’s maybe a little bit of none of the two of them being at their best, albeit Celtic are still domestically in a very, very good position, but I think there’s still an opportunity there.

“I was at Hearts’ first game of the season against Aberdeen at Tynecastle and you could feel the expectation and the excitement they had. Now being five games in and being (joint) top of the league, I can see there being the same kind of atmosphere when we go there on Saturday.”

Newly-promoted Falkirk have taken five points from their five matches and McGlynn, who had an eight-month spell as manager of Hearts in 2012/13, believes his side’s fightback to draw 2-2 at home to Hibernian on Tuesday shows they are adapting to the demands of the top flight.

“We’re only going to get better by experience, learning from each game,” said McGlynn, who has allowed 21-year-old striker Barney Stewart to join Dunfermline on loan until January. “I think we’ve been in all the games.

“We’re not going to have the amount of ball we had in League One or the Championship. We’re going to have to be able to play without the ball, and I thought we did that better on Tuesday than in other games.

“We’re definitely finding our feet.”