Celtic are in a position to enjoy a successful end to the campaign providing they can take a point from their last two Scottish Premiership matches.
Brendan Rodgers’ third victory in the Glasgow Derby this term last weekend put his side on the precipice of another league title; however, they still need to be professional and claim at least a draw to be officially crowned.
At the midway point of this term, it became apparent that league success wouldn’t be a procession, which Rodgers even eluded to himself after the Hoops’ disappointing 1-1 draw against Kilmarnock at Parkhead back in February.
He stated post-match: “There’s still a long way to go. And I’m sure it will to and fro between now and the very last game. I’ve said before it was never going to be a procession.”
Since then, Celtic have lost just one match in 12, pulling together some excellent form at a key stage of the year to hand themselves an advantage over Rangers.
Of course, discussion over the gap between the two sides has dominated the headlines, with the likes of Chris Sutton, Graeme Souness and Simon Jordan all chiming in with their own observations.
Nevertheless, the Bhoys will have tunnel vision honed in on the prospect of a domestic double, which won’t relent regardless of external public opinion.
Celtic’s summer reality compared to Rangers analysed
The gap between the Glasgow divide is a constant talking point north of the border, and managers aren’t excluded from the conversation despite their obligations of authority.
Intriguingly, Rangers boss Philippe Clement doesn’t believe there is a gap when both sides are at full strength, as he said yesterday when pressed on the subject via BBC Sport: “If we are both fully fit, no. You can also see that in the points. Even with two losses and a draw [against them] we’ve won one more point across the last six months. So no, there’s not a big gap.”
Speaking on PLZ Soccer, pundit Tam McManus has made some claims that are in stark contrast to the Belgian’s thoughts, claiming there is a ‘significant gap’ that could widen in the summer transfer window.
McManus stated: “I still think there is a significant gap. I get where he’s coming from; Celtic were full strength at the weekend; that was, in my opinion, their strongest team; Rangers were quite off their strongest team, so you’ve got to give him that.
“I think that Celtic this season, there’s a lot of improvement to come from that Celtic team and I think that Rangers in the summer, Lundstram will be away, Barasic will be away, Goldson could possibly be away, their goalkeeper could be away, Rangers have got a massive rebuilding job and I don’t know if they’ve got the money to go and put it up to Celtic again next season.
“I’m reading the social media already, Celtic fans saying ‘we’re getting all this money, its time to bury Rangers’, Celtic are not going to go and spend £20-30 million, they’re just not going to do it, even though they’ve got that money in the bank, it’s going to be a case of have Rangers got the money to try and get close to Celtic.
“Celtic will sign two or three quality players, in my opinion; I don’t think they’ll go nuts on transfer fees. Have Rangers got the money? Have they got the financial backing to go and sign five, six, seven quality players to get closer to Celtic? If they don’t do that, Celtic will win the league again next season.”
Celtic need to plan ahead regardless of this season’s outcome
Should Celtic finalise their automatic entry to the Champions League group stages this term by winning the league, there has to be a plan to thrive on the continental stage, which has proved a struggle over the last few seasons.
Recruitment has been patchy this campaign at Parkhead, with far too many signings being slightly too raw or a little inconsistent. However, everyone has played their part in leading the club to a commanding position.
Nevertheless, to compete efficiently in Europe, one requires backroom competence, a strong knowledge of markets where value for money is apparent, and a willingness to pay a premium for evident quality.
Will supporters see that? It is too soon to say, leaving it to Celtic chiefs to equip Rodgers with the tools for long-term success.