Celtic have dropped to second in the Scottish Premiership behind Rangers but Chris Sutton strongly believes that the title is not lost.
The Bhoys have seen a dramatic collapse in the title race in the past few months. They were leading by eight points but now trail by two points behind Rangers.
The BBC pundit wrote for the Daily Record that Rangers aren’t perfect but they have found momentum under their new manager Philippe Clement.
Celtic have loads of experience of winning titles in recent years, and Brendan Rodgers himself won trophies with this club in his first spell. But Celtic are going through a sticky patch and it will require a collective effort from everyone around the club to turn it around.
“Celtic simply cannot afford to be making any more mistakes at this stage of the season. Rangers aren’t perfect, yet Philippe Clement is getting a tune out of them,” wrote Sutton for the Daily Record.
“I keep hearing people say that Celtic still have an upper hand because they have players who have been over the course before, but the issue is the ones in the squad who now have not. As was shown against Kilmarnock last weekend, your senior boys can only do so much.
“It is not lost. Far from it. But it will take a unified effort and it is time to draw a line under what has gone before. That can, come May, give the the right and definitive title answer.”
Can Celtic win the Scottish Premiership this season?
Definitely. But it won’t be easy. Having squandered the lead and how it happened has coincided with Rangers getting better with every game gives the vibe that the momentum has shifted completely.
Celtic have a great record in Old Firm games in recent years, so those two games would be vital. If the Hoops can win those two games, they can wrestle back into the race and take control of their own destiny.
However, they are dropping points against other teams, at home and away, and that needs to stop. Sutton has rightly pointed out in his column that senior players at the club can only play their part, and they cannot carry the team forward throughout.
The signings made in the summer transfer window have been very poor and Celtic haven’t added depth to their squad enough in January. Unless other players step up and take responsibility, Celtic may find it really difficult to take the lead back.
