Without a doubt, the Brendan Rodgers revolution is well underway at Celtic Park – and fans will be expecting big things from the defending Scottish Premiership champions in the coming months. As of September 29th, Celtic are sitting pretty at the top of the table; winning five of their opening six fixtures and it would take a brave man to back against Rodgers’ side on current form. After all, they have been so potent going forward.
Celtic’s 5-1 victory over arch-rivals Rangers sent out a clear statement of intent earlier this month – the title holders are determined to win the title once again. The Bhoys have been the dominant force in Scottish football for quite some time and Rangers have failed to inspire confidence in the title race this season. In fact, it looks like it is Celtic’s crown to lose unless Gers or Aberdeen can spring a major shock…
At the time of writing, Rodgers’ men are priced at 1/16 in the SPL betting odds. With the likes of Kris Commons, Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele in attack, Celtic could score a record number of goals in the Scottish Premiership this year. The Bhoys actually hold this particular record; with 105 strikes back in the 2003-04 campaign. If Celtic maintain their current form, there’s no reason why Rodgers’ side cannot be record-breakers on the big stage.
Let’s be honest, Celtic were always going to find it difficult in the Champions League this season. The Hoops were drawn in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach – and they struggled to inspire confidence in their opening fixture of the campaign; although they did manage to snatch a draw against Pep Guardiola’s City side. With back-to-back clashes with the Bundesliga outfit fast approaching, Celtic could build up confidence in Europe against their fellow strugglers…
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink backs Celtic to beat Borussia Monchengladbach third place: https://t.co/DHpdZYnF6P pic.twitter.com/F6SzWmJG8o
— Read Celtic (@ReadCeltic) September 15, 2016
However, the Scottish Premiership title HAS to remain Celtic’s number one priority this season. The Bhoys are on the verge of securing their sixth championship in a row as they close in on Rangers’ all-time record of 54 Scottish titles. It isn’t a formality but if Rodgers can continue to build momentum and belief at Celtic Park, they will take some beating. After all, Celtic are the strongest side on paper by some distance and they have the strength in depth to cruise to the title as long as they don’t get too complacent.
Defensively, the defending champions are prone to making the odd mistake or two – and the former Liverpool manager will try to eradicate any individual errors throughout the campaign. But, despite their obvious deficiencies and issues in defence, it is very difficult to back against Celtic right now. With no genuine threat to their dominance, Brendan Rodgers’ men look well placed to retain their title – and that is the main objective.