Ange Dismisses Any Talk That Celtic Are Champions, As He Should

In the aftermath of yesterday’s game, Ange Postecoglou went out of his way to dismiss any notion that the Ibrox draw makes us Champions. We, the fans, know that it will take a collapse of biblical proportions to deny us this title but the players and the boss have to treat every game as if it’s a cup final. That’s the one way to be absolutely sure.

Celtic are now unbeaten in thirteen league games since that stunning reversal in Paisley. The nine-point lead has been attained in 20 matches where eighteen have been won, one drawn and that particularly awful game was the one we lost.

That is the form of a team which can comfortably navigate what is left of this campaign without the sort of slipping up that would be required. I thought we might come out of Ibrox with 12 points of a lead before yesterday. At no point during that match, and I mean this, did I believe we would leave their ground with less than nine.

We’re just too good at those late goals, too determined not to throw this away. This team has a focus and determination that no other side in this league can match. That’s because we don’t get carried away or start thinking the business is done.

What Ange might say in public and what he thinks in private are undoubtedly two different things though. I am sure he knows that it will take a monumental breakdown at every level if we are to lose this now, and he’ll be aware that the true danger is if that sort of complacent thinking is allowed to put down roots in our dressing room, and grow.

This is not something that he will permit to happen. This is not something that Ange Postecoglou is going to allow. He and the captain must now redouble their efforts. We must put more, not less, into games as this season goes on. We must fight harder for every point, for every break of the ball, for every goal that we score.

If we keep on doing that we’re not going to be stopped. On the contrary, the league lead will grow, the goal difference will continue to expend and our superiority will become ever more obvious. That will tie the league title up to the extent that the Ibrox club’s visit to our ground in April a win there will virtually wrap it up and put a ribbon on it.

Yesterday was a massive day for us and that win was a massive result. We are in great shape now, with the window open and new signings strengthening an already powerful team. For all the honey being poured over Ibrox, we got what we needed from the game and as far as our title run is concerned its business as usual and onto the next fixture.

That’s what the boss will have everyone focussed on. The next date on the calendar, another big fixture, another must-win. It is how we built this formidable lead and it is how we will go about defending it and eventually adding to it.