Sixteen points clear and all at Celtic are now just looking to the future.

Last night at Celtic Park, we moved 16 points clear at the top of the SPFL. Not bad at all—what a margin to boast this early in the campaign.

We’re now well past the stage where last season’s mid-season slump kicked in, and aside from the shocker at Paradise and the one at Ibrox, there’s no sign of such a dip happening this time around. Instead, we look like we’re motoring toward this title.

I enjoyed going over BBC Scotland’s online coverage in the aftermath of the game, mostly for the wrong reasons—it tried so desperately to frame it as a struggle when it clearly wasn’t. The real struggle was sitting there in the freezing cold at Celtic Park. Honestly, it was the coldest I’ve been at a game in ages!

But the football itself? Not a struggle in the slightest.

We played very well. Never in any danger, we scored two and could have had more. There were some excellent individual performances, including Maeda, Austin Trusty—who looks every bit a class act—and, of course, another Man of the Match outing for Arne Engels. Fully deserved again.

The fans were in fine voice, poking fun at Rodgers by running through the list of former heroes, including the managers. I was glad the boss took it in the spirit it was intended—a humorous wee pop at him. He had a good laugh about it post-match and praised the supporters to the hilt. It was a typical Rodgers masterclass.

The players are growing into their roles. You can see we’ve moved Arnie a little further up the pitch, and he’s developing the skills and instincts of an attacking midfielder. He took a few wild swings at goal last night—not many on target—but he’s getting into the right positions, and that’s half the battle. Rodgers clearly sees the potential there, and I think he’s right. With time, Engels could become a potent attacking midfield player.

His overall game is impressive—he reads the game well, works hard, tracks back, gets forward. He’s a high-intensity, all-energy type, and the more I see him, the more I like him. I’m disappointed we didn’t see him start at Ibrox. I’m not saying it would’ve changed the game, but it would certainly have added a different dynamic.

Unfortunately, there was no Nicolas Kuhn last night. He picked up a knock before the match, and we weren’t willing to take risks—rightly so. We don’t do the kind of madness you see across the city. I’ll touch on their bizarre antics later today but suffice it to say Clement’s conduct and his pre-match pressers are increasingly baffling.

Last night was all about us. We did what we had to do, and we did it well. The team played with much more intensity and quality than we showed at Tannadice. The tempo was right, the confidence was there, and it was a comfortable evening.

I was particularly pleased for Maeda, who bagged his 14th goal of the season. Hatate also deserves a mention—this is the second time in recent weeks he’s come off the bench to score. As I’ve said on the podcast, he’s a brilliant impact player. That goal will do wonders for his confidence, and what a goal it was!

Of course, this all comes down to horses for courses. In games where we’re pressed high, is he the guy you want? Maybe, maybe not. It’s not about disrespecting one player or another; it’s about having the right tools for the job.

That’s what my earlier piece about the longbow was about; you choose the best weapons for the battle you’re in.

We’ve got a lot of games coming up and will need every member of the squad. It’s as simple as that. We also need to blood some new signings, and the sooner those signings are made, the better. Brendan will already know who he wants, and we should move quickly to secure them.

In the meantime, we keep winning. That’s what we did last night, and that’s what we’ll keep doing. Next up is Ross County, then Dundee, both away, with three games crammed into six days.

Nobody at Celtic is complaining. We’ll just get on with the job and leave the moaning to others. But it’s tough, even with a squad like ours. That’s why we don’t take risks with players like Nicolas Kuhn on nights like last night.

The Bhoys out on the pitch got it done, and that’s what matters. Ibrox is in the rearview mirror. Everything now is about looking, and moving, forward.

Sixteen points clear, and the pressure is all on them.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

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