Celtic’s rivals will be “retreating” whilst we’re at Hampden. Good. It’s what losers do.

Before the split, Celtic are preparing for a Scottish Cup tie against St Mirren. In the absence of being still in the competition our title contenders have apparently come up with a different plan.

They are going on holiday.

Hearts and the club from Ibrox are reportedly considering warm weather training trips during the weekend where Celtic will still be involved in cup football. The Scottish media, naturally, thinks this is a splendid idea. A little retreat for the exhausted title challengers. A chance to regroup. Recharge. Reflect.

And perhaps that is exactly what they need.

After all, when you are not actually playing football matches that matter, you do have to find ways to fill the time. There are many useful activities available on these sorts of breaks.

The first activity available to title contenders on a warm weather retreat is reflection.

This is where everyone sits around the pool and discusses how things might have been different if a few small details had gone another way. In short, they are reflecting on the fact that they aren’t in the hunt for cup silverware. Or they may focus on the league season so far. Very relaxing, that.

For example, a manager might reflect on the importance of not blowing a double digit lead at the top of the table. Another might reflect on the value of not using three different tactical systems in six months.

These are the sorts of valuable lessons that can only really be absorbed while lying on a sun lounger with a cold drink.

Warm weather breaks are also excellent for team bonding.

This normally involves group activities designed to strengthen unity within the squad. Five a side football. Beach volleyball. Group therapy sessions about referees.

There is also the classic bonding exercise known as “collectively pretending we’re not here because we weren’t good enough to have important business to do at home.” Team bonding is important; I am not knocking it. There is a great picture out there which shows you team bonding at its best; Celtic players with their arms around one another watching the penalty shoot out whilst the Ibrox players stood or crouched in little groups.

I believe they call that “team bonding after the horse has bolted.”

Managers also get valuable time to refine their tactics.

There is nothing quite like a quiet afternoon beside the pool to think about important strategic questions.

Should we defend deeper or press higher? Should we sign six new players in the summer and pretend this season never happened because all the guys sat here at pool side clearly aren’t up to the job?

I always thought that you could spot a proper tactician easily; they aren’t the ones who think that every problem with a team can be solved spending money.

These discussions can continue late into the evening and are often accompanied by intense debates about who is really to blame for everything or whose round it is at the bar.

Another important part of the retreat involves preparing the post season narrative.

This is where everyone agrees on the official explanation for why the title challenge did not quite work out. Perhaps the squad was too thin or the injuries were decisive. Perhaps the schedule was unfair. (Doesn’t really apply to Hearts.) Perhaps the referees. (Doesn’t really apply to the club from Ibrox.)

These things must be carefully coordinated in advance so that the story told afterwards remains consistent. It would not do for different players giving different excuses. That would create confusion.

Of course the most important benefit of a warm weather break is perspective.

Football can be an emotional business. Losing points can be stressful. Watching rivals remain involved in trophies can be difficult. A few days in the sun allows everyone to step back and appreciate the bigger picture.

For example, a player might realise that second place is actually a very respectable achievement at a club projected to finish fourth. Another might discover that third place is simply part of a medium term project. Or at least until the next board meeting where they decide to dispatch yet another manager.

The managers themselves can find some. At Ibrox Rohl knows that there will be a nice fat severance payment at the end of his time there which will pay off the mortgage or send his kids to a better class of school. At Tynecastle the guy can gain a little perspective from recognising that even if things don’t work out there, there is a vacancy at Ibrox every eight or so months.

Perspective like that can be very calming.

Meanwhile, back In Scotland, while all of this relaxation is taking place, Celtic will be doing something much less relaxing. They will be playing football. Not great if you want to do is take a wee holiday to mask the fact that you weren’t good enough to make it this far in the cup but it will keep us focussed on the job at hand, which is where you need to be if you are going to win things.

It is still a more demanding schedule we’re in, and there are no beach loungers involved. But there is a trip to Hampden and the possibility of another, a gala day at the end of a campaign we hope ushers in a double.

Of course there is a deeper psychology behind these warm weather trips.

They tend to appear at very particular moments in the season. Usually when the title race has reached the stage where one or two contenders are beginning to suspect that it might not end the way they hoped.

At that point a retreat can be helpful. It creates the impression of preparation. It signals that the squad is regrouping by suggesting that something important is happening behind the scenes. But it screams “we have nothing more important to do.”

None of this means that warm weather breaks are inherently a bad idea. Many successful teams have used them. Recovery is important. Squad morale matters.

So yes, perhaps these retreats will prove useful. Although the word itself has several different meanings and connotations. One of those is to run off and hide. All well and good except Celtic will be waiting when they come back.

Reflection can be valuable. Bonding matters. Perspective is important.

But there is one activity that tends to be especially effective when it comes to winning football trophies.

Playing football matches.

Getting to the finals and semi finals so you set up the big event which ends in silverware, and that weekend only one of the supposed title contenders will actually be doing that. Celtic have a job to do.

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