On Saturday Celtic finally sealed 8-in-a-row at Pittodrie and with it a fitting tribute to our dearly departed former captain and manager Billy McNeill and the scorer of our greatest ever goal in Stevie Chalmers.
God knows it feels like it’s been a long time coming.
Strangely considering the final result we started rather typically of late playing with a sort of malaise which has been par for the course more often than not under Neil Lennon in recent weeks as the team appeared to be going through the motions.
Despite coming in as huge underdogs and nursing a large casualty list – a point that clearly pressed on the home support who left six thousand seats empty – the Dons actually created a host of good chances and should have taken the lead in the first half when James Wilson – on loan from Manchester United – had an empty goal at his mercy after Scott Bain saved from Sam Cosgrove only to rattle it off the outside of the post when it seemed easier to score.
Considering they were shorn of the likes of Niall McGinn, Graeme Shinnie, Andrew Considine and Gary MacKay-Steven Aberdeen really were making a proper fist of it and a little bit of frustration was starting to set in when Mikel Lustig stooped to conquer and put us ahead after ghosting in at the back post with a diving header past Joe Lewis from a Callum McGregor delivery.
With only minutes to go before half time, we had conjured a lead from nowhere and that combined with the chances they had missed previously seemed to knock the stuffing well and truly out of Aberdeen.
The rest of the game was a pretty one-sided affair and any doubts about the final result ended when big Jozo Simunovic outjumped towering Dons defender Scott McKenna to bullet home a second goal eight minutes after the restart. It also had the novelty of being a goal scored from a corner which is a bit of a rarity for the men in Hoops.
With only two minutes to go before the full 90 were up Odsonne Edouard stroked home his 21st goal of the season from inside of the box and that was the icing on the cake.
Three goals, three points and an eighth consecutive league championship.
Since the turn of the year, we have had to endure the undoubtedly traumatic loss of Brendan Rodgers which was as sudden as it was unexpected. For many his temporary – for now – replacement Neil Lennon was viewed as underwhelming and the football has at times been equally so.
But what you can’t argue with is the stats and they are pretty impressive. Domestically since returning from the winter break, we’ve gone undefeated in 20 games with 17 wins, scoring 42 goals and conceding only three. Pretty sensational.
Of that sixteen have been league games with 13 wins and three draws and 13 clean sheets.
There’s no doubt the bedrock has been the tight defence we’ve kept with an increasingly solid partnership being formed between Simunovic and young Kristofer Ajer in the centre back positions as well as the emergence of keeper Bain as a very impressive number one.
We’ve always known big Jozo had talent – you could see that in his first season under Ronny Deila and again in spells in 2016/17 under Brendan – but inconsistency mainly as a result of injuries have hampered his progress and truth be told he looked ultimately destined for the exit door. Now he’s a first pick every week. And Ajer has also really won me over. His old school defending where he celebrates every successful tackle like he’s scored a goal is a throwback.
Initially, after the break, we were energised by the arrivals of Timothy Weah and Olly Burke with the pace and tenacity of two such young and highly touted talents appearing to resonate with the rest of the team and the fans. As time has passed and in particular with the arrival of Lennon both have played an increasingly diminishing role and both are unlikely to be back with us on loan next season. But their impact shouldn’t be forgotten. Stefan Benkovic who was magnificent in the first half of the season has also seen his opportunities reduced to the point of non-existent due to initially an injury but then ultimately the form of the aftermentioned Simunovic and Ajer. In fairness, he’s also a loanee and they’re not so it is understandable they would get preference.
The stats don’t lie and with 26 wins from 36 games, six draws and four defeats Celtic are SPFL Premiership Champions with two games to spare.
Now there is only two weeks until the Scottish Cup final and an opportunity to claim the historic ‘Treble Treble’.
Of course, there is the small business of a fourth and final domestic meeting with Rangers at Ibrox next Sunday.
Ultimately there will be nothing at stake for either club with Celtic now confirmed as Champions via an unassailable 84 points total and Rangers themselves have confirmed they will finish in second spot with a 75 points total so far this season leaving Aberdeen and Kilmarnock well behind to fight it out for third.
All three previous encounters have been tightly fought resulting in 1-0 and 2-1 home wins for us and a 1-0 defeat the last time we visited Govan just before New Year.
There’s no doubt that the light blues have improved under Steven Gerrard this term albeit only marginally. They are on a five-game winning run themselves in the league scoring twelve goals and only conceding one. Indeed they have suffered only one loss in their last 14 games which was of course to us back on the 31st of March at Celtic Park.
That day we dominated them for thirty minutes, took a deserved lead thanks to a superb goal from Edouard and even benefited from Alfredo Morelos’s perennial stupidity as they went down to ten men after about half an hour. It was all set up for us to thump them but instead, it was them who come back into the game, equalised and could have even gone ahead before a late winner from James Forrest.
Indeed the last time we visited Ibrox they were well-deserved victors and 1-0 probably flattered us in a game they dominated and could have scored more.
So basically put this will be a tough task and it might just come down to who’s more up for it which when you consider their home advantage – which really is a home advantage now via the minuscule away ticket allowance for these games which they have absurdly manufactured – plus the fact we have the title in the bag and will have one eye on the cup final could be them.
I remember them rolling into our patch to play us back in the ’90s when the roles were reversed and despite our generally inferior personel, we were still able to conjure up results which would prove to be more or less the highlights of our season. How things have changed.
Anyway, I guess that’ll take care of itself when it comes about.
Elsewhere Dundee finally bit the dust as they lost their tenth consecutive game and whimpered out 1-0 at home to fellow relegation battlers Hamilton Accies who appear on the brink of pulling off another great escape.
They really have been pathetic all season and Jim McIntyre probably wishes he’d stayed at home rather than take over the reins back in October.
St.Mirren are still in with a fighting chance of avoiding the playoffs via a battling 1-1 draw at Motherwell and Kilmarnock went into third spot ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference thanks to a late Stuart Findlay winner at Tynecastle against Hearts who continue to stagger to the end of the season. The result means the Ayrshire side have obtained a record points total in the top flight for the second campaign running and both have been under Steve Clarke who rightfully won the manager of the year award on Sunday evening.
Thanks to their meek performance in a 1-0 loss at Ibrox, Hibs lost their unbeaten league run under Paul Heckinbottom and with it any outside chance of obtaining a European place next season.
But it was all about the Celtic this past weekend as it has been for the past eight years and hopefully, as it will be for many years to come no matter who the manager is.
Like you, I’ve heard the Jose Mourinho rumours that have been flying about these past few days. Of course, it isn’t going to happen but just imagine it did? What a statement. What box office. What a sign of ambition on a continental level. Which is exactly why it won’t materialise.
But hey it’s okay to dream. Just remember to wake up and renew your season ticket afterwards.
....Always A Tim! 