Neil Lennon has had his say on the Premiership title race as Celtic try to steady themselves after another damaging result.
The defeat to Dundee United has left Celtic with work to do.
They now sit five points behind Hearts at the top, with little room left for error before the split.
There are two fixtures remaining before the league split. Every one of them carries weight.
Lennon, who knows exactly what this stage of the season demands, does not see it as done yet.
Speaking on Simon Donnelly and Jackie McNamara’s Not Another Football Podcast, he said:
“Celtic are going to have to dig in.
“They’ve never kicked on all season. They’ve been digging out results all season without playing well.
“The thing they’ve got to their advantage if they’ve got Rangers at home, and Hearts [post split].”
It is not exactly a ringing endorsement of how Celtic have performed.
The former manager’s point is clear. Results have been scraped rather than earned with authority, and that approach has caught up with them at the worst time.
There is still a path back into it, but it relies on finding a level they have not consistently shown.
Next up is another trip to Dundee, this time to face Stephen Pressley’s side.
Given what just happened at Tannadice, there will be no sense of comfort in the fixture.
Celtic have already shown they can come unstuck away from home when the intensity drops even slightly.
Anything less than a win only deepens the hole.
At this stage, it is not about performances looking good.
It is about turning up, doing the job, and putting pressure back on Hearts before the split locks things into place.
Drop points again and the conversation changes quickly.
