CELTIC are on top of the league after thirteen games played in the SPFL. However, their advantage is only +3 goals at the moment.
Neil Lennon has rejuvenated a side which was badly needing resuscitating last season – another treble was won but it wasn’t vintage. Many will argue it doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you do – and they’d be right.
However, looking at the SPFL stats alone from last season – our form wouldn’t have been good enough to take on the challenge this time around.
Celtic have 34 points after 13 games; 11 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. What’s more, Celtic have scored 10 more goals this term and have conceded 1 less.
The Rangers have the exact same record and sit on 34 points also, although they have scored 2 less and conceded 1 more than the eight-in-a-row champions.
Last season, we struggled for results and performances and points, but it didn’t matter.
If you look at the table back then Celtic were two points clear of The Rangers BUT only had 29 points. The club were five points worse off with the Ibrox side seven points below what they have at this point last term.
Simply put, our poor form wasn’t sustainable and couldn’t bleed into this season, given the challenges.
Neil Lennon has reinvigorated his side to the point we’re flying on all cylinders.
The Rangers improvement is there, but Celtic’s improvement isn’t talked about enough.
The performances, the goals, the points being racked up home and abroad. It all points to a sharp increase in the way we go about winning games.
If you’re a Gers fan without the nonsensical bravado, you will be sitting on a weekly basis with your hands up in the air thinking what’s it going to take. The are getting results where they didn’t last term so far but so are Celtic.
Can you put that down to the challenge from Ibrox? It’s easy to become apathetic if you know the challenge isn’t really there and when you know you can have an off day and it won’t matter much – it’s easy to slip to a defeat.
Celtic know they have to keep winning and winning well and we’re seeing that in their performances right until the end of games.
There’s every chance Celtic play better than last season and don’t come away with all the spoils. However, the progress in Europe could be the biggest takeaway from the season when it’s all said and done.
