BY ANY sort of standards, this has been one bizarre season.
We can anticipate a blizzard of finger-pointing and responsibility-dodging as blame is apportioned when the dust settles on the 2025/26 campaign.
It’s been a difficult watch right from day one when the champions struggled to overcome St Mirren on Flag Day at Parkhead on August 3.
An 87th-minute deflected drive from substitute Luke McCowan got the job done, but it was hardly five-star entertainment with a lot of huffing and puffing from the hosts and precious little inspiration.
It was far too early in the crusade for red flags, but who among us would have believed the same Paisley side would deservedly beat the Hoops 3-1 in the Premier Sports League Cup Final at Hampden four months later?
And try explaining why it took the Hoops four games to score four goals against St Mirren before they stuffed four into their net in SIX minutes in the dazzling first part of extra-time in the 6-2 Scottish Cup semi-final win last month.
DEFEAT…Brendan Rodgers cuts a lonely figure at the end of Celtic’s dismal 2-0 loss to Dundee at Dens Park in October.
Celtic have lost a mind-numbing EIGHT Premiership games this time out – four courtesy of the wretched Wilfried Nancy – and yet are only four outings away from the possibility of sealing their fifth successive title.
In fact, you can throw in the Scottish Cup on May 23 – if, of course, there isn’t a stumble against old friend Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline in the showpiece occasion – and we could all be celebrating a league and Cup double.
Weird doesn’t cover it.
This has been a fairly disturbing experience for all of a Celtic persuasion. There’s no getting away from that unless you are a connoisseur of catastrophe.
I note that some people who should know better rate the team’s chances of the title between zilch and zero. That puzzles your humble scribe.
Celtic are three points adrift of Hearts with four games to go. Remember, too, the Edinburgh club have to play the final league game of the campaign in the east end of Glasgow on May 16.
Danny Rohl’s Ibrox side are also booked in for an appointment in Paradise a week today and at the moment they are one point behind Martin O’Neill’s side and four removed from the team they take on in Edinburgh tomorrow night when something has to give.
I could understand Celtic being written off if the opposition contained two super powers. By no stretch of the imagination could anyone describe Hearts and Rangers (or whatever moniker they want to call themselves) as sporting giants.
In truth, Celtic have made it far too comfortable for rivals this season. How can anyone explain two defeats from Dundee United at Tannadice?
DESPAIR…Wilfried Nancy heads for the dressing room after witnessing Celtic’s 2-1 flop to Dundee United at Tannadice in December.
How about the 2-0 reverse at Dens Park against a Dundee side that had been turned over 4-0 by Aberdeen in their previous encounter?
On that particular dark day, Brendan Rodgers fidgeted on the touchline as his slipshod side handed the hosts a two-goal interval advantage. Steven Pressley’s men were just 45 minutes away from their first success over the champions on Tayside in THIRTY-SEVEN years.
You and I and the family cat awaited the Hoops to race out for the second 45 minutes with sleeves rolled up, flaring nostrils and full heads of steam as they prepared to stage a stirring comeback.
We’re still waiting.
Mystifyingly, Celtic did not respond and lamely accepted defeat. It took Rodgers’ side almost an hour to get a shot on target that fateful afternoon and Kelechi Iheanacho’s effort was fairly easily dealt with by Jon McCracken.
Just over a week later – and another dire display in a 3-1 nosedive at Tynecastle – Rodgers vamoosed to sunnier climes. It was the second time in six years the Irishman had performed an unanticipated vanishing act. There won’t be a third occasion.
Martin O’Neill steadied the ship before we were introduced to Monsieur Nancy and a whirlwind of mayhem – six losses in eight games in 33 days – before he was booted into oblivion.
Upon reflection, you would have serious doubts about allowing the fumbling Frenchman to put out the cones at Lennoxtown never mind hand him the keys to the kingdom.
Four awful enactments earlier, the Celtic support had invited Nancy to take himself to a place you won’t find on any map as they were tortured during a second-half stupor at Tannadice as the visitors magically transformed a 1-0 half-time advantage into a 2-1 loss.
The misery continued in the 2-0 reverse at Motherwell when the Hoops players were serenaded by that delightful little ditty from the home fans that goes along the lines of ‘Oh, this is too f****** easy.’
They were witnessing their favourites coast to a first win over Celtic at Fir Park since April 2013 and decided to celebrate in song.
And, after more ups and downs than a game of snakes and ladders, here we are today, dear reader.
The next challenge is the midday meeting with Hibs at Easter Road this afternoon and anything can happen in the capital.
DEJECTION…Martin O’Neill frowns after Celtic’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice in March.
You can be sure Martin O’Neill has stressed the importance to his players of turning up today. Too often in this crazy crusade, the mindset of some underperformers has clearly not been quite up to expectations from operators in Celtic jerseys.
I repeat, the league and Cup double is still a possibility. Maybe not a probability according to many critics, but I think it is foolish to dismiss a team containing many individuals who have been over this course several times.
No matter what happens between now and the final curtain coming down at Hampden in 20 days’ time, there is much work to be done at Parkhead over the summer.
There will be a clear-out of players, no doubt about that. There can be no repeat of the Nancy nonsense and the club will look to appoint a new chairman. There may well be other changes in the boardroom.
The standard expected of a team that has dominated this country for a huge chunk of this century must be restored.
It’s preposterous to term a double-winning season as a failure, but, absurdly, in this curious campaign, that’s exactly what it will be for most part and triumphs amid the trauma should not disguise the many flaws that have surfaced.
Mind you, that’s the kind of failure that would be welcomed and embraced at Gorgie and Govan.
ALEX GORDON
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and best action images from Hibs v Celtic this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
IT’S THE BOOK DEAL OF THE YEAR! You can now own a copy of ‘Celtic 50 Flags Plus One’ AND ‘Celtic Treble Treble’ for only £9.95 plus postage. Two stunning Celtic publications and you can save a massive £20! Order now! Just click the image for details and your books will be on their way. Happy reading!
