Ibrox – 08/03/2026

This was billed as Celtic’s event horizon. Four fixtures in 10 days, all away from home, all with their unique challenges, but ultimately a bridge too far for this brow-beaten, beleaguered and under resourced group of players.

After so much change, uncertainty and incompetence, this would be where the tumultuous season finally reached its premature conclusion. When the camel’s back finally broke.

Well, that’s not what happened.

It’s hard to tell whether this is the beginning of our resurgence; whether the team have the capability to be near perfect from here on out, or whether they will faulter, crash, burn and finish 3^rd. Yesterday and the last 10 days as a collective though, are pretty reassuring.

The pride restored in Stuttgart, the cohesive and slick second half at Ibrox last week, the Aberdeen result and then yesterday’s resilience, by what was tantamount to our second string; all lend themselves to optimism.

The hope now is that this calcifies the bonds within the squad. The heat endured over these 10 days, reduces the previous diluted stock to a more concentrated, richer version of itself going forward. O’Neill will know his team better now via the process of elimination. Some have stepped up and proved their worth, those who haven’t can now be discarded.

The dichotomy is now even more pronounced. This team isn’t up to much, yet the siege mentality is hardened; the results are still positive. Minus one blip at home to Hibs – with 10 men – O’Neill’s record is close to perfect. If it can be maintained until the end of the season, then it’s hard to envisage us not clinching the title. Maybe even a double.

Importantly, having just came through two months of relentless fixtures on multiple fronts, hot on the heels of each other, there is now a maximum of 11 games to be played until the end of the season. A far more manageable workload.

Game on.

The fall-out.

Dougie Donnelly on Sport scene was desperate to emphasise the twenty plus shots that Rangers had; failing to mention that Sinisalo only had two rudimentary saves to make during the whole 120 minutes of regulation time.

This is the sort of sympathetic commentary, usually attributed to the plucky underdog who eventually lost out to the bigger team. Rangers were all bark. Their team is built like the offensive line of an NFL side and their physical football, is aligned to that. All blood, thunder and gusto but with little nuance.

Celtic defended resolutely throughout and no one is fooled by the attempts to paint Rangers as the footballing antagonists; they clearly are not. Indeed, this perennially improving, coming soon version of Rangers means their failure is self-perpetuating. Rohl, and Ranger’s so-called resurgence is no great surprise considering where they started, but competence is a long way off comprehensive.

The parallels between the trajectory of them this season, and the one under Phillipe Clement are glaring. Good until they needed to be excellent, then nowhere.

The Celtic team they failed to beat on Sunday, was an ensemble of players you’ve never seen thrown together before and likely never will again. They stood up admirably and will live to fight better days – on the ball at least.

Sinisalo

Well, he’s certainly not finished. More just getting started. The 24-year-old has been a massive positive since coming into the side away to Stuttgart and continued to impress even further on Sunday. He appears quite the character, and has that measured eccentricity that is needed to play in such a unique, isolated position. He is also bursting with belief.

This is what this Celtic side has been crying out for now for 12 months. Not specifically ability or form, but a refreshing hunger bordering on a desperation to prove yourself. The underlying problem at Celtic, is a squad needing recycled and its average being brought down. It is time for new heroes.

The Finnish keeper is the poster boy for this newness. His earnest eagerness has seemed almost contagious. Running around barking orders, back-slapping and encouraging defenders, collecting the ball with the salivating enthusiasm of a labrador, has been a welcome departure from the physically declining and huffy demeanour of Kasper Schmeichel.

Time waits for no man.

Dane Murray.

I never really hang my hat on any young player. Their first few years are subject to change week to week. This can simply be down to their physique, mentality, and things out with their control, such as first team opportunity.

I have though – to my own ridicule in friendship circles – gone to bat for Murray on many occasions. After an extremely unfortunate injury history – and some monumental mistakes – it’s been great to see him perform so well in the last few, particularly testing games.

Many still advocate him going on loan, but that’s now 15 appearances this season at Celtic. A decent run out, especially when considering the games he’s played in. I can’t help but feel that this last 10 days, will be of a bigger benefit than a few run outs for one of the lesser teams in the SPFL.

In terms of a centre half, he looks like he’s been made in a lab and despite being built like a double wardrobe, is relatively quick for the position. He is also far more adept at progressing play than the other centre half candidates.

Mistakes will happen but he’s certainly not someone we should be giving up on anytime soon.

Reo Hatate.

We’ve constantly been frustrated by Hatate throughout his time at Celtic, whilst still being able to appreciate the technical aspects of his game. That robotic elegance and practiced improvisation can open games up, even in their most attritional state. He can casually give the ball away and then monopolise it to great effect. He is as capricious a player as I’ve ever known.

What was surprising yesterday was his – for want a better word – dig. Him and McCowan in central midfield looked like a couple of jockeys on Ozempic, when compared to their counterparts but Hatate gave as good as he got, snapping into tackles with a tenacity we’ve rarely seen from him.

The Japanese era at the club may be winding down but no one can accuse him of looking disinterested on Sunday. A fit and firing Hatate between now and the end of the season would be a massive help.

The aftermath.

There’s been some amount of pearl-clutching sanctimonious nonsense written in the aftermath of the game. As if the likes have never been witnessed.

It’s not even 12 months ago that an Aberdeen player was struck with a ripped-up seat on the head at Tannadice. The consequence of which could been grave.

There is however a difference when it happens in Glasgow. A certain type of sneering, insidious, classism that people are only too quick to indulge in.

The drama of the game set to the backdrop of a packed Ibrox and a full away allocation was enthralling. Celebrations spill onto the pitch every weekend, up and down the UK and all over the world. Masked fans charging the pitch is a policing issue though. Somethings shouldn’t happen and somethings shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

Araujo

Save your financial frugality and pragmatism for someone else. I’m not interested.

I’d be willing to take a part time job if it helped to pay for the mental Mexican. I actually got engaged on Friday night but if i was forced to wait another 48 hours, the proposal would have been to him.

It sounds reductive but that sort of rabid competitiveness and pure aggression he has displayed since joining, has been needed for a while now.

A very loveable rogue, and also good at football.