We’re not far away now from one of the biggest derbies between Celtic and Rangers ever.
Neil Lennon has already said it could be the biggest he’s ever been a part of (The Herald).
With Celtic shooting for an unprecedented ten-in-a-row and our rivals out to stop it by any means possible, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The Bhoys need a win to put title pressure back on Steven Gerrard’s outfit. That’s the reality of the points gap that has already opened at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Lots of pundits have been weighing in ahead of the fixture and Michael Stewart is no exception.
The BBC man could be argued to be one of the few neutral voices on the Scottish scene when it comes to mainstream football opinion.
So what’s he had to say today?
He reckons Celtic have been scrambling for solutions to the Rangers problem, tactically, which isn’t ideal heading into such an important game.
However, the former Hearts and Hibs man believes that the Bhoys can really start to make the Ibrox side crack.
Writing in The Scottish Sun, he explains: “They’ll go into this game with a little more confidence because of the recent results they have had. But they’re also fully aware that Rangers are a very good outfit right now.
“I think Celtic will be a little nervous going into this one because this game matters so much. This is a high stakes poker match. If Celtic don’t come out on top the season is done. It’s finished.
“But if they do somehow manage to do a number on Gerrard’s men they’ll ramp up the pressure on them. That’s what Celtic need to try and do because at the moment Gers are on easy street.
“Lennon’s side’s only hope is if they can turn the pressure up and Rangers start to crack.”
Huge Celtic opportunity
Celtic fans have had to endure a pretty dire season so far. Europe was a bust. We went out of the League Cup. We’re miles behind in the league.
However, Stewart is right, today is a huge opportunity for the Bhoys. They have a chance to show everyone they are not on the verge of title knock-out quite yet.
Like The Undertaker in a grandiose professional wrestling match, they can sit up startled off the canvas with a victory at Ibrox.
It won’t be as neatly scripted as Wrestlemania. Celtic will have to fight for every inch today. But they can. And they must.
This lunchtime is when we find out whether recent promising form is a false dawn, or the real deal.
In other news, this is the Celtic starting XI we think should play against Rangers.
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