Celtic are now counting down the days before they are officially champions of Scotland for the 2024/25 Premiership season.
Despite the noise from Rangers before a ball was kicked and even the fast start by Aberdeen, nobody has been able to match Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Even with Celtic losing to Hibernian on Saturday lunchtime, they still increased their dominance at the top by goal difference after Rangers were beaten at home to St Mirren.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  CelticCeltic | 27 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 77 | 14 | 63 | 69 |
| 2 |  RangersRangers | 27 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 54 | 22 | 32 | 56 |
| 3 |  AberdeenAberdeen | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 35 | 39 | -4 | 41 |
| 4 |  Dundee UtdDundee Utd | 27 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 33 | 31 | 2 | 40 |
That has since cost Philippe Clement his Rangers job and Rodgers has seen off another man from the Ibrox dugout – that’s six over his two spells as Celtic manager.
It has all moved quickly because Rangers have brought in Barry Ferguson until the end of the campaign on an interim basis.
The former midfielder has had a lot to say about Celtic this season, including the fear Daizen Maeda brings to the table.
READ MORE: Celtic’s Brendan Rodgers told Rangers how it was months before Philippe Clement’s sacking
What Rangers’ new interim manager Barry Ferguson said about Celtic star Daizen Maeda
In less than a month – on March 16 – Rangers will travel across the city to take on Celtic in the Premiership.
Ferguson will be in the opposition dugout and there is one man he knows who will be a big problem because he has already spoken about the danger he brings to the table.
In September, Celtic thrashed Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League and Maeda got on the scoresheet.
At the time, Ferguson told Go Radio that the Japan star is someone who brings ‘panic’ to the opposition because of what he does without the ball and now he will have to face it.
“See when he is pressing defenders, he panics defenders into making mistakes,” said Ferguson.
“Defenders don’t like getting pressed. I am a big believer, in the successful teams I played in, it did start at the front. The front three were key to starting the press and he certainly does it. He’s a machine, no doubt about it.
“His end product could be better, but then you watch the game on Wednesday night, and his finish, was a good finish. It was a difficult finish. He tells you it’s in there. But, in terms of his work rate, it’s phenomenal.”
Maeda’s stats against Rangers
As the season nears its conclusion, you can start to confidently say that Maeda has perhaps been Celtic’s best player this season and the best performer in Scotland.
That includes scoring the penalty that helped the Hoops beat Rangers in the League Cup final in December, as his overall record against them is pretty impressive.
And after that one-off abject showing from Celtic at Ibrox last time out, you know everyone in Celtic colours will be eager to put it right.
It will be even better to see Ferguson on the end of a defeat as Rangers manager and Rodgers humiliating another Gers man.
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