Celtic set for title race as former striker tells Brendan Rodgers to be wary of Hearts and Hibs

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Brendan Rodgers has won the league title in every season he has been at Celtic.

If you count the season in which Rodgers left for Leicester City in February, he has a record of five league titles out of five – with three trebles thrown in for good measure.

Coming into this season on the face of it, you would have expected this to continue. Given Russell Martin’s Rangers struggles, a mammoth points margin could well have been on the cards.

However, for some, it will not be this simple. Celtic fans have written to the club to complain about consistent transfer failings, as doubts about the board’s ambition continue.

Failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League didn’t help this, and after an unimpressive display in a goalless draw at Ibrox, talk of a title race has emerged.

Celtic aren’t miles ahead of anybody says Tam McManus

Celtic are already six points ahead of their neighbours after Martin’s poor start to life at Ibrox – but they’re only top of the overall table on goal difference, with Hearts also on ten points.

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For former Hibs striker Tam McManus, a title race is in the offing. Speaking on the PLZ Soccer Football Podcast, he warned that Celtic won’t be breezing away from anyone this season.

“I fancy Celtic to win the league – in the last four seasons since Covid, I’d had said Celtic at a canter every season at the start.

“I think it will be close this year. I don’t think that Celtic are miles ahead of Rangers – I don’t think they’re miles ahead of anybody. I think you’re going to get a real title race this season.

“I think Hearts and Hibs will have a big say in it as well. This season, you’re just looking for a Hearts or a Hibs to really go and put a consistent run together.”

It has been quite a long time since Celtic were seriously threatened by any non-Glasgow club late into a league season – Rodgers will be hoping to keep it that way.

Are Hearts and Hibs a genuine threat to Celtic?

The Parkhead boss has seen this movie before. Last season saw Aberdeen break records with a sensational start to life under Jimmy Thelin, staying neck-and-neck with Celtic into November.

It all unravelled fairly quickly, but could Hearts and Hibs be a different story this time around?

David Gray’s side have impressed in Europe, narrowly being eliminated from the Europa League by Midtjylland before being extremely competitive against Partizan Belgrade and Legia Warsaw.

Hearts are reaping the benefits of Jamestown Analytics’ recruitment drive, with Derek McInnes’ side winning points late on – but it would take an almighty effort from either to run Celtic close.

To run Rangers close could however be a much more achievable task, if things are not to improve across the city…