Former Celtic manager Davie Hay wasn’t impressed with the result of the recent Glasgow derby. The Hoops slumped to a 2-1 loss in the game, and the man who won trophies as both player and manager with the club summed the display up in three-words – ‘a huge disappointment’.
“The Old Firm game was a huge disappointment for Celtic. There’s no other way to sum it up” he said, writing in his column in the Evening Times.
“Absolutely pivotal”

“There are a lot of games to play still of course, and there could be slip ups either way, but the way things are going I can see the two games remaining between Celtic and Rangers being absolutely pivotal” Hay said, as he looked at the nature of the title race at the midway point of the season.
Hay is correct about the nature of the game overall. The Hoops had a great chance to go clear at the top of the league, but failed to grasp it in a poor display. Now it is advantage Rangers, who have a game in hand.
Correct about importance of derby games to title race

Hay might also be correct about the remaining two derbies being key to the destination of the league title. The reason for that is that outwith games against each other this season, the teams have only lost one league game between them – Celtic’s 2-0 loss to Livingston.
Thankfully all is not lost for the Hoops in the title race. There is plenty of time to go on a run of good results. But the next league derby between the teams – on the 15th of March at Ibrox – could be key to deciding who wins the league title.
Davie Hay certainly seems to think it will be, and he should know, having spent years at the club as both a player and a manager with Celtic.
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