It is impossible to pinpoint just one single reason for Celtic’s inconsistency this season and use it as the definitive excuse for why another team might become champions of Scotland.
But in recent weeks, Martin O’Neill’s side have started to pick up, win games and deal with the immense pressure of the post-split fixtures.
Liam Scales has been at the heart of Celtic’s revival and one last push to claim Premiership title number 56.
One interesting thing he noted was Celtic’s ‘pressing’ and how everyone in green and white colours has been ‘a lot better’ without the ball in recent times.
“We have got things right tactically,” said Scales. “I think off the ball, we have been a lot better. I think pressing, we have been a lot better. We have actually scored goals from pressing. Teams are having less joy against us with the ball.
“So, I think that has played a big part.”
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Celtic’s off-the-ball work and pressing has changed
It is also no surprise that, during this period, Daizen Maeda has scored in three consecutive games as a centre-forward, and he is the pressing machine.
The biggest problem area for Celtic this season has been the striker department. You defend from the front, and now that formula has been found, the wins are coming in thick and fast.
That’s probably the biggest reason behind the Hoops’ change in fortune, because if Maeda had found this form a lot earlier, then perhaps things would have been very different a lot quicker.
Either way, from Scales’ perspective, he has been blessed to have lifted numerous trophies as a Celtic player.
Let’s be honest, many of them, like the domestic double win under Brendan Rodgers last season, have been comfortable.
But because of everything that has unfolded this campaign, Scales told Celtic TV that a title win this season will feel ‘a little bit sweeter.’
“We have got things right tactically,” said Scales. “I think off the ball, we have been a lot better. I think pressing, we have been a lot better. We have actually scored goals from pressing. Teams are having less joy against us with the ball.
“So, I think that has played a big part. I think it’s obviously crunch time now as well. We know what’s at stake. That’s probably pushing us an extra bit harder to get the results we need.
“It would be amazing (to win the league). It would probably be a little bit sweeter because I feel like there have been times where we have gone through tough spells and bad results. It would probably be that little sweeter to win it this year, because of that.
“We have been able to show that we can bounce back from bad results and bad spells. And sort of noise outside of what is going on the pitch. That sort of thing. We just need to take every game one by one, and try to win them all.”
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