Celtic fans have witnessed their fair share of title races over the years and they are hardly a new phenomenon to contend with.
In recent years, the Bhoys have prevailed more often than not in this regard, winning the Scottish Premiership 11 times in the last 12 years.
However, success should never be taken for granted and Brendan Rodgers will know he has work to do in the coming months to ensure the league crown arrives at Parkhead.
Recently, Celtic have undergone a mini-revival that has yielded four consecutive victories in the Scottish top-flight.
Nevertheless, it has only just been over a month since the Hoops suffered back-to-back defeats against Kilmarnock and Heart of Midlothian, showing how quick things can change in a title race.
Right now, it remains to be seen whether Rodgers’ men will have their eight-point lead at the top of the table still intact by the time Ross County visit Parkhead on Saturday.
Hibernian take on Rangers at Easter Road this Wednesday, presenting an opportunity for the visitors to close the gap to five points if they emerge with all three points.
Neil Lennon says Celtic have a ‘hold’ over Rangers in title hunt
Neil Lennon is someone who has plenty of experience of winning the Scottish Premiership both as a player and a manager.
Speaking to PLZ Soccer, the 52-year-old has now called the mentality of Philippe Clement’s side into question and has indicated his belief that Celtic have a ‘hold’ on their arch-rivals.
He told the outlet: “They still haven’t got that mentality yet of squashing that hold that Celtic have over them and they need to break that if they’re going to win the league. And to do that they need to bring in either players of better quality or better mentality.”
Celtic have performed against Rangers this season
In a season of twists and turns, one theme that has stayed consistent is that Celtic have got the better of Rangers on both occasions the two have met.
At Ibrox in September, Kyogo Furuhashi volleyed past Jack Butland from the edge of the box to secure an excellent 1-0 victory for the Hoops against their fiercest rivals.
The lasting memory from that encounter is that a makeshift backline, including Liam Scales and Gustaf Lagerbielke, were able to keep a clean sheet in front of 50,000 home supporters.
Late last year, Celtic proved they are still the team to beat in Scotland after Paulo Bernardo and Furuhashi cancelled out James Tavernier’s consolation to record a 2-1 triumph at Parkhead in the reverse fixture.
Rodgers and company will be keen to produce more of the same in 2024; however, the Irishman will be taking nothing for granted in the coming months.
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