Ryan Stevenson has changed his tune on Celtic.
The ex-Hearts player-turned gallus pundit has been vocal in his dismissal of Martin O’Neill’s side this season, but is now veering in another direction.
Stevenson’s shout that Celtic would buckle under pressure backfired after their win over Dundee and Hearts’ slip-up against Livingston.
As we close in on the season run-in, he is now looking to ensure that he keeps every base covered.
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Ryan Stevenson says Celtic could be ‘somehow destined’ to win the title
He wrote in his column for the Daily Record: “I honestly don’t know what we’re supposed to make of this Celtic side anymore.
“There’s a big part of me that is still convinced they’re simply not good enough to retain their league title this season. And there was more evidence of that at the weekend when they came close to collapse against St Mirren.
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“And then there’s the little voice in the back of my head which is starting to wonder if Martin O’Neill is somehow destined in some way to drag them across the finish line with a league and cup double, even despite the fact that his players are so poor…
“Mind you, every time I’ve written in my column that I don’t rate them compared to previous Celtic sides, they seem to manage to stumble upon something.
“And – by hook or by crook – they’ve made it to the cup final so you can’t really knock them. Just look at how they’ve got there to see what I mean.
“They were going out at home to Dundee before they scored an equaliser in injury time to salvage a draw and take it into extra time.
“Then they made it out of Ibrox by the skin of their teeth after a penalty shoot-out.
“So maybe it’s daft of me to think they’ve got no chance of winning this title because would you really put it past them? But, I keep coming back to it, l honestly just can’t see it and, if anything, the biggest threat to Hearts right now will most probably come from Rangers.
“What I do believe, however, is that the spine of the Hearts team is better and stronger than any of the two of them. And now they have to go back to Easter Road at the weekend and prove me right.”
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Celtic’s previous performances against their post-split opponents
Celtic’s five post-split fixtures will, of course, be repeats of clashes that have already taken place this season.
In fact, the Falkirk game – the first after the split – will be the Bairns’ third Parkhead visit this season. Both Brendan Rodgers and O’Neill have prevailed in the two preceding Glasgow encounters.
Both Hearts and Rangers have already won at Celtic Park – but of course, both of those games fell during Wilfried Nancy’s tenure.
The Frenchman also took charge of Celtic’s only visit to Fir Park this season, which he also lost.
Under O’Neill, Celtic won their trip to Easter Road in November.
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