Celtic remain within touching distance of the Scottish Premiership title with five games left, sitting three points behind the leaders Hearts after 33 matches, but their performances over recent weeks have not reflected a team capable of winning the league.
Celtic sit second on 67 points after 33 games, a position that keeps them firmly within touching distance of Hearts and Rangers.
That standing suggests a side competing at a high level, but the reality on the pitch, especially after Celtic’s win over St Mirren, has been very different in recent weeks.
The concern is not built on one result but a trend, with Celtic struggling to find consistency or control in matches.
And discussing Celtic’s title chances, 67 Hail Hail put the narrative straight on BBC Sportsound after the win over the Paisley club.
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Will we hunt Hearts down and win the title?
Celtic performances have not matched their title position
The issue is not difficult to identify, Celtic are lacking energy and clarity in possession over a sustained period.
That has not been a one-off dip but a consistent pattern, with the same problems appearing week after week.
I told BBC Sportsound, “It’s been looking like that [Celtic looking tired] for weeks, haven’t they? They’ve been looking tired and out of ideas for weeks.
“So I hope Martin O’Neill is right, because I did listen to interview, and he did say, we’ll get it back in time for next week.
“But I mean, we’ve been watching this kind of performance for a number of weeks. But I suppose the positive thing is, we’ve been so poor the whole season, we’re still only three points off top of the league.
“And the reaction to us losing to Dundee United, pretty much almost everyone was saying we are out of the title race after that result, it just shows you, with five games to go, anything can happen, and it’s happening.
“Celtic have been in worse positions than this and still won the league. But the only concern is, I don’t think we’ve had such a poor team.”
That assessment captures the contradiction around Celtic, with results keeping them in contention while performances continue to fall short.
There has also been no sign of progression within that run, which raises further concern about how much this group can improve.
When asked if Celtic have another level they could climb up to, I replied, “I hope so but there has been no evidence of that. There’s been no evidence to suggest that they could.
“But then Rangers and Hearts, for all Hearts did well to come back to beat Motherwell, they’re playing at their absolute best, but even at our worst, we’re still only three points behind.
“So there is still plenty to play for, and I’m hoping Martin O’Neill can use more of his magic to get some more out of his players, but it’s hard to see where it’s going to come from.”
The full segment can be listened to below:
Celtic are still in the race but relying on circumstance
Despite those issues, the league table still presents an opportunity, with Hearts leading the table with 70 points and Celtic only three behind.
Rangers sit on 66 points with a game in hand, which adds pressure but also highlights how tight the race remains.
The reality is that Celtic remain in contention not because of their performances, but because no side has taken full control of the title race.
The title is still there to be won, but Celtic have yet to show anything that suggests they are ready to take it.
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