Ryan Stevenson has rushed to call the title race, but his argument about Celtic does not stand up to scrutiny.
Celtic are being written off on the back of one result and one opinion. That is not analysis. It is reaction. Hearts’ win over Rangers has made up Stevenson’s mind
His title verdict has been delivered with certainty, but there is very little behind it and once you break it down, the claim quickly loses weight.
Would you start Daizen Maeda on the left against Rangers?
Tavernier had a torrid time against Hearts
Ryan Stevenson’s Celtic title claim does not carry weight
Stevenson is clearly on a high after watching Hearts beat Rangers, but when it comes to Celtic, he makes a claim about the Bhoys’ mentality that should be pinned on the Parkhead dressing room wall.
Ryan Stevenson said “Yeah, 46 points and it’s done. I think psychologically even Celtic players sitting tonight watching that, it will be a big blow for them.
“I think, as I said, as a pundit, I think they’ve won it.”
It is a clear and definitive statement on the title race but there is no supporting detail to back it up.
No reference to the Scottish Premiership table, no mention of fixtures, and no context to justify calling it. It is a conclusion built on a single Hearts win rather than a full picture.
That is why it does not carry real weight.
The Celtic psychological argument is even weaker
The suggestion that Celtic players would feel a psychological impact is presented as fact. There is nothing in the claim that supports it.
Celtic players do not operate on emotion from watching other teams. They respond to their own matches and their own standards.
Calling it a ‘big blow’ adds a dramatic effect without any evidence. Celtic have still to face Hearts at Parkhead.
But before that, the Tynecastle club need to visit Motherwell and entertain Falkirk. These are not easy games that should be written off at a whim.
That moves the argument away from analysis and into assumption. Once that happens, the overall point weakens further.
The title will be decided by results on the pitch.
It will not be settled by a reaction in the immediate aftermath of a game.
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