Former Celts John Collins and Jack McNamara were the pundits on Celtic TV yesterday afternoon as Celtic secured all three points in a 3-2 win over Dundee, thanks to a Giorgos Giakoumakis hat-trick to send us three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Celtic’s 100% domestic form in 2022 has seen a six point deficit in the league turn into a three point advantage so there is clearly momentum with this Celtic side as we reach the business end of the season.
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Both ex-Celts have been in this position before, McNamara and a player and captain and Collins as an Assistant Manager (at a time when there was no Rangers in the top division). As a Celtic player Collins could only watch on as any Celtic title challenge faded.
Now though both can see the title glory that lies ahead for Celtic if they just keep doing what they have been doing, adding more wins and if that happens then there’s nothing that theRangers can do about it.
“I think since the start of the season we (Celtic) have been playing catch up.(the)Rangers have been out in front and that brings a lot of stress and pressure on the players, the manager and the supporters,” John Collins told Celtic TV.
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“All of a sudden it’s flipped and we are the one on top and they are the chasers. Now the pressure is on (the)Rangers. They can’t afford to have slip-ups. We just concentrate on keeping winning games, and they can’t catch us.
“If you are three, four or five points behind (the)Rangers and they are playing on the Sunday and they have won and go eight points clear, it brings added pressure.
“The players and the manager have coped with that pressure for four or five months. Now it’s flipped. It’s a nice place to be; three points clear and with the goal difference it’s nearly four points. It’s a nice place to be.”
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Jackie McNamara continued the theme in his assessment of the current title race, having seen it all before as a player. “Every game now is crucial, and every point. You see how it can swing today, it could easily go the other way with a draw, so credit to them for getting the winner.
“It’s a big week. A big game on Thursday and a big, massive game against Hibs next Sunday which is a tough place to go. “(When I was a player) we knew that we just had to keep winning, it didn’t really matter what Rangers are doing.
“You have that momentum. If you are chasing, they look at your results every week and see what the match is, what the game is. If you are on top, you just keep winning, pure and simple and you don’t look at anybody else,” Jackie said.
