HAPPY new year, Bhoys and Ghirls! In the build-up to Christmas, my mood on all things Celtic had taken quite the turn.

League defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts – and the languid nature of the performances – had even the most optimistic of supporters wondering if the club was going to, once again, smash the self-destruct button.

However, they’d do well to trust Box Office Brendan, who since that 0-2 defeat to the Jambos on December 16 has turned things around with four wins on the trot.

It has been a hectic few weeks, and we can’t squeeze everything in, but let’s start with the sweetest festive gift of all – another victory over the club that, until Tuesday, went a mind-boggling 74 games without conceding a league penalty.

You see, Rangers are rather used to getting things their own way, be that in their current incarnation or the one HMRC put to the sword in 2012.

The Scottish media, littered with fans of the blue persuasion, has to perpetuate the idea that the shadow of the Ibrox club is always lurking, ready to overthrow Celtic and claim themselves as the country’s dominant footballing force.

Sadly, for them, they’re up against a side that’s superior in nearly all areas of the park.
Don’t get me wrong, Celtic are by no means special and certainly require an overhaul in the boardroom, but those in charge in the south of Glasgow are well aware they don’t possess the financial muscle to compete with the Hoops.

Even with a £50m+ prize up for grabs in the form of next season’s revamped Champions League, expect Rangers to be shopping in the free transfer and loan market this month – as the signing of Fabio Silva has demonstrated.

Both teams may have had key players missing through injury last Saturday, but apart from a series of self-inflicted moments of madness, the Bhoys largely controlled the derby.

Paulo Bernardo, the on-loan Benfica midfielder who has taken a while to find his groove, was immense and thoroughly deserving of his first-half thunderbolt finish.

The second, which proved the winner, was another thing of beauty from Kyogo. The Japanese striker has been hot and cold this season, though has mastered the art of putting Rangers in their place.

And while the opposition has continually gurned about a penalty claim that wouldn’t have been awarded anyway due to an offside, I savour the words of the manager who said post-match: “Over my two spells here, I’ve worked against five Rangers managers and every time Rangers were coming.

“Every time at some point. If I listened to media and press, then we would be in constant crisis mode and constant fear of Rangers. But it’s the fifth manager now.”

He has his critics, but Brendan carries a confidence that is starting to resonate throughout the squad. Not to start getting complacent, but dare I say that Celtic are rediscovering their swagger?

It looked as if that was the case on Tuesday in Paisley. Under Stephen Robinson, St Mirren have been decent and were fresh off an impressive 3-0 away win over Aberdeen.

The Hoops needed to overcome this one last hurdle to ensure they went into the winter break eight points clear at the summit of the Premiership – and they did so in emphatic fashion.

Two goals in the opening six minutes through Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley settled any early nerves, with Greg Taylor adding the third on the hour-mark after Toyosi Olusanya was shown a red card following a VAR review when his boot caught Joe Hart’s face.

O’Riley, an absolute steal at £1.5m from MK Dons in January 2022, marked his 100th appearance for the club and has solidified himself as the main man in Rodgers’ midfield (yes, even ahead of Callum McGregor).

I predicted that Jota would go for big money - although I would never have thought it’d be to go to Saudi Arabia - and surely the Dane (through his grandmother) will be the next to depart for a hefty fee. Not a penny under £30m! And certainly not this month.

One of the key aspects of a successful player trading model is knowing when to sell, and should O’Riley continue his progression, then summer 2024 would be the ideal time.

Let’s face it, he’ll want to play in a higher standard of league sooner rather than later and the club must be ready for this.

In the here and now, though, quality reinforcements are needed to get the title over the line. As mentioned, a huge pot of gold is waiting, it’d be wise not to “go with what we’ve got”, which has been the attitude of some still lurking around Parkhead’s corridors. 

Where needs strengthened, I hear you ask? Well, with Celtic not in action again until January 21 in the Scottish Cup against Buckie Thistle, we’ll use next week to deep dive into all the rumours that have been churning out online and in the papers. It’s the silly season (winter style). See you then.