There is something about this stage of the season that exposes everything.
No hiding. No masking flaws with moments of brilliance. No easy narratives to lean on. Every performance is put under a microscope, every weakness magnified, every small mistake carrying weight far beyond ninety minutes.
At , the pressure is building with every passing game.
The title race is alive. The points are still within reach. On paper, everything is there to fight for.
But inside the performances, there is a different story unfolding.
Saturday at Celtic Park felt like it might be a turning point. A chance to build momentum. A chance to send a message.
And early on, it looked exactly like that.
struck to give Celtic the lead, capping off a bright opening where the movement was sharp, the intent was clear, and the control looked convincing. For a moment, it felt like Celtic had found their rhythm again.
But that feeling did not last.
Because the second goal never came.
And slowly, almost quietly at first, the game began to shift.
What started as control turned into uncertainty. The passes became slower. The midfield lost its grip. began to grow into the match, stepping higher, pressing harder, forcing Celtic into uncomfortable areas.
By the time the game reached its final stages, the script had completely flipped.
Instead of controlling the tempo, Celtic were holding on.
Crosses started flying into the box. Set pieces carried tension. Every clearance felt urgent. Every second ticked a little louder.
It felt familiar.
Too familiar.
Because this is not the first time this pattern has appeared. Early lead. Missed chances. Then a long, anxious finish where control slips away and the game stays alive longer than it should.
And that is where the real story begins.
After the final whistle, when the three points were already secured, did not celebrate the result. He went straight to the performance.
And he did not hold back.
“I thought that we lacked energy.
“In the second half, we surrendered possession quite easily.
“We allowed some very strong periods of the game for them.
“When we got the first goal, we didn’t go and get the second.
“Some of our football wasn’t up to the standard that we were hoping to have.”
It is the kind of honesty that cuts through everything.
Because it matches exactly what everyone saw.
Celtic had the game in their hands. They had the chances to finish it. They had the control to make it comfortable.
But they did not take it.
And when you do not take those moments, the game changes. The opponent believes. The pressure builds. The margin for error disappears.
That is the underlying tension around this team right now.
Yes, they are winning games.
Yes, they are still in the title race.
But the way those wins are coming is raising questions that cannot be ignored anymore.
Control is slipping at key moments. Games are not being killed off. Leads are not being protected with authority.
Instead, matches are drifting into chaos when they should already be settled.
And in a title race this tight, that pattern is dangerous.
Because sooner or later, one of those games will not be seen out.
For now, Celtic are still standing. Still collecting points. Still pushing forward.
But the feeling remains.
This is a team that starts strong, then fades.
A team that creates chances, then wastes them.
A team that leads games… but does not finish them.
And as the season moves toward its defining moments, one question refuses to go away.
What happens when they cannot hold on next time?