There is a perfectly plausible scenario whereby Celtic, armed with a new manager and a vastly superior squad of players to the one that capitulated at Ibrox, reclaim Scotland’s top flight title in front of giddy supporters in little over a year’s time. Even if that transpires, though, the ease with which this club conceded such a dominant domestic position must not be glossed over. Someone, somewhere – or perhaps umpteen people in umpteen places – fell asleep at the wheel.
It should not take an embarrassing Old Firm defeat to emphasise this fall from grace. However, there is little doubt performances such as this sharpen focus. Rebooting is easier in
Scotland because of the general paucity of opposition but Celtic’s dishevelled status is shocking given the leeway – financial and otherwise – they enjoyed for so long. By full time, they had slumped to their heaviest Old Firm defeat since 2007. Twelve months ago, Celtic were revelling in a ninth championship in a row.