Celtic can feel pretty confident of being 14 points clear at the top of the league at Christmas given that their only remaining fixture is at home against the team at the bottom of the division. If Partick Thistle are beaten tomorrow night, Celtic’s lead will be the biggest it has been all season. The only league issues to be resolved about the champions-elect are exactly when they will cross the finishing line, by how many points they will win the title, and whether they’ll break any records along the way. They could set new standards for points and games won and goals scored.
Right now it can feel as though Brendan Rodgers’ team is dominating the league to an extent no previous team has ever managed. In fact 14 points wouldn’t be the biggest Christmas lead in modern times (although they have a game in hand so it might even have reached 17). Celtic were 16 clear of Rangers at this point in the 2006-07 campaign (51 points to 35 after both had played 20 games). It turned out that they had a bigger lead at Christmas than at the end of that season, when they won it by 12.
Under Ronny Deila this time last season they were just one point clear of Aberdeen. In 2014 they were four ahead of Dundee United. In 2013 they led by ten points, also ahead of United, and in 2012 they were five clear of second-placed Caledonian Thistle. In the first of their five-in-a-row seasons, 2011-12, they were one point behind Rangers at Christmas. Their final winning margins in those five seasons were 20, 16, 29, 17 and 15 points but they’re on course to finish much further ahead than that this time.
The biggest winning points margin in Scotland’s top flight was Celtic’s 29 points in 2013-14. They are on course to beat that with plenty to spare.
Ominous for Partick
Here’s a worry for Partick Thistle: they will stay stuck at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership unless they avoid defeat at Celtic Park tomorrow night, and teams who are bottom at Christmas nearly always go down. Dundee United in 2015, St Mirren in 2014, Hearts in 2013, Dundee in 2012, Dunfermline in 2011, Falkirk in 2009, Gretna in 2007, Dunfermline in 2006: all bottom at Christmas and relegated at the end of the season. In the past ten seasons, only Aberdeen in 2010 and Hamilton in 2008 have been last at Christmas but hauled themselves to safety in the second half of the season.
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Johansen finding his feet
Welcome back, Stefan Johansen; it’s been a while. Remember when Johansen was so consistently forceful, mobile and athletic for Celtic that he won the 2014-15 PFA Scotland player of the year award? His form fell away drastically last season and Brendan Rodgers arrived and moved him on to Fulham, where Johansen admitted he took time to get used to the Sky Bet Championship and how his manager Slaviša Jokanovic wanted him to play. Now the 25-year-old’s having one of the great months of his career. In consecutive games this month he’s scored against Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rotherham United and, on Saturday, Derby County.
The wonder of Coulibaly
So is it true that Souleymane Coulibaly “only scores wonder goals”? Not quite, but it is pretty close. The Kilmarnock talisman has notched 11 this season. He buried one from close range v Clyde, got a header v Partick Thistle, and a penalty at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Against Berwick Rangers there were two low drives from outside the box and against Dundee a powerful shot high into the net. So that’s six of his 11. But there was a beautiful curling finish v Hamilton; that overhead kick v Dundee; the 35-yard stunner at Celtic Park; another great curling effort v Dundee; and then the mazy run and finish v Inverness on Saturday. In other words: five crackers out of his 11.
Dons’ away-day blues
For a team aspiring to be the second best in the country, it reflects very badly on Aberdeen that they have lost most of their away games in 2016. Of 23 away matches played since the turn of the year they’ve been beaten 12 times: by Hearts (twice, in the Premiership and Scottish Cup), Celtic (twice), Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Motherwell, St Johnstone, Fola Esch, Maribor, Hamilton Academical, Rangers and now Ross County. Only two teams have lost more away games in the top flight this season. Aberdeen and Derek McInnes are under pressure and they’ve still got trips to Motherwell and Hearts before the year’s out.