Celtic Fan View: Three things to watch out for as we chase an historic double-treble

Few Celtic fans would have expected this season to top 16/17’s invincible treble-winning campaign. In truth, at least ‘football wise’, it probably hasn’t. But the bottom line is Celtic are in pole position to seal an historic double-treble come mid-May. And if they were to achieve such a feat it would feel more sweet to Brendan Rodgers.

“It’s incredible to think the Treble has become near enough the standard but there’s actually the possibility of it again,” he said. “There’s no doubt if we finish this season with that it trumps last year’s. I say that because of the expectations, scrutiny, the added pressure to it.”

As the Hoops enter this crucial phase of the season, we analyse three things to look out for during the run-in.

READ MORE: Pogba finally speaks out over rumours of a bust-up with Mourinho at Man United

READ MORE: Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend

An in-form Dembele

In his two years at Parkhead, Moussa Dembele has rightly earned himself the ‘big-game player’ tag. Goals in semi-finals, finals, derbies and Europe go some way towards justifying that. The good news for Hoops fans is that their star forward is hitting top form at just the right time.

The Frenchman has struggled a lot this term due to continuous muscle injuries, lack of consistency and Rodgers’ heavy rotation policy. But the last derby at Ibrox proved how important he is to the Bhoys. The 21-year-old played the lone striker role expertly notching a goal and assist. Even in the weeks prior to that he was showing signs of getting back to his usual self with sharper displays and important goals.

Two goals in the last week will only increase his confidence. Dembele seems to be enjoying playing alongside his compatriot Odsonne Edouard which seems to have given him renewed vigour of late. There’s no doubt the duo compliment each other well in attack and provide the Hoops with more physical threat to accompany their technical ability and goalscorer’s instinct. If Celtic are to succeed in their quest for the ‘double-treble’, Dembele will surely have leave his mark in the coming weeks.

READ MORE: Aubameyang to the rescue as Gunners leave it late

READ MORE: Paine fights hard but Proteas leave Australia on the ropes

More creativity, greater threat

By now, most of the Hoops faithful agree that the team are currently better without Scott Sinclair. Last term’s Player of the Year has fallen way short of the high standards he set 12 months ago. Added to that, the integration of Charly Musonda into the XI has been slower than many would have expected. The creativity in the Bhoys’ ranks has hence been lacking for a while.

The Hoops will, therefore, be happy to welcome Patrick Roberts and Tom Rogic back into the fold. Both have missed a large chunk of the season with severe injuries but have returned at just the right time. Rogic has been back playing for a few weeks while Roberts only made his comeback against Motherwell before the international break.

If they can find their fitness quickly, both will be massive assets during the run-in. Roberts has the X-Factor where he can dribble past players for fun in wide areas while Rogic provides that penetration from a central area which the team have badly missed. Suddenly, the pace and flair in the team seems far more frightening and the attacking threat is even more relentless.

READ MORE: Fearless Anthony Joshua ready to fight Deontay Wilder despite boast he wants to kill someone

READ MORE: Pakistan humiliate shambolic Windies in Karachi

No Bain no gain

After a superb debut at Ibrox and a further clean sheets against Motherwell and Ross County, it’s fair to say Scott Bain has earned the trust of all at Parkhead. He’s shown himself to be a very competent player, who’s embraced the challenge of earning the number one spot in Craig Gordon’s absence. The level he’s played at under immense pressure makes the option of signing him at the end of the season on a permanent basis an attractive one.

Gordon’s injury had the potential to unsettle Celtic’s season. Dorus de Vries has done little to convince the fans and management during his time in Glasgow while Bain arrived from struggling Dundee. Yet he’s made a string of world class saves in his three appearances and has given the backline, fans and management peace of mind.