Glasgow Derby to Glasgow Derby: Celtic's 42 days of destiny assessed

When Biffy Clyro drummer Ben Johnston withdrew his hand from the bowl in the middle of a Hampden Park conference room on Monday, the ball it clutched signalled Celtic would face a trip to Tynecastle in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

Hearts away is, arguably, the toughest draw Johnston could've pulled for Ange Postecoglou's side; only a cross-city journey to Ibrox rivals it.

So far under Postecoglou, the Hoops have gone to Gorgie three times.

They have won two but the first visit - the manager's first-ever Premiership match - was the one they lost. You might remember it as the game that contained a pre-VAR incorrect offside call against Greg Taylor as well as catastrophic defending for John Souttar's Hearts winner.

The defeat was Celtic’s third on the spin and the first time they had been beaten in an opening league game since 1997.

In the aftermath, I wrote the following paragraph in my post-match analysis:

Belief is a funny concept.

There’s no real way to measure it. You won’t find a way to truly quantify it in match statistics, you won’t physically be able to see it when someone’s playing a pass and you can’t unequivocally tell if an individual genuinely possesses it to their core when the pressure is on.

Yet belief is what Ange Postecoglou has been asking for since arriving in Glasgow.

By any measurement, Postecoglou has that belief now - in spades. And every bit of it will be required soon.

Celtic play struggling Aberdeen at home on Saturday, a team that besides a non-factor victory in May 2018 haven't won at Parkhead in over seven years.

After that, though, things get very real very quickly.

A week after Aberdeen you've got a Glasgow Derby League Cup final; the first of its kind since the 2019 showpiece in the same competition. That occasion contained a red card, a missed penalty, a controversial winner and an all-time great goalkeeping performance from Fraser Forster into the bargain.

This time round the teams - weekend games notwithstanding - each arrive in winning form. Celtic, eight wins in a row and unbeaten in 22 domestically; Rangers, 12 wins and a draw in Michael Beale's opening 13 games in charge. The Hoops have the edge but it will be challenging.

Straight after that Postecoglou and co. go to St Mirren Park in Paisley, the only domestic ground on which they have tasted defeat this season and at which they are now two in a row without victory.

Thereafter the Biffy Clyro drummer's intervention comes in - pulling Hearts v Celtic out the hat made it an early-March double-header between the sides.

The first game, in the league at Parkhead, is slated for Wednesday March 8 (7.45pm) before the knockout tie at Tynecastle a few days later.

All three matches between the sides in Edinburgh so far in Postecoglou's tenure have featured plenty of chances, no shortage of goals and a massive dollop of controversy. Don't expect this pair of clashes to be any different.

Next, Hibernian at home the day after St Patrick's Day is arguably the least pressurised of the run - being against an underwhelming team that hasn't beaten the champions at Parkhead since January 2010 - but after the international break a trip to Dingwall is renowned as a tricky away day.

The kicker? It's a prelude to a second Glasgow Derby in a month-and-a-half on April 8. One which could well be tantamount to a title-decider at Parkhead, a venue at which Postecoglou is unbeaten in all three matches between the sides (May's 1-1 draw being sandwiched between famous 3-0 win and 4-0 wins).

Everything I have just said takes place in a 42-day spell. Only one trophy is technically up for grabs in that time of course but there's every chance Celtic could essentially have one hand on another and keep themselves in the hunt for a third.

Six big, big weeks lie in wait; that belief Postecoglou has been building will be absolutely key to it all.

This piece is an extract from the latest Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team.

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