Ange the exceptional lands Celtic 3 more achievements and his pleasure is ominous news for Rangers – Hugh Keevins

Celtic accomplished three things by defeating Rangers.

They removed the existence of any lingering doubt over the final outcome of the championship. The goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota maintained the aura of invincibility which has surrounded the team since the defeat by St Mirren on September 18 last year. And, symbolically going forward, Michael Beale can no longer take quiet satisfaction from having matched his main managerial rival point-for-point on their personal head-to-head, which began being compiled last November.

An exceptional manager doing extraordinary things. Ange Postecoglou encourages the use of superlatives as a result of his work at Celtic Park. But not on behalf of the Rangers fans, who would more naturally be drawn towards the kind of expletives that define disgust over the gap the Australian has created between their club and his own. Might they now, in the wake of Saturday's derby, settle for Celtic winning the title in the hope that it gives them closure and opens Postecoglou’s mind up to the prospect of going elsewhere?

Or is it the case that Ange has privately sized up what could be on offer on the other side of the border and decided he’s actually better off where he is? Whichever is the case, Celtic’s points lead at the top of the table, and their monstrous advantage in terms of goal difference, does not hint at a collapse of catastrophic proportions with seven league games left to play.

It’s all about timing in football and Douglas Park picked an odd moment to announce his departure from the chairmanship at Ibrox on Tuesday. Likewise, Connor Goldson set a negative tone, and not for the first time, when he went public with his belief Rangers had gone back to “square one” after winning the