Brendan Rodgers launches Celtic tactic that's smart in the extreme as boss sets scene for what comes next

There are no bonus points for artistic impression.

And Brendan Rodgers has lifted enough trophies to know he never picked one of them up based on style over substance. So now that his Celtic side has been dragged kicking and screaming into a title race worthy of the name, Rodgers won’t lose sight of what matters most of all.

At times as testing as these, he’ll take the victories over the visuals. So, just a handful of hours before Rangers pulled level on points at the top of the table last night, Rodgers was already setting the scene for what comes next. It might not always be pretty or as aesthetically pleasing as the man in charge would like. But, even so, Rodgers is convinced his players now understand the need to grind through these hard yards until they get to some place better. Sunday’s Scottish Cup win at St Mirren was the latest example of what the manager hopes is a critical change in mindset at a crucial stage in the campaign.

That’s eight wins and a draw from their last nine games - at a time when the champions have been liberally accused of teetering on the brink of a crisis. "It’s always pleasing,” Rodgers said when that stat was rolled out during a state broadcast with the club’s own media channel yesterday morning. We want to win and win in a certain way - that is what the history of this club is built on . But ultimately, it is about winning. In a period where lots of games and challenges, the players have come through really, really well.

“They are creating this atmosphere to work hard and have that mentality. I was really pleased for them at the weekend. It could have been a sticky game but we came through it really well.”

Of course, Rodgers himself has been a major contributor to this nagging sense