How Celtic effectively secured the title ahead of Rangers showdown next week

So authoritative, assured and anxiety-free did Celtic prove in their 2-0 victory over Ross County at Dingwall, it was almost as if the performance was a riposte.

Pressure, what pressure, Ange Postecolgou’s men seemed to be scoffing as they strolled to three points that put them - essentially - within a derby victory next week of rubber-stamping their title success.

In truth, though, as soon as a Jota 87th minute strike made certain of the win in the Highlands, real doubts about the destination of the cinch Premiership were effectively removed. The travelling support, and the posse of players led by the Portuguese winger that let loose on the most almighty celebrations, certainly betrayed thinking as much. “Champions again oh-way, oh-way” was the chant that rang out, and there will be no denying their club a 10th title in 11 years.

Even with their hosting of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side next week, a six-point lead and a 19-goal difference superiority, makes Celtic unassailable across the final four games. Now unbeaten in 28 top flight encounters, they have won 24 of these, with only three draws since October. If you do the arithmetic, then, it means they would require to drop more points in the next three weeks than they have in the previous seven months to be dislodged from the summit. There is more chance of Boris Johnston having a crisis of conscience - or in fact simply revealing he actually possesses a conscience - than that happening.

There was always one ginormous flaw in the contention floated by some last week that Celtic’s loss of a nothing-in-it Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers could precipitate a title collapse: And that was that it seemed to overlook the fact that the Europa League semi-finalists