The grind isn't pretty but it counts

Celtic just dragged themselves level with Hearts on points following a win against Hibernian that felt like pulling teeth. If you watched the game, you didn't see a masterclass in tactical fluid brilliance. You saw a team struggling to break down a low block until an 86th-minute strike finally cracked the code.

Brendan Rodgers isn't winning style points this month. The team looked sluggish, predictable, and frankly, bored for the better part of an hour before Hibs finally folded. It is the type of performance that keeps fan forums in a state of perpetual cardiac distress.

Hibs dug their own grave

Let's talk about the discipline, or lack thereof. Hibernian didn't just lose; they handed the initiative to a team that was already struggling to find its footing. Reducing your side to 10 men in a match where you are already fighting to keep a clean sheet is a tactical suicide note.

When you have as Sky Sports reported, a side desperately trying to claw back points at the top of the table, you do not offer them a numerical advantage. Hibs managed to frustrate Celtic for long stretches of the second half. Their defensive organization was actually decent until the exhaustion of playing short-handed took over.

The league table is a messy masterpiece

Sitting level with Hearts is a technical achievement but it highlights the sheer volatility of this season. Every time a team looks ready to pull away, they drop a clunker. It is less of a title race and more of a contest to see who can stumble across the finish line with the fewest self-inflicted wounds.

Celtic fans should be concerned about the lack of clinical finishing. You cannot rely on late-game heroics every weekend when the pressure ramps up for the final stretch. If they keep playing like this against tougher mid-table opposition, that 0-0 draw is coming sooner than they want to admit.

No room for error in May

We are sitting in early May. With the UCL Final 2026 looming on May 28th and some high-profile cross-sport events like WWE Backlash 2026 coming this month, football fatigue is real. Celtic needs to lock in now or they risk losing their grip on that second spot.

Their upcoming schedule is unforgiving. If the midfield continues to operate with the urgency of a Sunday league side, the points gap will swing right back in the other direction. Winning is the only thing that matters, but relying on red cards to bail you out is not a career-long strategy.

Celtic have secured the 3 points they needed, but the broader reality remains grim. They didn't dismantle their opponent; they survived them. In a league where the margins are razor-thin, surviving is rarely enough to build a dynasty.