What an Early Old Firm Win Told Me About Celtic’s Relentless Mentality

I have to laugh when people ask whether Celtic supporters ever get bored of winning. In 2026, with the Scottish Premiership still so often framed as a question of how many points rather than who lifts the trophy, I keep returning to one early-season Old Firm derby that explained the whole mood. The Bhoys had sewn up the title in April the previous season, eight games before the campaign was over, and they had started the new one at a sprint. Brendan Rodgers’ side travelled to Ibrox for the first Old Firm clash of the season with five wins and one draw already under their belt. Across the city was a Rangers team unbeaten in five matches in all competitions and desperate to inflict defeat on their bitter rivals. Even with their tails up, though, Rangers were no match for the Scottish champions. I watched them fall to a 2-0 defeat — an improvement on the two 5-1 losses Pedro Caixinha’s side had suffered against Celtic the season before, but still a disappointing night for the home support.

Tom Rogic opened the scoring in the 50th minute when he made the most of some awful defending to thump home. Leigh Griffiths made it 2-0 fifteen minutes later with a smart finish. I remember thinking, even then, that the scoreline flattered Rangers more than it flattered Celtic. Was this really a contest between two teams with serious designs on the same prize? It did not feel like it. The champions had another gear, and everyone in the stadium knew it.

Yet Griffiths’ goal was not the most noteworthy thing he did during the match. The 27-year-old was spotted seemingly picking his nose and wiping it on Rangers’ corner flag before he sent in a delivery. I still cannot decide whether to laugh or cringe when I watch that footage. It is juvenile, silly, and weirdly perfect for an Old Firm derby: the kind of tiny, petty detail that fans immediately spot and then refuse to let go of. Social media reacted with bewilderment, and I was right there with them. How does a player even end up in that moment? And why, of all places, the corner flag?

It was only September, yet I already found it hard to see anyone preventing Celtic from winning their 49th Scottish title and seventh in a row. That is the strange thing about dominance: it can make a season feel decided before the leaves have turned. I often wonder where the motivation comes from when the prize is so familiar. Captain Scott Brown gave me the answer I needed. He said the team were stronger, fitter, and more together than before. He talked about having a few different formations that they could chop and change during a game, always based on what the gaffer had been doing in training since the start of the season. And then came the line that summed up the whole project: the gaffer was always raising the bar as far as it could go.

That is why I push back when people call Celtic’s dominance boring. Is it boring to watch a team refuse to stand still? Is it boring to see a captain talk about fitness, togetherness, and tactical flexibility while the rest of the league struggles to keep up? Not to me. I understand the neutral’s complaint — a title race is more fun when it is actually a race — but I also appreciate the craft behind a machine that keeps finding reasons to improve.

The cold reality arrived in Europe, as it so often does. The recent 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League suggested Celtic still had a long way to go. That scoreline was a bucket of ice water on the domestic party, and I think it is important to hold both truths at once. At home, Celtic could look untouchable. In Europe, the gap to the elite was obvious. In 2026, that tension still defines the club’s story: domestic excellence is the baseline, while continental progress remains the elusive next step.

So no, I do not think boredom is the right word for how I feel. Nostalgia, maybe. Relief, sometimes. A little impatience when the Champions League exposes the distance between Celtic and the very best? Definitely. But that early-season Old Firm win, with Rogic’s finish, Griffiths’ strange corner-flag moment, and Brown’s calm explanation of the standards behind the scenes, still tells me everything about the Celtic mentality I have come to expect. The league may feel predictable, but the habits that make it predictable are anything but. 🍀