‘Box office’ and ‘rollercoaster’.

Above are two terms that have been used religiously and constantly by me and others concerning this season for Celtic. Indeed, we all knew this was going to be the case deep down inside, due to the return of Brendan Rodgers nearly a year ago after four years down south at Leicester City.

As things stand, his side sit at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, potentially aided in part by Dundee’s current situation at Dens Park, which has so far halted Rangers’ presumed return to the top of the league due to a waterlogged pitch. With this match being rescheduled to next Wednesday, it allows Celtic to potentially pile on the pressure even further via means of a victory versus St Mirren on Saturday afternoon. If everything goes to plan, then Celtic would sit four points clear of Philippe Clement’s side on Saturday evening, with a tricky trip to Dingwall on the cards the following afternoon for Rangers up north in the Highlands.

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Despite Celtic squandering two leads at Ibrox last Sunday, that first-half performance has left many purring over the potential that this team possesses for the title run-in. From the solidity at the back from the likes of Alistair Johnston and especially Cameron Carter-Vickers, to the midfield solidity and brilliance of Tomoki Iwata and Reo Hatate respectively, the champions were well and truly in the driving seat for the opening 45 minutes. Yes, they were hanging on just a tad at the end – that Cyriel Dessers low strike lingers in the mind – but it could be a point that makes all of the difference come the end of the season.

Couple the first-half showing with performances against Livingston and St Johnstone in recent weeks, and you begin to see a pattern of positivity emerging with Celtic under Rodgers. It is a pattern that must continue versus Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren side. There have been far too many false dawns to speak of this season, such is the nature of the ‘rollercoaster’ ride campaign that the club are currently experiencing.

For every good result that Celtic have managed to accumulate, there always seems to be a misstep on the horizon. For good or for bad, there is no margin for error anymore, in both competitions that the club still find themselves competing in. Next weekend, Rodgers will take his side to Hampden for the first time this season to face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final. That tie – along with every single league fixture – must be treated as a cup final from now until the end of the campaign.

Having no margin for error in any game can have two effects. It can make you or it can break you, both physically and mentally. Thankfully, Celtic have a manager that has previous when it comes to winning competitions, especially up here. In the case of the Scottish Cup, Rodgers will be looking to win the competition for the third time in his career, with the Northern Irishman also having experience of lifting the English equivalent in the form of the FA Cup for Leicester at Wembley.

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With Celtic’s core group all making inroads in order to feature prominently for the team at the business end of the season, it leaves Rodgers almost spoiled for choice concerning who he deploys in many key areas. Callum McGregor – albeit poor on the day – made his long-awaited return to action at Ibrox, whilst Hatate and Carter-Vickers played their biggest parts in the fixture after injury-hit seasons for both players in the defence and midfield. If these three key members of Rodgers’ side can stay fit and injury-free from now until the end of the campaign, you would not bet against Celtic negotiating the rest of their fixtures flawlessly, such is the quality that this trio possess in footballing ability.

We will most likely also see a return to proceedings for Luis Palma, who has been out injured since before the international break in March. It is easy to forget just how much of a mainstay the Honduras international was in the early months of Rodgers’ first season back, such was the severity of his drop-off in form before his injury. Perhaps the break due to his injury may have been the best thing for him, though time will tell on that front.

Looking at players who made a big impact off of the bench last week, it is difficult to ignore the contributions of both Paulo Bernardo and Idah, who assisted and scored the third goal in the Glasgow Derby on Sunday. Make that six goals in just nine Premiership appearances for Idah, whilst it was Bernardo’s second goal contribution in as many games. Though both may continue to operate coming off of the bench for Celtic, they have shown that they can chip in when required, even in the biggest games. As Tony said in his article yesterday, if there is a deal to be made for the pair with Benfica and Norwich, then execute it.

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As we head into this weekend, every game feels like a big deal. The last game for Celtic until the Scottish Premiership split, it will be interesting to see how they tackle this challenge, six days removed from the Glasgow Derby. Will they fold due to the pressure? Or will they channel it correctly, allowing for another good performance in an ever-growing list under Rodgers?

We’re going to find out very soon whether or not the return of ‘Box Office Brendan’ will have been a smash hit, and whether or not this up-and-down rollercoaster was worth hopping on in the first place. Either way, it's going to be a fascinating end to what has been an eventful season, regardless of the campaign’s conclusion.