THE Ladbrokes Premiership winter break is finally at an end and the matter of league business is once again cranked up in the Scottish top flight.

Tomorrow night Aberdeen and Dundee kick things off at Pittodrie in a game I’ll be covering on BT Sport, and the interest in this game will surely extend down the road to Glasgow.

While Rangers fans will be eager for Derek McInnes’ Dons to slip up, Celtic supporters will hope to see one of their own in action.

Ryan Christie joined Aberdeen on a loan deal on Tuesday that will keep him in the Granite City until the end of the season.

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The former Inverness protege started in Brendan Rodgers’ first game away to Lincoln Red Imps and we thought at that point he was someone the Celtic manager rated highly. He had all the attributes to indicate he was a Brendan Rodgers-style player.

However, since then he has been more out than in, and excluded from so many high profile games. He’s only had seven appearances.

There is a talent there and he’s only about to turn 22. Brendan wants Ryan to play regularly and he wants him to do it at the highest level possible. I think he’s made an intelligent move by making him go to Aberdeen, it’s a win-win for all parties.

The Parkhead club can follow his development knowing he is arguably at the second best team in country, Aberdeen know he will fit into his system and for Ryan, he can stay close and catch the eye of the management.

Some supporters have said these loans should be banned. I’m puzzled by it. The accusation is Celtic are playing god with their players, but that’s their right and it happens everywhere.

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Toni Kroos a few years ago went to Bayern Leverkusen for 18 months and they were Bayern Munich’s major rival for honours. It can happen and it can work.

We are very good at finding negatives in Scottish football, there isn’t one in this situation unless you are a Hearts or a Rangers fan. I don’t get it.

In terms of Celtic and the movements in and out of the club, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were to dip in again. Kouassi Eboue is big name signing and is a prospect who can help now but he will also benefit for a few months at Celtic Park ahead of Europe. Look at Erik Sviatchenko last season.

Celtic are arming themselves for the Champions League qualifiers which they must do. Just because they made it this season doesn’t mean it’s a given they will do it again. Brendan will be thinking to those summer months that will define his season.

They will only buy if they need to. Stuart Armstrong is a player everyone at Lennoxtown is looking at. We have always known going back to Dundee United that he had ability.

He is an example of a player who has got visibly better under Rodgers. There are others whose performances have got better. Scott Sinclair was a forgotten player, too.

Rodgers will want to send that message out to his players.

Read more: Brendan Rodgers hails Celtic history makers and insists Craig Gordon going nowhere

We are now just past the half way point in the Premiership. While Celtic may still get even better, I’d be surprised if they go unbeaten, it’s so rare not to suffer a quirk of fate. Even the best teams, like the great Barcelona under Pep Guardiola, can be defeated.

It’s a worthy goal to aim for, of course. But more importantly for me are the Champions League qualifiers and making sure they are properly prepared for that. That process has clearly already started.

THERE was plenty of jubilation in the stands of Ibrox last weekend as Rangers came back from a goal down to dramatically beat Motherwell in the Scottish Cup.

For all the result, and the nature in which it was garnered, was celebrated, Rangers fans would concede that there is still a long way to go.

It is going to be a real fight for second on league duty and they will have their work cut out. I think people fancy Aberdeen and they may be on the right track.

The one thing I will say in the defence of Mark Warburton’s team is there have been many examples of them snatching victory in the last few moments. It’s a sign of a team pulling in the right direction.

They have come back so often. Saturday was the second time this season they have pipped Motherwell at the death. They did the same away to Partick Thistle and at home to Dundee back to back.

These narrow wins settled late in the game speaks to an inner strength, but they will need to do more than that. The jury is still out on whether they are player by player better than the rest.