IT’S not often a team gets the chance to win a title in September.

Indeed, it was April 2 last year that Brendan Rodgers’ free-flowing Celtic grabbed their sixth top-flight title in a row.

If they record victory at Ibrox today, though, the Parkhead side should be handed the big Premiership trophy there and then.

Case closed. Game over.

Let’s be honest, there was never any doubt that the team from the green side of Glasgow were going to come out on top in the race for the league title crown. Even Kim Jong Un isn’t deluded enough to think otherwise.

So much momentum has been built up by Rodgers that it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Rangers to catch them, no matter how much money the Ibrox board threw at it.

But from what we’ve seen so far this season, Celtic could be mathematically out of sight in record time.

If Rangers are improving, Celtic are doing so at double the pace.

So far an admittedly better Rangers team have only won half of their Premiership games played. However, they have failed to turn in a fully convincing 90 minutes so far.

Against Partick Thistle on Tuesday night in the Betfred Cup quarter-finals, it took extra-time before they eventually managed to shake off a Jags team anchored to the bottom of the Premiership without a league win to their name.

There were signs of encouragement over the 120 minutes, but equally there were klaxons of panic going off as the visitors clung on as Thistle pushed for a leveller in normal time. The way Conor Sammon bullied their defence will be a concern, almost as much as that very defence may be further depleted by the time a ball is kicked this afternoon.

Aberdeen look like a shadow of the team which rightly claimed the title of best of the rest over the last couple of years. Dumped out of Europe with a whimper, domestically their lack of consistency has been alarming.

To top it, they were utterly pulled apart by Motherwell in the Betfred Cup on Thursday night. The loss of Jonny Hayes, Niall McGinn and in particular Ryan Jack has been a big blow for McInnes. While Stevie May will score goals, Gary Mackay-Steven looks out his depth, if you pardon the pun.

By the time they return to Fir Park on league duty tomorrow, Aberdeen could be five points behind Celtic and Rangers could be eight adrift.

To put it in context, that’s the total amount of points Celtic dropped across all 38 games last season. As one horse races go, Aberdeen and Rangers are barely round the first bend while the league leaders are marching towards the final furlong.

For Pedro Caixinha, many have said that this afternoon’s derby is a must-win. Some have said it’s a must-not-lose. For me, it’s simply a must-do-better.

In the two Old Firm matches Caixinha has been in charge of, his team have been played off the park. Firstly in a Scottish Cup semi-final, then a week later at Ibrox. If the first one was a slap in the face, the second one was an embarrassment.

The contrast offered is the 1-1 draw at Parkhead his temporary predecessor Graeme Murty was able to garner as Caixinha watched on from the stand.

His inability to get to grips with this fixture has not gone unnoticed. Landing a semi-final berth in the League Cup has bought him some time, but another humiliation – especially at home – could erode the good will and patience built up over the last few days.

He does not have his problems to seek. Lee Wallace is out, Declan John and Bruno Alves are both doubts. But excuses will not wash if it all goes as badly as some Celtic supporters are predicting.

No manager will admit they will go into an Old Firm game to do anything other than try and win the match, but it Caixinha should take a leaf out of Murty’s book when it comes to setting up a team to frustrate Celtic. Pride comes before a fall and Rangers could be heading for an almighty clatter if they try to go toe-to-toe with Celtic.

Caixinha must take heed from the heavy defeats landed by the Parkhead club that season, or Celtic’s title party may already be kicking off.

AND ANOTHER THING

Congratulations to Motherwell on what was a barn-storming night for the club on Thursday.

Around 4500 home supporters flooded Fir Park to watch a game that wasn’t on the season book but was on the telly. While their resurgence this season played its part, so did the common sense from the Well board to drop the entry fee to a tenner for adults and a fiver for kids.

Common sense from a football club? It’ll never catch on…