THE WEEKEND PREVIEW: Rodgers needs to regain the feelgood factor from Rangers ... and quickly

Those of a Celtic persuasion haven’t had much to complain about in recent years. They still do, of course, as tends to be the case for supporters of either half of the Old Firm, regardless of how things are going.

But, for the most part, it’s been a tale of sunshine and smiles in Glasgow’s east end.

They have plenty to celebrate, after all. Having seen their bid for 10-in-a-row fall to pieces in 2021, the club have secured eight of the 10 domestic trophies on offer since that lamentable campaign.

Over the coming weeks, another league title will be added to the collection, while few would bet against captain Callum McGregor holding the Scottish Cup aloft at Hampden come the end of May. Another Treble ticked off.

Yes, their stranglehold over Scottish football shows no sign of loosening any time soon. Bad news for everyone else. The stuff of nightmares for anyone associated with Rangers. Not that you would know it.

It may be hard to believe considering how much of this season has played out, but there is undoubtedly a feelgood factor running through the Ibrox club at the moment. And it would seem they’ve stolen it from right under the noses of their city rivals.

Brendan Rodgers is aiming to finish the season in style as he chases a domestic Treble

Rangers secured an impressive 3-2 Old Firm victory at Celtic Park earlier this month

Celtic were made to pay for a sluggish first-half performance against their rivals last time out

That’s not to say everything is rosy in and around Rangers. Far from it. Ending the year without any domestic silverware is unacceptable. But there is certainly cause for optimism.

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Barry Ferguson was made interim boss following the dismissal of Philippe Clement. Club legend or not, his appointment until the end of the season looked like a desperate attempt to keep an increasingly fed-up fanbase on side.

A dreadful home defeat to Motherwell after a less than convincing victory at Kilmarnock in Ferguson’s first week did little to quell the doubts.

Europa League elimination at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce appeared nothing more than an inevitability, only for the team to show a level of character that had been absent all season.

The scenes which greeted the nerve-shredding penalty shootout victory were reminiscent of those experienced throughout the club’s run all the way to the final in 2022.

Brendan Rodgers could — and really should — have burst that bubble just a few days later as his side played host to their city rivals. But it was his team that fell flat.

The furore around Vaclav Cerny’s exuberant celebrations took some of the spotlight off Celtic’s abject display. Speaking yesterday, Rodgers went in hard on the behaviour of the Czech forward, branding it disrespectful.

But it’s his own players who need a kick up the backside. They were miles off it at Parkhead.

Barry Ferguson and Vaclav Cerny can look forward to least two more big European nights 

It was the same at Ibrox in the new year. A 3-0 thumping flattered the visitors. The first-half display against Hibs at Easter Road last month was of a similar ilk.

Every team — even one as relentless as Celtic — can have the odd off day, of course. The challenge facing them now, though, is ensuring they don’t have any more between now and the end of the season.

While Rangers have the enticing prospect of an American takeover and a Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Bilbao, Celtic are simply tasked with focusing on taking care of the bread and butter.

While that may not sound quite as glamorous, it’s no less important.

Hearts are the first of three opponents facing Rodgers’ men before the league split, with Neil Critchley’s squad making the trip to Glasgow this afternoon.

Rodgers needs a convincing result and performance to inject some much-needed energy into his team and, in doing so, locate some of those positive vibes which have gone missing of late. 

Perhaps a change in personnel might do the trick. Nicolas Kuhn looks a pale shadow of the player who, at one stage, looked certain to clean up at the end of season awards. The German’s half-time withdrawal against Rangers suggested his manager hasn’t been too impressed with his form either.

Surely Yang Hyun-jun has done enough to get a decent run in the team? He has the ability to thrill and frustrate in equal measure, but he certainly offers something a little different. And maybe that’s what’s needed.

Paulo Bernardos return following a spell on the sidelines could freshen things up 

The return of Paulo Bernardo after a long injury lay-off should also be welcomed, not least by Arne Engels. The club-record signing has shown glimpses of his talent — particularly on the European stage — and at the age of just 21, is only going to get better. 

However, he needs to do much more. Fresh competition for a starting spot could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Belgian.

When all is said and done, 2024-25 will go down as another overwhelmingly successful season for Rodgers and Celtic. 

It’s up to them, however, to finish it off in style, and put the pressure back firmly on their big rivals ahead of what will be a huge summer.