“It is not lost. Far from it” Chris Sutton says Celtic cannot afford to make any more mistakes.

Celtic have dropped to second place in the Scottish Premiership, trailing Rangers, but Chris Sutton remains confident that the title is still within reach.

The Bhoys have suffered a dramatic collapse in the title race in recent months. They were leading by eight points but are now two points behind Rangers.

Rangers aren’t perfect, but they’ve found momentum under new manager Philippe Clement, according to the BBC pundit in the Daily Record.

Celtic have a lot of experience winning titles in recent years, and Brendan Rodgers won trophies with the club during his first spell. But Celtic are going through a difficult period, and it will take a collaborative effort from everyone at the club to turn things around.

“Celtic simply cannot afford to be making any more mistakes at this stage of the season. Rangers aren’t perfect, yet Philippe Clement is getting a tune out of them,” Sutton wrote for the Daily Record.

“I keep hearing people say that Celtic still have an upper hand because they have players who have been over the course before, but the issue is the ones in the squad who now have not. As was shown against Kilmarnock last weekend, your senior boys can only do so much.

“It is not lost. Far from it. But it will take a unified effort and it is time to draw a line under what has gone before. That can, come May, give the the right and definitive title answer.”

Can Celtic secure the Scottish Premiership this season?

Definitely. But it will not be easy. Having squandered the lead and how it happened in tandem with the Rangers improving with each game gives the impression that the momentum has shifted completely.

Celtic has a strong record in Old Firm games in recent years, so those two games are critical. If the Hoops can win those two games, they will be able to reclaim the lead and control their own destiny.

However, they are losing points against other teams, both at home and away, and this must stop. Sutton correctly pointed out in his column that senior players at the club can only play a part and cannot carry the team forward.

Celtic’s summer transfer window signings were poor, and the club did not add enough depth to its squad in January. Unless other players step up and take responsibility, Celtic may struggle to regain the lead.

In other news, “Top guy”… Chris Sutton responds right away to Celtics goalie Joe Hart’s retirement announcement.