Giovanni van Bronckhorst has acknowledged Celtic’ superior consistency and staying power in winning the SPFL Premiership title.
On Saturday the Dutchman picked up the Scottish Cup after watching his side beat Hearts in extra-time but the big prize had slipped away since the turn of the year.
Celtic took seven out of nine points from three Glasgow derbies but the advantage gained in those matches has to be consolidated in the other fixtures.
Only in two matches against Dundee United did Celtic drop points after going ahead with one of those the Tannadice title clincher earlier this month.
Van Bronckhorst saw his side pegged back to draws from winning positions away to Aberdeen and Ross County while a 2-0 advantage over Motherwell in February also ended in a draw.
Additionally Celtic enjoyed last gasp winners away to Ross County in December and at home to Dundee United a month later.
Those sort of victories make a huge difference when the final league table is published, reflecting on the differences between the top two clubs in The Scotsman, van Bronckhorst explained:
In the season, we need to have a good run and stability. The consistency we had in Europe we didn’t have in the league where we lost too many points in the last minutes of the game.
They were games we should have won earlier. If you drop too many points in the games, you fall behind. That was the difference between us and Celtic.
Celtic had a very consistent run and that’s why they are the champions this year.
With Ange Postecoglou expecting more from his squad in Season Two Celtic should start 2022/23 in a far stronger position. Of the 21 points that Celtic dropped over 38 matches 11 of them occurred in the first seven SPFL fixtures which is one area of obvious improvement.
