Cast your mind back to the month of November, season 2011/12. Celtic were sitting third in the then SPL, behind Motherwell and fifteen points adrift of Rangers.
The October before, a 2-0 loss to Hearts at Tynecastle, the infamous 3-3 draw against Kilmarnock, a win at home against Aberdeen and another home draw against Hibs. And that month had followed a 4-2 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox. THAT was a crisis!
Lennon’s men then went on a winning streak of four straight victories throughout November defeating Motherwell 2–1, Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2–0, Dunfermline 2-1 and St Mirren 5–0 and then winning their five December fixtures putting Dundee Utd, Hearts, St Johnston and Kilmarnock to the sword before ending the year at Parkhead in the New Year Derby.
Joe Ledley scored the only goal of that game as Celtic win the final game of 2011 and which saw Lennon overturn a 15 point deficit to a two point advantage in just eight weeks. A remarkable turnaround by Lennon and one the Celtic fans are hoping to see again.
There are remarkable similarities in 2011 to the present day. Loss in the derby. Two games in hand. Poor European results. Defeating Motherwell at Fir Park in almost the exact same day in November. Interestingly, after defeating Motherwell 2-1 at Fir Park on 6th November 2011, the Bhoys went on a 16 game winning run, eventually drawing with Aberdeen 1-1 in March 2012.
The one glaring and obvious difference between that season and this, is Celtic were against a team that had won the previous three league titles. Celtic were up against an experienced side, used to winning trophies and knew how to get over the line. But that Rangers then went into administration and eventual liquidation after season 11/12.
This current Rangers side have no such experience. They have never experienced winning a major domestic honour. They do not know how to win a league. That is not to say they can’t, as their current form suggests they could. But Lennon has the upper hand, the experience and the resolve to get us over the line.
He has proved it once. He can prove it again.