Down to the wire: Mowbray's footsteps are echoing louder as Celtic narrow the gap on Rangers.
Rumours of Celtic's demise proved to be greatly exaggerated as Tony Mowbray's side romped to a 4-1 win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Sunday to go within seven points of SPL leaders Rangers and with a game in hand.
The Hoops had been ruled out of the title race in some quarters after dropping two points against Falkirk last week. However, the opportunity to recover some ground arose when an impotent Rangers side had to rely on a late goal from substitute Andy Little to grab a 1-1 draw against Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday.
Injury-hit Celtic, without a Scot in the starting line-up at Perth and with 18-year-old Josh Thompson making his starting debut at the heart of their creaky defence, struggled against the Saints in the first 45 minutes and went behind to a Liam Craig penalty. But they took advantage of Graham Gartland's dismissal just seconds in to the second half for a 'last man' foul on Marc-Antoine Fortune to run out easy winners in the end.
It's all hotting up rather nicely as we enter the second half of the season and with the transfer window set to close soon. Neither manager, though, will help stoke the fires. Walter Smith has never been one to indulge in hyperbole while Mowbray is learning fast to treat the two imposters of triumph and disaster, in the Old Firm context, just the same.
The Celtic manager, on more than one occasion, has admitted that he does not enjoy his job and he certainly seems incapable of celebrating victory, particularly when a camera or microphone is thrust in front of his face.
You get the feeling the intense former Hibs and West Brom boss would not have enjoyed his evening meal after the St Johnstone game, too busy worrying how he could improve upon the recipe and what he would have for dinner the rest of the week.
After the win over Saints, Mowbray, of course, refused to accept momentum had swung back towards his side, even ever-so-slightly. But all indications are Celtic are set to ease in to February in better shape than their cash-strapped Govan rivals.
Rangers will be without top scorer Kris Boyd for the next few weeks as he recovers from a double hernia operation and the Ibrox hierarchy will be keeping their fingers crossed that he is not tempted down south over the next few days.
Boyd, out of contract and free to speak to other clubs, may leave for the Premier League at the end of the season but as far as most Rangers fans are concerned, that is a worry for another day. Kenny Miller and Pedro Mendes will be back soon while Steven Naismith, Nacho Novo and DaMarcus Beasley are on the mend and the Light Blues' defence will undoubtedly be stronger when Madjid Bougherra returns from international duty.
However, importantly, there will be no new signings at Ibrox for the third transfer window in succession. Smith will need to get through to the end of the season with the same set of players, some of whom, on the evidence of the weekend, are not up to scratch.
Conversely, it's all change at Celtic. Gary Caldwell, Chris Killen, Willo Flood and Barry Robson have all departed down south. While rumours abound that Scott McDonald could be next to leave, Mowbray has strongly denied telling Scott Brown he is set to be sold, making a point on Sunday of telling the media that the midfielder could make a return against Hibs on Wednesday night. McDonald, Shaun Maloney, Stephen McManus and Mark Wilson are also set to come back this week and Landry N’Guemo will soon be back from the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, it is Celtic's new signings that could make the difference to the title race. The Parkhead club have already recruited midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng, stopper Jos Hooiveld and defender Thomas Rogne, while Brondby striker Morten Rasmussen is set to arrive this week.
Mowbray has also been linked with other, more high-profile names such as Curtis Davies, Sean St Ledger and Kevin Kilbane and while there may be no joy with those particular players, at least one more signing will be made.
The second half of the season, with regards the Old Firm, is shaping up to become a battle of management styles. While the Celtic boss has to gel his much-changed squad together quickly, Smith, albeit not through choice, will bank on guiding familiar faces over the course again.
As tension grows by the week in the race for the title, as it inevitably will, fans of Celtic and Rangers will ignore longer-term problems for short-term success. It's unlikely to be pretty but it will undoubtedly be exciting.
If only Dundee United and Hibs had that little bit extra to mount a serious title challenge then we could make a welcome return to the early 1980s, to the time when United and Aberdeen broke the Old Firm duopoly for a period. If only.
