December just got interesting

A Treble, only the fourth in Celtic's existence, won for the first time without losing a single, domestic match was a milestone moment.

You don't need to take my word for it that these words were spoken on the programme. Those supporters who archive such moments can vouch for the statement having been made.

People like me are held accountable for what they say, whether it is sound comment or an example of flawed judgement.

But the point is, that was last season.

And Brendan Rodgers was perfectly entitled to pay tribute to those players who made him only the third Celtic manager to win a Treble in the moments that followed the comprehensive defeat from Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.

Now comes the other side of the coin.

This season, Celtic have been humiliated in Europe, witness the twelve goals conceded to Paris St. Germain in the Champions League over two games in Scotland and France.

The millions of pounds spent on the transfer market have resulted in questionable quality being brought to the club.

And a lackadaisical attitude shown towards the growing problems in defence has resulted in Hearts exposing the glaring inefficiency of such as Dedryck Boyata, Jozo Simunovic, Mikael Lustig and Craig Gordon at Tynecastle on Sunday.

And what about Hearts' manager Craig Levein rubbing salt in Celtic's wounds by saying they took Celtic's dodgy performance against Anderlecht in the Champions league as their template for success in a domestic match?

Last season is in the history books for Celtic. In the present day they are living with the sight of cracks appearing all over the place.

The goalkeeper who was once so impressive is now suspect.

Lustig might be on his way to the World Cup finals with Sweden but is being found out at club level.

Olivier N'tcham? Not what you'd expect in exchange for in excess of four million pounds on the transfer market and didn't last beyond half-time at Tynecastle.

Eboue Kouassi? Injury prone and a peripheral figure in the grand scheme of things.

Mussa Dembele? Needs to be sold as soon as possible before his transfer value depreciates to the level where the windfall that was expected for him becomes a pipedream.

Jonny Hayes? Vanished without trace.

Celtic remain top of the Premiership table, but only two points in front of Aberdeen prior to their visit to the defending champions on Saturday.

Celtic's performance level, when compared to last season, has fallen away dramatically and there is now no guarantee of anything. And that includes a win over bottom club Partick Thistle on Wednesday night.

They have become as ordinary as that.

Rangers fans must be kicking themselves that their club is so inefficiently run they are not in a position to take advantage of Celtic's wobble.

Managerless and capable of losing 1-3 to St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday, Rangers are in a rudderless and inadequate state.

If there had been a greater sense of leadership shown at boardroom level then Rangers might have been in a position to take advantage of Celtic's loss of form.

But, for some reason, nobody saw a European defeat from the fourth best team in Luxembourg as being the beginning of the end for Pedro Caixinha's reign at Ibrox.

And no-one had a proper succession plan in place when the Portuguese eventually, and inevitably, fell on his sword after a succession of domestic disasters.

Likewise, nobody knew how, and when, to close out a deal to bring Derek McInnes from Aberdeen to Rangers as Caixinha's replacement.

But, with an unfortunate sense of timing, the club knew enough to put half season ticket books on sale the day before St Johnstone wiped the floor with Rangers. A game which saw existing season book holders evacuate the ground long before their team's misery was complete.

Marketing genius.

As one member of the Twitteratti put it so exquisitely during Saturday's Superscoreboard, Scottish football is in the grip of an epidemic of randomness. Not much makes any sense any more.

Logic and reason said there was no way an injury and suspension ravaged Hearts would end Celtic's invincible run, but they did.

There is also an accepted wisdom that Celtic will win the title this season and clock up seven in a row.

But the month of December just got interesting, with Rodgers' side to face Partick Thistle, Aberdeen and Rangers at home as well as having a Boxing Day trip to Dundee.

Nothing is at was and everything is up for discussion.

If Tynecastle failed to convince you that was the case then maybe you should pay greater attention.

Whichever way you look at it, we've got some fun on our hands

• Hugh Keevins