Hatate could hold key to Celtic's pursuit of success

As ever, the noise lingers long after the final whistle.

Sunday's storm hasn't so much blown over as drifted into an all too familiar pattern, with Rangers supporters tying themselves in knots to explain away the obvious.

Apparently Dujon Sterling's handball wasn't a penalty. Apparently rebounds shouldn't count. Apparently Julian Araujo committed some phantom crime against Nico Raskin that warranted a red card.

We've seen it all before. And it's nothing more than good old-fashioned deflection.

Deflection from their own failings, deflection from their inability to hold on to a two-goal lead, and deflection from the fact the draw may well have put an end to their title hopes.

And it will rumble on, right up until kick-off at the weekend, when we can do it all over again.

Before all that however, Celtic's focus shifts to Pittodrie and a tricky midweek trip to face Aberdeen.

And following Sunday's second-half turnaround the spotlight is shining firmly on Reo Hatate given his game-changing performance at Ibrox.

After the match, Callum McGregor described his Japanese team-mate as a "player that can do special things", referencing recent performances against Stuttgart and now Rangers.

But there was another line from the captain that perhaps highlights the frustrating inconsistency we've seen from Hatate at times this season. McGregor said: "He's a real high-level player and you have to stay on top of him all the time to get the best out him."

Those eight words stand out: "you have to stay on top of him…"

Hatate is now 28. It's a World Cup year and he has still has a chance – albeit slim – of making the Japan squad.

He's now been at Celtic for four years – so he knows what it's all about. On the surface, it feels curious a player of his undoubted talent and experience needs coaxing towards the levels we all know he's capable of.

But footballers are human. We don't see the full picture - the knocks, the doubts, the personal burdens that all take place behind the scenes.

Perhaps the player thought a move elsewhere in Europe - or even back home - may have materialised by now. And who knows what assurances were made to him on his arrival in Scotland in January 2022.

What we do know is this - when Hatate hits top gear, there isn't a midfielder in Scotland who can live with him.

If Sunday was the spark Hatate needed, and not just a flicker of his former exploits, then these 10 ten league games - and a Scottish Cup run - could look very different indeed.

Keep Hatate firing and Celtic's chances of success this season rise dramatically.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange