IF the whirring of a helicopter’s rotor can still invite painful echoes for John Hartson, the former Celtic striker, he senses no change in direction over these next few weeks.

Rangers’ Scottish Cup semi-final win over Celtic at Hampden on Sunday, a result that came on the back of the Ibrox side setting themselves up for a semi-final Europa League tie against Leipzig, has fed a narrative that the Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men can make for antsy finale to the campaign.

Celtic allowed the title to slip from their grasp in 2005 when they lost on the final day of the season at Fir Park, having gone into the game two points clear of Rangers and leading until the 88th minute. Hartson was part of that – aging – squad but has maintained that there are few parallels to draw between then and now.  

“There is one more game against Rangers to come at Celtic Park and now you are playing the teams in the top six so you know it is going to competitive and there are no easy games,” he said. “But they do have a good cushion – that six points is realistically seven with the goal difference – and I can’t see them letting it slip.

“We made the crucial error in 2005 when we lost to Motherwell and Rangers won it but I just cannot see that happening. I think Celtic are a different animal these days under Ange.”

Still, all eyes will be on Dingwall on Sunday as Celtic head north to take on Malky Mackay’s side who have made life difficult on their patch this season for both Celtic and Rangers; the Parkhead side needed a 97th minute goal on their previous visit while the Ibrox side dropped points after a 3-3 draw at the end of January, a result that then gave Celtic the impetus to go to the top of the league four days later with their derby win at Celtic Park.

This week will have felt like a long hangover for Celtic as the Hampden post-mortem has played out with Hartson pointing to the influence of captain Callum McGregor within the dressing room as pivotal to those around him keeping their eyes firmly on the league title.

“I have so much admiration for Callum McGregor and how he has taken the armband on,” said Hartson. “He is a fantastic professional and a great leader and this week I am sure that he will be at Lennoxtown and rallying the lads for the game at the weekend.

“Sunday has gone now and it is all about pushing for the title now. Guys like Callum who have been over the course before and know what it is all about are important because you always know that there is a little noise if you lose a game to Rangers. Celtic just need to keep their focus now and do what they have been doing for most of the season.” 

Outwith Greg Taylor’s goal, the biggest cheer from the Celtic support at Hampden was for the arrival of Kyogo Furuhashi. The Japanese striker made his first appearance since rupturing his hamstring on Boxing Day when he came off the bench but his performance was laboured as he struggled to sustain the tempo of the game.

A further week’s training ought to help him with Hartson anticipating that he could still have a telling say on Celtic’s push towards the title run-in.

“It was hard for him on Sunday,” reflected the Welshman. “He was up against big powerful centre-halves and I thought Celtic missed Giorgos Giakoumakis. He will come. He was a hero for Celtic in the last final at Hampden and it just didn’t quite happen for him on Sunday but he will play a part now in the run-in. He looked short of match fitness but that is to be expected when you look at how long he has been out for. But we all know he has that little bit of quality and you are always thinking that if he is on the pitch that he might do something magic for you. It will come. He just needs minutes in his legs.”

Referee Bobby Madden has come in for criticism in the aftermath of the game. Hartson was among his post-match critics but was reluctant to use the whistler’s performance as a reason for the outcome.  

“I won’t sound bitter and say that Celtic deserved it and Rangers didn’t,” he said. “I thought Rangers edged it and I think Celtic can play an awful lot better but I do think that the game hinged on a couple of big decisions and a few big moments. If Cameron Carter-Vickers scores, it is game over.  

“I still think it has been a magnificent season when you think of what Ange took over when he first came in. To be six points clear with five games to go – and a goal difference of 19 – is a strong position to be in. Celtic need to make sure they don’t get too affected by Sunday’s result. They have already won the League Cup and they are in a very strong position to go and wrap up the title and if they go and win the double then I think that Ange would deserve massive credit.”