Hoops fans areentitled to feel entitled ... of club's huge half cashpile's from THEIR pockets

Lack of investment could prove so costly

- Michael Gannon

ENTITLED - a word thrown about a lot this season and chucked at Celtic fans launching toys out the pram at an increasing rate.

Perhaps now it should be de-titled. Maybe un-titled. Either way, right now it looks pretty unlikely the word title is going to be in any use at Parkhead come the end of term.

It might seem a tad early to be declaring with Rangers just two points ahead. But there is a pile of evidence to suggest this is only going one way.

This should be the start of the chase for the line but for fans it feels more like the end. Rangers could be five points ahead by the time Celtic kick off at Motherwell next Sunday and the Premiership tectonic plates have shifted.

The white flag won't go up but you have to wonder where the seismic switch in form is coming from. It's not like Celtic are out of form. This is their form. It's not top players off the boil. It's bang-average ones who might not have enough levels to rise.

Reo Hatate won't be back until March but he couldn't get in the side at the start of the season. Cameron Carter-Vickers will help but his campaign is already close to being a write-off.

Don't bet on seeing Liel Abada again, never mind getting him back to producing the goals and assists that were so keen in the last two seasons.

This team is trending entirely in the wrong direction. Celtic have already dropped points in seven games this season - which is one more than all of last term.

And three of those last year came after the engraver had his hands on the Premiership trophy.

As it stands, Celts are on course to finish with 90 points, which might be enough to get over the line in some scraps.