Rangers might not do walking away – but they certainly do getting carried away.
You’d be forgiven for thinking they’d won the Champions League at Celtic Park on Sunday given the way they celebrated.
Don’t get me wrong. Rangers deserved to win. It was an impressive display, especially on the back of getting through to the Europa League last eight against Fenerbahce.
But come off it – they walked off the pitch still 13 points behind Celtic in the Premiership. If we did that under Martin O’Neill he’d have had us straight up the tunnel and doing laps around Barrowfield all week.
To be giving it the big one in front of their supporters on Sunday was some brass neck. It was only a few weeks ago the same fans were baying for blood.
I know the result and performance meant something. I’m not being a killjoy, they deserve some bit of light after a horrendous domestic season.
But have a bit of perspective. it goes back to what I’ve been saying most of this campaign. Rangers are a decent side but they have been mentally weak and it’s shown in some of their results.
It’s no use producing displays and results like this and then slumping against St Mirren, Motherwell and Queens’ Park.
I’d have been kicking myself at full-time at the thought of beating Celtic twice in three games and still being so far back, certainly not celebrating.
That’s the kind of small-fry attitude that’s got Rangers in this position. But, fair play to Rangers for pulling off the victory. And as far as Celtic are concerned, Sunday might actually be a good thing for them.
I go back to the Ronny Delia Scottish Cup semi-final defeat on penalties to Rangers a few years ago. That game was a kind of reality check. It was a warning not to rest on your laurels.
And with the likes of Dermot Desmond in the stands that day, they responded by going out and getting Brendan Rodgers in as boss.
Sunday will have shown that for all they have this lead and are well on course for a treble, there is still work to be done this summer.
The Celtic bench proved it. For all the talk about their strength in depth, it was pretty slim pickings and Rodgers didn’t have too many options.
I know Paulo Bernardo was out, along with Auston Trusty and Liam Scales, but it’s not like there was an injury crisis.
Too many players had real off days and the failure to sign another striker to replace Kyogo in January also hit home.
It’s difficult for a team to have an edge when they’re 16 points clear and there’s not much jeopardy going in. I get that.
But it also comes from the top. Letting Kyogo go mid-season with no replacement sends out a message that the board thinks the league is done as well.
No one can tell me that would have been allowed to happen if the gap was only a couple of points. It’s complacency – and that’s something Celtic cannot afford ahead of next season.
There can be talk about whether or not Rangers are coming. They’re already there. They have proved they can be a match for Celtic on the field and if they can figure out how to deal with the rest of the Scottish clubs, it will be a different ball game.
Celtic have to be prepared. There’s been a lot to admire about them this season. They’ve been streets ahead and the consistency they’ve shown has been remarkable.
It’s tough going through the winter months but they kept racking up the wins to put themselves in pole position.
They’re in a strong position to go on and win the Treble – which is an incredible achievement.
There has been tangible improvement in Europe and the Champions League campaign was commendable.
But they need to get the foot down again. And there is now a doubt over how they handle games against Rangers.
Celtic have conceded three goals in each of the last three derbies – and it’s four times in six games if you go back to the 3-3 draw at the end of last season.
That would suggest Rangers have figured out a way to play against Celtic and it’s up to Rodgers to respond.
Defensively it’s not been good enough. Rodgers wouldn’t have expected so many of his players to be so far off it on Sunday.
But that is also why it’s important to strengthen again, to rejuvenate and provide competition for places.
Rangers shouldn’t get carried away by their first win at Parkhead in years and, likewise, Celtic shouldn’t go overboard and panic either.
But these derby displays should give the Celtic board plenty to ponder as they can’t afford to sleepwalk their way into the summer.