The fact that Celtic lost the initiative when the destiny of SPL title was within their grasp will spur on everyone at Parkhead this season, according to Paddy McCourt. The goalless draw against Rangers at Ibrox in April left Celtic just one point behind Rangers at the top of the table but with a game in hand and a better goal difference. Following up that draw with wins in their next five games would have guaranteed green and white ribbons decorating the SPL trophy but an unexpected away 3-2 defeat to Inverness handed the initiative back to the Ibrox side who clinched their third successive title on the last day of the season.
Asked if the feeling at Celtic was that they had thrown the league away, the former Derry City player said: "I would probably be lying if I said that there wasn't because at the end of the day, we had it in our hands with five games to go and we let it slip. If we won our five games we would have won the league. If you look back (earlier in the season), I think there were two or three home draws on the spin. People say we lost it then but I still look back at the Inverness game. We didn't turn up that night and we got punished and we are still paying for it. It is still pretty fresh, it is only a couple of months ago and it's not something you just get over quickly. Once you feel that hurt of coming so close, it's not something you want to go through again. To come so close last year, and to play so well in so many games and then to falter is disappointing. We only have ourselves to blame in that respect so we will be hoping to go and put it right this year. Certainly I will be using that to go on. Once the season starts again, hopefully we hit the ground running and we can only try to rectify it by winning it this year."
McCourt knows the importance of stopping Rangers retaining the title under new manager Ally McCoist. The Northern Ireland international said: "A title is important to this club every season. But when it gets to two and three years and you haven't won it, it starts to get more important. Everyone involved with the club will be going all out to get it back."