Celtic striker Anthony Stokes is hoping SPL title rivals Rangers suffer a slump and allow the Bhoys to catch up.
Bhoys striker crossing fingers Rangers lose form
Celtic striker Anthony Stokes is hoping SPL title rivals Rangers suffer a slump and allow the Bhoys to catch up.
While Neil Lennon's troops have endured a rocky start to the campaign, the Light Blues remain unbeaten in 14 league outings.
That has allowed Ally McCoist's troops to open up a massive 12-point gap at the top of the table, although Celtic do have a game in hand in which they can cut the deficit.
Stokes knows Celtic have been in poor form but thinks they are now hitting their stride, however, he accepts Gers will need to drop points if they are to claw back the gap.
Surprised
"I'm surprised by the points gap but there will always be a period in a season where a team will have a rocky patch. Maybe we've got ours out of the way," commented Stokes.
"Rangers have been on a great run since the start of the season but there will come a time when they will drop points. It's inevitable that will happen. So we just need to concentrate on ourselves.
"With three Old Firm games still to come you never know what might happen."
Celtic were upset on home soil by St Johnstone earlier this season and Stokes believes it was games like that which have temporarily derailed their title challenge.
Chances
He said: "I think back to the St Johnstone defeat at home earlier in the season. How many chances did we have in that game?
"We hit the post two or three times in the second half. On another day that could have been four or five goals.
"So there have been games this season when we have created chances but not put them away.
"The points gap is down to an accumulation of things, not taking our chances in games and being a bit slack defensively.
"I don't really know why we're 12 points behind - if I knew I'd tell the gaffer! We really just need to find consistency in our game and keep winning.
"In the last two matches we've done reasonably well, picked up the points and just have to kick on from there now."
