Brendan Rodgers couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at journalist Keith Jackson during his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s derby at Ibrox.

The Celtic manager, with a grin, referenced Jackson’s recent comments in the Daily Record, where the writer described Celtic’s goalless draw at Tannadice as a “mini-slump”.

With Celtic now 14 points clear of Rangers after back-to-back wins over Motherwell and St Johnstone after the column was written, Rodgers used the opportunity to have the last laugh at the expense of Jackson’s premature predictions.

“Despite our mini slumps,” Rodgers quipped, before breaking into laughter.

Shots fired by Brendan at Keith Jackson.
Box office Brodge 👏 pic.twitter.com/tQRQycWgnw

— Highland__Paddy (@Highland__paddy) December 31, 2024

The timing of Jackson’s remarks has been widely ridiculed by Celtic fans, especially given how the festive fixtures unfolded. While Celtic bounced back emphatically after their Dundee United draw, Rangers struggled, losing to St Mirren and drawing with Motherwell, further extending Celtic’s dominance at the top of the Premiership table.

Jackson had suggested that the Tannadice result reopened the title race, declaring the gap “potentially manageable” for Philippe Clement’s Rangers. Yet, in the space of two matches, Celtic’s lead grew from 9 points to 14, leaving even the most optimistic of Rangers fans questioning the validity of Jackson’s claim.

Rodgers has rarely shied away from the occasional jab at critics, especially when their analysis misses the mark.