Ronnie Cully and Matthew Lindsay discuss the latest twists and turns in the SPL title race, and relegation battle, with The Herald's Darryl Broadfoot and Graeme Macpherson.

AFTER 10 months of unpredictable results and unfathomable form, there will be one final twist in the SPL title race. This time it will be of the knife - and it will be fatal for one half of the Old Firm.

The results of the weekend, indeed, since the split, have served only to confirm one thing. Neither Celtic nor Rangers has what it takes to go out and win this championship - but both have proved they have what it takes to lose it. ONE BY ONE By Thomas Jordan

BORUC Important Endured a nightmare on his last visit to Easter Road but this time made a fine save to deny Steven Fletcher.

HINKEL Industrious Operated more as a right-side midfielder than full-back.

CALDWELL Leader Displayed leadership qualities and a winning desire.

LOOVENS Steady Didn't have a great deal to do with Celtic enjoying the vast majority of possession.

NAYLOR Appalling If there is a way to gift possession away then he finds it. Surely this is now the priority position for Celtic to improve in the summer.

NAKAMURA Classy His first touch never lets him down, either does his passing, but not enough movement ahead of him to work with.

HARTLEY Excellent More than justified his selection with a commanding display. Must be worthy of a new deal on this evidence.

BROWN Average Can never be accused of not giving everything, but after a bright start he faded.

McGEADY Poor Enjoyed a lot of possession and delivered plenty of crosses but wasn't as influential as he needed to be.

SAMARAS Disappointing Proved once again he can't be relied upon. Doesn't know how to lead the line and appears content to flirt in and out of games and spent the vast majority of his time outside the penalty area.

McDONALD Slack The Aussie didn't have his shooting boots on and blew two excellent opportunities.

VENNEGOOR OF HESSELINK Hungry Replaced Samaras and had a half chance with a header which he failed to direct on target.

MALONEY Missing Made zero impact having come on as Celtic pushed forward trying to save their season with a goal. He looks a shadow of the player who was at Parkhead first time around. STRACHAN His board let him down in the transfer window and he must be concerned this has cost him another title.

Of course, whoever is crowned at around 3.30 on Sunday afternoon will not care about that. Winning is all that matters, the manner of victory a historical irrelevance.

Following Celtic's goalless draw against Hibs - a frustrating result which meant the champions had left more points at Easter Road than at any other SPL ground this season - it is most definitely advantage Rangers.

If Walter Smith's can equal or better Celtic's result on the final day to reclaim the title they last won four years ago, Gordon Strachan will say well done - but know precisely where his side blew it.

Their travails on their travels this season has been a constant handicap.

However, failing to score in two of the four games they have played since the split - at Ibrox and now Easter Road - has been the shortcoming which finally threatens to cost them their title.

Most frustrating for Strachan is that, for one of the few times this seasons, he has had his three big guns - Scott McDonald, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras - all fit when he has needed them most.

But, as they did against Rangers two weeks ago, they all fired blanks in the must-win game against Hibs, a side who have now lost only once in Celtic's last six visits.

There was plenty of ammunition supplied to them, and to several of their team-mates, Hibs electing to sit back and surrender two thirds of the pitch to their visitors.

But Celtic only once managed to ask a serious question of home keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay, who blocked from McDonald's shot after 71 minutes.

The best save of the game actually came in the first half from Artur Boruc when he parried a tremendous bicycle kick effort from Stephen Fletcher.

The vast majority of Celtic's shots and headers went wide or over. And, when the chips are down, this meant the only target they hit was their own foot which was left with a huge gunshot hole in it.

The sight of Celtic players strewn across the Easter Road pitch on the final whistle, distraught, despondent and despairing, said much more than the blank scoreline. Indeeed, seconds before, they had hardly managed to muster more than a token shout when Shunsuke Nakamura was bundled over in the box by Alan O'Brien.

Of course, it is not over. Given what has gone before, both this season and in previous years, no one should feel safe in investing one thin dime on that.

However, Strachan and his backroom staff face a massive week during which they must lift the heads and spirits of their players.

Perhaps one tactic might be to ask them how bad they feel just now - and how much worse they would feel if they failed to win against Hearts on Sunday then discovered Rangers had not collected all three points at Tannadice?

When Strachan sits down with his players, he can use as a starting point the fact they did everything BUT score against Hibs.

He could even dust down the script post-Rangers game, remembering how his players responded after that setback by blasting out of the blocks to defeat Dundee United.

"I got some great performances against Hibs, and you can't go into the dressing room afterwards to shout at them when they play like that," he reflected.

The basic tenet of his next talk with his players is already clear. And, as he sifted over the ashes of the weekend's results, Strachan said: "We've seen it all before in football, in terms of the twists. So it's nothing new.

"We have to win next weekend and hope Dundee United can continue the performances they've shown against the Old Firm.

"The way it stands now, Rangers have it in their own hands, and fair play to them. It's not the ideal situation.

"But we've put ourselves in this position, and we have to deal with it."

Healing hands as well as inspiring words will be required over the next few days as the ankle injury which caused Scott Brown to miss training before yesterday's game and which eventually forced him out of the action with 23 minutes to go is already a cause for concern.

The report relayed from the medical team and passed on by Strachan is that the man who last night added the club's own Player of the Year award to the Players' Union prize was: "Sore and struggling badly."

The manager already knows the midfield driving force will not bow to pain.

And, if at all possible, he will be carrying the fight to Hearts from 1pm on Sunday.

That said, many Celtic players did just that at Easter Road, and it was not enough because no one could deliver the knockout punch required.

Seconds out, 38th and final round. NEED TO KNOW

Was it a good game? Celtic came out to try and win, Hibs showed no such inclination, hence it became more a remake of the Alamo than Shoot-Out At The OK Corral. For all of Celtic's territorial advantage and possession, they could not unlock the deep-sitting home defence. It was a war of attrition with entertainment - and Celtic's title hopes - the main casualties.

Who was Celtic's top player? Captain-for-the-day Gary Caldwell led by example. But, for sheer effort, courage and technique, Shunsuke Nakamura came out just on top.

And Hibs' star man? Rob Jones stood head and shoulders above the rest, and not just because he has a height advantage. He played as though his life, or next move, depended on it.

What about the ref? Iain Brines fought a constant battle to stay on top, cautioning seven Hibs players and still having room in his book for the names of Caldwell and Scott Brown.

Who's up next? It's D-day on Sunday when Hearts come to Celtic Park.