Talking point: Hibs have stopped the rot - but it's impossible to predict where they'll finish

Given the unpredictable nature of this remarkable Scottish Premiership campaign, it is impossible to predict, with any authority, how things are going to pan out for any particular team.

Hibs players celebrate their victory over Celtic.

Two months ago, after smashing Hamilton Accies 6-0, Hibs were being touted as title contenders. Two weeks ago, after collapsing at Kilmarnock, they looked like bottom-six fodder. Other teams in the congested mid-section of the Premiership table, such as St Johnstone, Aberdeen and Hearts, have also had such drastically fluctuating periods of feast and famine.

Even Celtic and Rangers seem to go from one extreme to the other within a matter of days. Instead of proclaiming, after this hugely encouraging victory over the champions, that Hibs will finish in the top six, in the European places or even contend for the title, the sensible approach is merely to state that they have stopped the rot which had set in through November and early December and prevented them picking up a victory in seven consecutive matches.

The gloom has now been lifted after back-to-back victories and supporters are, all of a sudden, able to look ahead to the remainder of the campaign with renewed optimism. Hibs are still not as powerful a team as they were last season, when John McGinn was the midfield heartbeat, but with the defence having been shored up and Florian Kamberi back on the goal trail, they appear well on their way to remedying the problems which were starting to cause widespread concern among support and management alike.

It is impossible to say with any certainty that Hibs will remain on the victory trail for the rest of the year given that they face four consecutive games against sides above them in the table (Rangers home and away, Livingston at home and Hearts at home). Just eight points adrift of top spot and eight points above ninth-place Motherwell, this season could still clearly go either way for them. But the fact they can tackle this challenging year-ending run of fixtures with the knowledge that, despite their recent struggles and without several key men, they still have the beating of the best team in the country has to be viewed as an unexpected but significant festive boon