It did not end with a bang, but there was no whimper either. Two goals from Aberdeen and one from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink doused the burning fuse that threatened to lead to an explosion in the race for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title. There was little whingeing afterwards.

Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, walked into the Pittodrie press room and admitted his side had let it slip. No outbursts, no accusations. Gordon Strachan, his Celtic counterpart, strolled into the Tannadice pressroom and read out a statement. No rant, no rave.

The drama is over and the story has been told. It was a play of three acts. The opening section involved Celtic and Rangers squaring up promisingly. Act II saw Rangers draw clear. The denouement involved a collapse worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy.

The detail, though, is worthy of consideration. Within an hour of Rangers' capitulation, there was the first cloud cuckoo call of summer: a plea on the radio for the sacking of Smith. Strachan, too, will not escape recrimination.

There were mistakes made on both sides. Smith failed to strengthen his side's creativity during the January transfer window, Strachan took too long to see that Steven Pressley was a liability and that Scott Brown was not contributing much of significance in Celtic's midfield. The championship was won by the team with the better players. If one doubts that, name the Rangers players who would be first choice in a joint Old Firm side.

Strachan eventually nudged his side over the line, but Celtic should have won the league more comfortably. Artur Boruc threw away three points at Hibernian, Pressley made a heavy contribution to the concession of another three at Inverness, and there were dreadful draws against Hibs and St Mirren at home.

The Celtic manager was saved by a combination of factors. The fixture congestion undoubtedly took its toll on Rangers but there should be no whinges about that, either. That is the price of competing on four fronts. Barry Robson and Paul Hartley proved an effective central midfield pairing after the sidelining of Brown and Massimo Donati, two big-money Strachan purchases. But the major saviour was Aiden McGeady.

There are those who say that the young wide man has tapered off in recent weeks, but this is to ignore the tactical revisions he has forced managers to undertake. McGeady is now policed by two defenders. Smith changed his formation at Celtic Park in a failed bid to nullify the winger.

Strachan, unbelievably, kept McGeady on the bench for the first Old Firm match. This was a game when Alan Hutton could run 30 yards, fall on his posterior, get up and then cross for the crucial first goal. McGeady, at least, would have made the Rangers right-back's task somewhat more difficult.

McGeady then went on to have a season where he produced moments of genuine creativity on a regular basis. Crucially, he did this away from Celtic Park. Rangers only won once away from home against the top six clubs. They could not find that element of craft to take three points at Aberdeen, Motherwell or Dundee United. McGeady shone on all three grounds, producing a moment of genius early in the year at Pittodrie.

Smith's deficit of attacking flair was compounded by his reluctance to use Chris Burke and Steven Naismith. They cruelly fell to injury just when they might have had an influential say. Thomas Buffel and Alan Gow were also surely worth at least a chance. Smith's problems were exacerbated further by Barry Ferguson, who is still a driving force and neat in possession, but has lost the ability to produce the killer pass and, perhaps, the discipline to maintain a proper midfield shape.

Rangers and Celtic scored the same amount of goals in the league. But Celtic were able to produce them to better effect. They had the guile to create something when the going got tough. It was enough to turn the tide.

The speculation immediately turns to next season. Both managers have big decisions to make. Rangers need a full-back, a centre-half and a classy midfielder. The front line will be revamped.

Kris Boyd is in the departure lounge, Nacho Novo may join him. Daniel Cousin has already been sold once this season.

The man in charge, having built a team hastily during the last pre-season, will be forced to repeat the act. This time the demands to win the league will intensify.

Strachan has problems to solve in midfield, at left-back and up front. But his major dilemma is personal: does he stay or does he go? A decent transfer budget may go some way to making up his mind. If he remains, though, he must spend it wisely. The prospect of Thomas Gravesen returning to Parkhead from an unsuccessful loan spell at Everton is evidence of Strachan's fallibility in the transfer market.