Just 12 months ago, after a woeful defeat at Kilmarnock had seen Celtic fall at the first hurdle in the Premier Sports Cup, it was abundantly clear that the spark had already gone from Brendan Rodgers’ return to the club.
There would be no immediate continuation of the all-conquering Treble-winning machine that Rodgers had built during his first spell in Glasgow.
In the inquest which followed, supporters were furious about the style of play and lack of quality signings coming through the door. That mood music would last for much of the season.
What a difference a year makes. In the here and now, Celtic have come flying out the traps in the new season, with Sunday’s 3-1 win over Hibernian booking their place in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.
They sit top of the Premiership, having won their opening two games, and are playing far better football than they did at any point last season.
One bookmaker has already paid out on them winning the league this season. Not only that, given the shambles that is unfolding at Rangers, Celtic are strong favourites to win a Treble.
Rodgers is bullish about his side’s European hopes this season but Celtic have much to prove
Celtic came flying out of the blocks against Hibs to advance to the League Cup quarter-finals
Rodgers chats to Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca ahead of an impressive pre-season victory
If they don’t win the league by a margin of at least a dozen points, as well as lifting both domestic cups, they will have fallen short.
Yet, for all Celtic are in a better position now than they were 12 months ago, that won’t be the barometer against which they are judged.
With the Champions League coming sharply into focus next month, it will be their ability to make an impact in Europe that will determine whether or not they really have stepped it up from last year.
Rodgers was asked about this on Sunday afternoon shortly after the dust had settled on a victory over Hibs that was far more comfortable than the 3-1 scoreline suggests.
Asked about the need to strengthen the squad over these final two weeks of the transfer window, he replied: ‘I think this period is straightforward.
‘I said before the first game that the reality is that the team won’t change too much.
Celtic stars look disconsolate at the end of their 6-0 hammering away to Atletico Madrid
‘The guys on the side have to be ready to come in. It is not complicated.
‘You have no midweek games, so you can keep your rhythm, momentum and flow, but we have to have energisers to come in.
‘After the international break, the games through until March are heavy. If we want to have the intensity in our game to sustain it, we will need a stronger squad.
‘Yeah, we have a few areas that I would like to do [strengthen], but I can’t tell you.
‘I don’t just want to be in the Champions League for participation. It has to be more than that. The challenge is obviously huge, but I think we can make a mark in it.
‘Now, with the different format with eight games, there’s certain criteria you need in order to improve.
‘We weren’t that far away last year. You look at some of the performance levels we had, especially at home, we were very close.
‘With the right level of player to come in who can really help us, that allows us to be competitive, not just participating in the competition.’
Celtic skipper Callum McGregor suffers after his side were outclassed by Real Madrid in 2022
As was the case during his first spell at Parkhead, Celtic don’t pay Rodgers top dollar simply to sweep all before him in the SPFL every season.
Showing an ability to reverse years of abject failure in Europe will be his ultimate proving ground moving forward in the new season. Everything Celtic do over this final fortnight of the transfer window will be viewed through the prism of the Champions League.
In that respect, the squad is in a better place than it was 12 months ago. For starters, neither Nicolas Kuhn nor Adam Idah were part of the Champions League squad last year.
Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers are both now fully fit once again, having been plagued by injuries for large chunks of last season.
So Celtic are stronger than they were for last season’s Champions League, although still not as strong as Rodgers would like them to be. Both things can be true at the same time.
News came through yesterday that Brighton have lodged an official offer for Matt O’Riley. This one feels like it has turned into a bit of a saga, although that’s not necessarily Celtic’s fault.
Rodgers endured some bruising nights in the Champions League first time around
They have made it clear that they won’t budge on their £25million valuation of the Danish international. That is Celtic’s prerogative, but it does feel like an exit is now moving closer.
How they replace their star midfielder will, of course, be pivotal to their aspirations both domestically and in Europe over the coming season.
It’s still too early to pass any definitive judgment. Much could yet unfold over these final two weeks of the transfer window.
But, in domestic terms, Celtic have taken an awfully long time to stand still. In signing the likes of Idah and Paulo Bernardo, they have only recruited players who were already in the building last season.
The main reason why fans are so confident of a domestic clean sweep is because, even though Celtic have largely stood still, Rangers have fallen off a cliff and regressed beyond all measure.
That said, there is still a lot of deadwood on the books at Celtic. In the win over Hibs on Sunday, Rodgers brought the likes of Luis Palma and Yang Hyun-jun off the bench.
The arrival of Idah was welcome but is seen by very few as any kind of European impact signing
Gustaf Lagerbielke, Yuki Kobayashi, Tomoki Iwata and Mikey Johnston are still hanging around a bloated squad.
Rodgers will look to trim the fat before the window closes, whilst also adding at least two or three more players of genuine quality and substance.
He will look to add a quality centre-half, another midfielder and a winger who can play from the left. If he can make three quality additions in those areas, it will have been a decent window all things told.
He spoke last week of Celtic aiming higher in the market and trying to sign three players in the £6m bracket, rather than nine players for £2m each.
The outlay would still equate to £18m, but the club would have greater quality at their disposal. Celtic should have opted for this model long ago rather than signing project players.
While O’Riley (centre) may soon be gone, the likes of Gus Lagerbielke and Odin Holm remain
But with £76m cash reserves in the bank, and another £40m in Champions League money this season, the club are in a position to arm Rodgers with the tools he needs.
Especially if another £25m is to be pumped into the coffers with the sale of O’Riley now seemingly moving ever closer.
Celtic are stronger than they were 12 months ago. That much is unarguable. But there’s still much work to do if they aren’t just to be fodder for the big beasts of European football in the Champions League.