The appointment of Derek McInnes as manger and arrival of new players Cammy Devlin, Ben Godfrey, Ross McCrorie, Dan Neil, Ivor Pandur and Lawrence Shankland in recent weeks have given longsuffering Rangers supporters fresh hope that next season could, after years of near misses, late collapses and humiliating failures, be different.
Should fans of Celtic be optimistic their club will change as a result of the new man in the dugout at Ibrox and significant squad strengthening work which has been carried out on the other side of the River Clyde early in the summer transfer window?
The Scottish champions’ high heid yins have much work to do to convince the rabble rousers who staged protests in the stands and on the streets throughout their turbulent 2025/26 campaign that they have overhauled and modernised their structure and working practices and are now well placed to deal with the many challenges they face.
Their more partisan followers – like the ultras who unfurled an anti-board banner in the final minutes of a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final win over Dunfermline at Hampden back in May that completed a domestic double – will not be content until principal shareholder Dermot Desmond and his cohorts have been hounded out and replaced whatever they do.
Still, the capture of Colombian striker Camilo Duran for £6m from Azerbaijan outfit Qarabag last week did suggest they have learned invaluable lessons from their past mistakes and will be less parsimonious and ponderous when conducting their business going forward.
Cynics might very well snort, “Well, it took them long enough!” Celtic have been crying out for another top-class forward since Kyogo Furuhashi was sold to Rennes in France for £10m in January last year. The absence of a prolific predator up front has cost them dear at home and abroad since.
Yes, Kelechi Iheanacho, who manager Martin O’Neill revealed he was keen to re-sign after an opening pre-season friendly against Shelbourne in Dublin on Tuesday evening, is a quality footballer who has pitched in with some important goals and become a bit of a cult hero in the East End of Glasgow.
But the Nigerian internationalist, who was brought in for free in September after the Champions League play-off defeat to Kazakh minnows Kairat that was the catalyst for the unrest, is somewhat injury-prone and unable to complete 90 minutes when fit.
It has been nothing short of a disgrace that Celtic have often been forced to deploy a winger in attack in important fixtures and a minor miracle their dearth of options in the final third did not result in them losing their grasp on the league trophy.
All of that said, Duran does look to be a shrewd acquisition. Good strikers are very hard to come by these days and clubs often end up paying over the odds to get them. But the 24-year-old netted 15 times last term, including on no fewer than 10 occasions in the Champions League, and provided 10 assists. He cost a pretty penny, but not an outlandish sum.
Landing an individual who could prove to be a key player in the months ahead in early July and not in the final days, in the final hours even, of August, as has often been the case in years gone by, appears to be a step in the right direction which augurs well for the remainder of the window and beyond.
Being linked with a £10m move for Haissem Hassan, the Real Oviedo winger who was so impressive for Egypt in their classic World Cup last 16 encounter with Argentina last week, and Mory Gbane, the ball-winning Ivorian midfielder who is currently on the books at Reims in France, has buoyed Celtic sorts no end.
But with Kasper Schmeichel retiring and Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and possibly Arne Engels all looking set to exit, the Parkhead club must ace their recruitment and then some during this close season. That is not something they have really done since Ange Postecoglou was in charge.
The continuing absence of a director of football-type figure makes the “Not A Penny More” brigade despair and doubt their ability to successfully navigate what is an increasingly difficult market.
Desmond is not the sort of character who will be “bullied by aggressive or irrational factions”. At times, like when he considered bringing in former Maccabi Tel Aviv manager Robbie Keane this summer, you suspect he is deliberately baiting “those whose only vocation in life is to be anti-establishment”.
Given the shameful personal abuse and sickening threats of violence which decent, competent and hard-working employees were subjected to at the height of their troubles last season, his stubborn refusal to by cowed by their demands is understandable in some respects.
But will the serious threat to Celtic’s domestic dominance which a resurgent Rangers now pose finally force his hand and result in overdue improvements both on and off the field?
Their ancient adversaries have a savvy and experienced manager with proven track record in Scottish football in situ. They have a professional, forward-thinking, streamlined set-up. They interact openly, regularly and constructively with their supporters. They look to have made some excellent signings. They have owners with considerable means who are accountable to the media.
There have, of course, been false dawns before. The Bears were purring contentedly this time last year as Russell Martin brought in the likes of Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Thelo Aasgaard, Oliver Antman, Jayden Meghoma, Bojan Miovski and Derek Cornelius in quick succession. They finished third in the league and ended up trophyless once again. However, things do feel a lot different this time around.
Celtic have an inspirational, talismanic, wily manager in O’Neill, an abundance of talent and strong financial foundations. But they may need to take a different approach to their recruitment, to their youth development, to their scouting, to their fan engagement, to their communication strategy, to their overall stewardship, to fend off this fresh bid to end their superiority and finish first next May.
