Celtic have put down the transfer scattergun and adapted to the changing European football landscape, a move that could leave Scottish Premiership rivals high and dry. The Parkhead protests have died down as fans see new faces arriving at the club.
Dermot Desmond was public enemy no.1 last season after a battle of egos clash with Brendan Rodgers. The rammy threatened to rip the club apart, but there are signs of the pieces being put back together.
Champions League revival
Last Wednesday's Champions League thriller against LASK was more like the good old days at Parkhead, with everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. If the Hoops can finish the job in Austria this weekend, the sack the board banners might be getting taken to the dump.
It's not perfect at Parkhead. They could still be quicker in the transfer market, they could have taken out more insurance policies in key areas, and they should have some kind of strategy beyond Martin O'Neill. But there are indications some lessons have been learned down Kerrydale Street.
European landscape shift
The next week or so could have huge ramifications for Celtic and Scottish football. If Celtic complete the job, the cash floodgates will be open again, and it's the rest of Scottish football who will end up soaked.
The European landscape is changing for Scottish clubs next year. Our champions will face three ties to get to the Champions League. Second spot will head to the Europa Conference qualifiers along with the third-place finishers, while only the Scottish Cup winners will get a crack at the Europa League. This makes getting to the Champions League and winning the Premiership title this season more important than ever.
Financial position
Celtic's chief finance officer Chris McKay warned about this in his pre-recorded video section before last year's bad-tempered AGM got abandoned. It might have been headline news if it wasn't for Ross Desmond reading out his old man's stinging statement that sent the room into an uproar. Yet McKay was right. Europe is going to get a heck of a lot tougher for everyone as we're heading towards the coefficient badlands.
But at least Desmond and Celtic have finally done something about it. There might be no sign of a head of football operations or any official recruitment boss, but Mark Cooper and James Bell-Walker, who are leading the talent spotting team, are doing the business. Celtic's Dennistoun Analytics is finally flying again.
The scatter gun has been put down, and instead Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan all look quality additions. The others in the pipeline all have pedigree or promise. There are no guarantees they'll all stay fit and firing, but right now it's ominous for the rest.
Celtic are still around £8m up for the summer, despite spending up to £30m, thanks to the sales of Arne Engels, Daisen Maeda and some fringe men. There's £70m plus in the bank and potentially another 40 large on the way. Point is, there's plenty of scope for more.
If Celtic avoid any nonsense in Linz, they'll likely hit the button on another couple of biggies that will have Rangers and the rest swallowing hard. A couple of heavy hitters coming in plus a few late loans here or there to fill in the squad gaps and the tide will have turned. The Hoops could be high and dry while the rest are left in their wake.
