Belief Returns — But Complacency Cannot

So, we comprehensively defeated Aberdeen in midweek — and judging by the stats and the highlights, we could easily have won by more than 3–0. It’s the story of Celtic time and again in this division: dominant, comfortable, and occasionally guilty of easing off when the job looks done. We need to be clinical — much more clinical. I’ve seen us lose championships on goal difference. I’ve seen us lose by a single point. Nothing is guaranteed in this league, and we cannot stroll towards the next flag day assuming no one will challenge us. Everyone is lining up to challenge us. Of course they are. Of course they should.

Yes, we’ve won four out of four in the league so far — eleven scored, two conceded. But Hearts have now put three wins together, and our city rivals have done the same. All three clubs have gone through major upheaval over the summer, and tonight’s opponents, St Mirren, have started superbly with three wins and a draw. Celtic need to be sharp from the first whistle if we’re to maintain the strong start to defending a title won in such unforgettable circumstances last season.

And in the middle of all this, the transfer window closed — bringing with it a handful of peculiar loan signings in the final 48 hours. Even stranger was the Europa League squad selection. The message received is pretty clear: domestic bread‑and‑butter is the priority this season. A hard sell, perhaps, when loyal supporters are once again asked to dip into their pockets for Europa League ticket packages that have risen by around 47% since last year.

I’ll watch it on Setanta…

Oh, no, wait…

It’s far too early to judge any of the late arrivals — though one of them turning up injured is not the greatest optic. They’ll get the usual warm welcome and encouragement from the support. But we’ve been here before: the last batch of loanees arrived with hope and left with barely a ripple.

Yet despite all that, there are reasons to be excited. We’ve found a bona fide superstar in Durán — that much is certain. Høgh, once fully fit, will be a frightening prospect for most SPL defences. Hassan is finally starting and already looks like he’ll bring something special to the attack. Three quality players, and for a moment I was reminded of the ‘three amigos’ of yesteryear — Di Canio, Van Hooijdonk, Cadete. What a triumvirate they were. They only played together for one season, thanks to contract disputes and broken promises, but they lit up Scottish football. And even then, we didn’t win a single trophy that year. That was thirty years ago.

Now we have a new holy trinity — and I genuinely believe they could fuel us towards a record‑breaking season and a deep European run. The important thing is that I believe. I haven’t had much of that lately.

This is good. But it won’t be good for St Mirren.