Blocking out the noise from next door, it’s easier said than done. We all know we shouldn’t peep through the curtains or bring a glass to the wall to listen in, but sometimes, we can’t help it.

When one is building their house, ensuring it is ‘nice and beautiful’ having a little peek at what others in the neighbourhood are doing to theirs, is only natural. Even though everybody knows their house will only end up at ‘the top of the stack’ if full love, attention, and commitment to the building process is there.

Celtic are still in the early stages of their house renovation. Ange Postecoglou has wasted no time in getting the hardhat and hi-vis vest on, and bhoy, can he be seen as a man at work.

The foundations have been laid and they’ll continue to be built upon in months to come. As always, a few bricks got misplaced when Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor spent a spell on the treatment table. But a few layers of cement to seal over the cracks kept the progress on track.

Postecoglou now sees his team entering a crucial period of development, but also an exciting one. Continuity is key in maintaining a steady rise. For the next week, the manager’s fingers – and toes – will be crossed that his international Celts return from this break unscathed. The aforementioned McGregor and Kyogo play such a vital role within their national team’s set-up respectively, that an extra prayer for their safe return is never a bad idea.

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Celtic are settled while Rangers are stunned. Their blueprint appears to have a little tear down the middle, one which no-one could’ve, or would’ve, predicted a matter of matches ago.

Celtic could plod on with the plan, remained blinkered and concentrated on their own structure. But what happened the last time the club continued to just plod on when Rangers’ strategy went wayward? Albeit on a lesser scale.

Rangers were allowed to work their way back in and build to where they needed to be. Celtic can’t let history repeat itself – hence the need to take note of what is happening next door. Money must be spent in January, to the extent Postecoglou deems necessary. Not merely to fill the gaps his brickwork has at the moment, but to strengthen on top of that. Pile pressure onto the current team-starters. Ensure every place has at least two challengers vying for the spot.

The buoyancy surrounding the prospect of just how beautiful this house can be is monumental. Fans have bought into the blueprint and are smiling at the first showings – and that’s only the dirty work.

A more favourable run of leagues fixtures are coming post-international break, sandwiched with a League Cup semi-final and crucial Europa League ties.

Celtic cannot sit back, pour themselves a cup of tea and watch the cement dry, they must keep building and building. The hard work must never stop. Or at least when it does, there should be a nice house to sit in and soak it all up.