Not for the first time, Celtic’s Green Brigade ultras have made the rest of us wonder if they should be subject to spot checks for mind-bending substances when they enter Celtic Park. Their show of petulance following their team's 0-0 draw at home to St Johnstone was embarrassing.

Next Sunday, Celtic will face Rangers at Ibrox without the backing of any of their supporters, thus making a formidable challenge even tougher. They do so minus several players, who would otherwise have been considered certain starters. Celtic’s players will also enter that arena with the memory of their own supporters jeering them still ringing in their ears.

No one would suggest that this will have any bearing on the players’ attitude or commitment in this match of matches. But for some - especially the club’s newest recruits - the realisation that a section of their own supporters has been happy to abuse them as they maintained their position at the top of the league will not have done anything to boost their confidence.

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According to some supporters, Celtic - three games into the new season - are already in a full-blown crisis. They claim that we’re destined for a repeat of the Covid season when a perfect storm of adverse circumstances gathered to prevent Celtic from winning their tenth league title in a row. Their solution for the calamity of winning two and drawing one of their opening three fixtures and sitting at the top of the league is to make good on Celtic’s cash advantage over Rangers and spend big in the transfer market.

This is because it seems that we’ve been buying only ‘project’ players who are not considered oven-ready for the ‘cauldron’ of the SPL. This is despite the fact that most of our new purchases were regular starters in countries ranked several places above Scotland in the world FIFA rankings.

This is a special type of insanity that some psychologists say can afflict those who suddenly come into money and feel it has to be spent on fripperies. Let’s speak frankly here: even if Celtic had a half-billion-pound transfer budget it wouldn’t help us to get anywhere near those £15 million-plus players that we would all like to see in the Hoops.

Any player carrying that level of price tag would simply laugh at the prospect of playing in Scotland, both on plastic pitches and where only one other club, perhaps, can provide the level of competition to which they’re accustomed.

Agents throughout the world will have been alerted to the fact that Celtic are under pressure to make several purchases in the frenzied few days before the transfer deadline. Accordingly, they and their clubs will inflate the value of half-decent players, no better than those we already have. In these circumstances, you face being landed with an Albian Ajeti or a Vasilis Barkas.

In some seasons, you can get lucky and find that players such as Moussa Dembele or Odsonne Edouard are available. Or that one of England’s Middle East factory clubs cannot accommodate, someone like Patrick Roberts. But players such as these being available at clearance prices are not common.

Two years ago, Celtic secured Reo Hatate and Kyogo … but only because the club had a manager who had actually managed in the J1 League. Their success has now alerted many other clubs across Europe to the riches available in Japan. Besides, Celtic needs to maintain a decent measure of home-grown players.

It’s just that when Celtic do sign Scottish players or field players from our youth academy, some Celtic supporters start acting as if they’re international gourmands in a Kentucky Fried Chicken shop. One so-so game from our Scottish players and the toys are flung out of the pram. Overseas players are given far more wriggle room.

Celtic have just gone two games in succession without scoring for the first time in several years. And of course, this is concerning. But let’s consider each of those games. The first one against Kilmarnock was played on a pitch that was barely above the standard of a Pitz five-a-side surface. Yes, we won comfortably there last season, but have struggled on other occasions.

They were up against a resurgent side who have been moulded into a tight and disciplined unit by a very astute manager. And, of course, ‘The Anomaly’ force field was very strong around the match officials in this one. If you’re going to lose at Rugby Park in such circumstances, better that it’s the League Cup and not the League.

And oh dear; it means then treble has gone for this season. What an utter calamity. Aye right. It would seem that some amongst the support believe Celtic should be doing trebles as regularly as Oliver Reed during Happy Hour in a Soho flophouse. Celtic have done five in seven seasons. Again, if you’re going to lose one of the big three cups, then let it be the League Cup. 

Against St Johnstone, Celtic made enough chances to win several games but were faced with a top-class display of goalkeeping from a player who is already attracting the attention of the Bulgarian international manager. Aside from the injuries, two of Celtic’s most influential players from the last two seasons – Jota and Carl Starfelt – suddenly left the club in circumstances that rendered any attempt by Celtic to keep them superfluous.

There are also some supporters who believe that Celtic are miles ahead of Rangers in every department of the team. They still think that the fives and fours of the first Brendan Rodgers spell are just around the corner.  This also flies in the face of reality. Michael Beale is getting a tune out of his players, and this was evident in the second half of Rangers home Champions League qualifier against a good PSV Eindhoven side, who are favourites to win the Dutch title this season.

Yet, Rangers’ small-minded and fearful attitude to having Celtic fans inside Ibrox for the Glasgow Derby is a risky strategy, which has already put them at a major disadvantage. The ultimate destination of the title may come down to the collective outcomes of Celtic’s four league meetings with them.

Thus, with a single-point advantage, Rangers’ best chance of overhauling Celtic in this little cockpit round of fixtures rests on them being able to take something from the two matches at Celtic Park. But - since none of their supporters will be there - that task becomes just a little bit harder.

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Just because Celtic have more money than anyone else in Scotland and won the treble, doesn’t mean that they can’t encounter periods of transition. Other iconic clubs across Europe of a similar size such as Ajax, Benfica and Anderlecht must occasionally negotiate them too, knowing that any players who shine for them won’t be hanging around very long and that they’re playing in leagues that can’t attract superstars.

Indeed, when Ajax did come under pressure to spend big a couple of years ago, they chose to blow £20 million on Calvin Bassey. No disrespect to Bassey - who played very well in Scotland - but that’s what can happen when you’ve got a lot of money and real £20 million players still refuse to play in your league.

Celtic should not be tempted to do anything stupid with their money over the next few days and keep faith in the ability of an elite-level manager to get this team functioning once again.