Celtic boss Martin O’Neill is fully expecting a difficult start to the new season as his side get ready to begin their Premiership title defence.
The Parkhead faithful know only too well how last campaign unfolded. The Bhoys endured a slow and stuttering start that left them playing catch-up for large parts of the title race.
It took a strong second-half surge and plenty of character to eventually get the job done and reclaim the championship.
That experience still lingers in the minds of players, staff and supporters alike.
O’Neill arrived midway through last season and quickly steadied the ship. His impact was decisive.
He restored belief, organised the side and guided Celtic over the line when it mattered most. Now the challenge is different.
For the first time in this particular chapter of his relationship with the club, the Northern Irishman will be in charge from the very first whistle of a new campaign.
Supporters are eager to see what he can produce with a full pre-season and the chance to shape the team in his image from day one.
His previous spells at Celtic remain fondly remembered, and many hope this latest stint will add another successful chapter to that history.
The summer transfer window, however, has left a mixed feeling around the club.
While Celtic have managed to invest around £16 million in two new strikers, the overall recruitment drive has not gone as smoothly as many expected. There is still a clear sense that more work needs to be done to strengthen the squad.
Fans have not hidden their frustration at the pace and nature of the business so far.
Several key areas of the team still look thin, and the window is far from closed. Celtic are very much in catch-up mode.
Insiders expect a busy few weeks ahead at Parkhead as the club looks to add further quality before the deadline.
In the meantime, O’Neill and his players must prepare to start the season with the squad currently available.
That group still includes several players whose futures remain uncertain, among them Arne Engels and Reo Hatate, both of whom continue to be linked with moves away.
Celtic’s opening fixture comes against Dundee, although the match will take place three days after the official Premiership kick-off on Friday night. Dundee finished in the bottom half of the table last season, yet they were competitive enough to finish second in the bottom-six split.
Their points total was only three fewer than local rivals Dundee United, underlining that they were far from an easy opponent for any side. History between the two clubs last season supports that view.
O’Neill warns of Dundee threat
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, O’Neill was measured but clear in his assessment of the challenge ahead. “I’m just about looking forward to it (the season ahead),” he said.
“The same buzz, the same excitement, the same fears, the same everything.”
He then turned specifically to Dundee and offered a warning that Celtic supporters should take seriously.
“Dundee caused us all sorts of problems last year. Certainly in the time that I’ve been here, they’ve been really difficult games.
And we were 30 seconds away from them knocking us out the Scottish Cup. They played brilliantly and of course we won that game in extra time. They were tough games and I expect the same again.”
Those words carry weight. O’Neill is not a manager who overstates threats for effect.
When he highlights the difficulty Dundee caused Celtic last season, including that narrow Scottish Cup escape, it is a genuine reminder that complacency would be dangerous.
The visitors will arrive at Celtic Park with nothing to lose and a recent history of making life uncomfortable for the champions.
Celtic did finish pre-season on a positive note. Their final friendly against AC Milan produced an encouraging performance, and there were clear signs of the intensity and organisation O’Neill demands.
At home, with the excitement of a new season and a full house expected, Celtic should still be clear favourites to collect three points. The atmosphere at Parkhead on opening night is usually electric, and that energy often lifts the players.
Yet the bigger picture remains complicated. The true test of this Celtic side will arrive once the squad undergoes more significant change. Those changes should ideally have been completed weeks ago. Instead, it now appears that major incoming and outgoing business will take place during the early weeks of the season itself.
That reality leaves little time for new arrivals to settle or for the team to develop the cohesion that title-winning sides usually require. O’Neill will have to manage the transition carefully while still delivering results from the very first match.
In short, Celtic head into the new campaign with a mixture of hope and caution. The manager has already signalled that Dundee will not be a straightforward opening assignment.
Supporters will hope the warning is heeded, the performance matches the occasion, and the three points are secured. Only then can attention fully turn to the longer-term shaping of the squad and the defence of the title that everyone at the club is determined to keep.