Are Celtic really as good as we’d like to think we are?

By Liam Doherty

Apologies for the triggering image accompanying this post but it's the nearest thing to a slap in the face that can be delivered online.

And the reason is that a wake-up call may be required at Celtic Park.

Look, I get it. We’ve already secured the League Cup and built a commanding lead in the Premiership. On paper, we’re on course for another hugely successful season, with the whispers of a treble growing louder by the day. But maybe it’s time we paused and took a realistic look at ourselves.

This isn’t about knocking our team’s achievements. Winning trophies and topping the league are never things to be taken lightly. But we shouldn't go overboard, given the context in which this success has been achieved.

Rangers have spent much of this season entertaining us with their patented brand of chaos, lurching from one crisis to the next, while the challenge of Aberdeen, who initially looked like they could push us hard, proved to be rather more woolly. Against that backdrop, anything other than dominance would’ve been disappointing.

Yes, there have been standout performances – our away showing against Bayern Munich hinted at what this squad can achieve when everyone’s fit, motivated, and playing to their absolute maximum. On nights like that, we genuinely look the part.

But the defeats to Rangers and Hibs show another side to this Celtic team, a fragility and complacency creeping in whenever focus drifts. Those defeats raise uncomfortable questions: are we really the all-conquering force some supporters assume we’ve already become?

There's a sense of entitlement building among sections of our support. You can hear it clearly now – fans already mentally engraving our name on the Scottish Cup, counting their chickens before the semi-finals have even been played. That kind of pride has a habit of preceding a very public fall.

What concerns me most is the hint of complacency evident in the squad. This international break has provided a worrying glimpse: Celtic players have hardly impressed while away representing their countries.

It speaks to an underlying issue of focus and professionalism – qualities essential to consistently perform at the highest level. We’ve seen before what happens when players lose sight of the basics, when humility gives way to arrogance, and when professionalism becomes an afterthought.

We’ve been down this road before, haven’t we? Cast your minds back to the infamous Covid season – when people had produced 10-in-a-row scarves before a ball was even kicked. Expectations became entitlement, focus turned to complacency, and professionalism crumbled into farce. The end result: Celtic walked away empty-handed, humiliated by our own misplaced confidence.

Let’s not repeat those mistakes. The coming weeks demand humility, hard work, and complete concentration. The treble is a realistic possibility, of course – but it's far from guaranteed. We aren’t quite as good as some fans might assume, not yet anyway. Accepting that fact is the first step towards making sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

This Celtic side has shown greatness in flashes, but greatness is sustained, not intermittent. For the run-in, we need hunger, not hubris, focus, and to remind ourselves that trophies must be earned – not assumed.