And so it begins. The summer break, which when it began seemed interminably long, ends today with the resumption of domestic business and my money is on Celtic to sweep away the opposition and march boldly to nine in a row.
Is another treble on? The quadruple treble?
Jesus, think of it.
At the start of last season, I could not even imagine us getting where we are.
I said last season that 3Treble was a moon-shot … this is aiming for Mars.
It would be the singular biggest achievement in our history but for Lisbon if we could do it in this campaign.
Remember, it only takes one off day, one slip.
What does success look like this season?
A domestic trophy, the league title and a nice run in Europe. If we get to the Champions League groups, then we’re in good shape for all that comes after. That’s Saturday kick-offs instead of those exhausting Sunday’s and, of course, it’s money to spend in this window and in January if that’s required.
Nobody can even say if the Ibrox club will get through the campaign without some form of collapse; that’s how precarious things over there are.
Assume though that they will be around and fighting to the end; that’s what everyone at our club will do, although I am fully aware that the working theory inside Celtic Park is that the collapse is coming, and probably sooner rather than later.
Yesterday, Neil spoke to the media and laid out how confident we are. Quietly confident.
Confident in that manner we’ve been for the last few years, without braggadocio or the kind of claptrap the Ibrox club specialises in. Nobody at Celtic talks the kind of outright rot that is so prevalent over there.
Because we don’t need to.
Our record is sufficiently impressive as not to require it.
You know who constantly brags on what they are going to do “next time?” Losers.
Aside from laying out our feelings on the season ahead, Lennon went one step further when asked about nine and ten in a row. He said something this site has been saying for a while, and which many in the media would prefer not to consider; amidst all this talk of ten in a row there seems to be a general belief amongst those of an Ibrox persuasion that, should we get it, that the worst will be over. Actually, there’s no reason whatsoever for holding that view.
Lennon talked about “15 in a row” yesterday and there was a good reason why he did; that would put our title haul at 56, one more than the Ibrox club ludicrously “claims” for itself.
Their claimed “world record” is within our grasp, and I think the knock-on effects if we make it ten will be such that their club will be ruthlessly removed as an obstacle towards us getting there.
Look, we all know this but it’s rarely been stated as openly as I’m going to do it; most of us are going to live to see us overtake their title haul.
Most of them are going to be alive to see it too.
That’s not just shivering in our shadow for a while, as they seem to have accepted they’ll need to do … this is our club towering over theirs forevermore.
Nine is the immediate goal.
Ten comes next.
But after that?
Well after that there are other records to aim for, other targets to try and hit, and with a sustainable football operation here at Celtic there is no reason not to go for it. Ten in a row will be the greatest thing the club has done in my lifetime, but then will come eleven and after that twelve and on and on it will go.
This doesn’t end the season after next; their Hell is just getting started.
We’re nowhere near peaking yet, and they are nowhere near bottom … but you can see it from here.