Bodø/Glimt is the kind of club Celtic fans should have.

I’ve been thinking about this more and more lately. How can a club as big as Celtic F.C., with its history, support, finances and global recognition, still feel like it is searching for its football identity instead of confidently defining it?

This is not criticism for the sake of it.

Rather, it comes from frustration and from knowing exactly what this club could be. As this season has gone on, I find myself asking the same question again and again. Why does the football structure not match the stature? What, exactly, is not working at Celtic?

Celtic is the most successful club in Scotland, with significant money in the bank. Yet without proper management, clear ambition or a coherent structure, nothing works as it should. Even the transfer windows, which too often feel chaotic or reactive, bring us back to the same question every year. Why does this keep happening?

In theory, Celtic should be a model club, a clear example of a world-class system and high-calibre recruitment. So why doesn’t it look that way?

Perhaps building a modern system at a club of Celtic’s size is more difficult than it appears, especially with a board that often seems distant or cautious. Even so, imagine a club run with a simple guiding principle: Celtic first, everything else second.

From a squad perspective, there are still obvious gaps.

Even setting aside loan departures, the team needs reinforcements in a number of areas. After all, competition improves performance and protects the squad from injuries or loss of form. One of the most common complaints is that the side needs a true ball-winner, someone who breaks up play, gives the attacking midfielders freedom and adds physical presence when games become scrappy. At times, we simply look too easy to play through.

The deeper issue, however, is planning. Too often, Celtic feel like a club operating year to year rather than building for the long term. Recruitment should focus on quality and longevity, not short-term fixes. Ideally, the squad should combine experience with carefully integrated younger players on longer deals, supported by a genuine and functioning pathway from the academy.

There is also a wider structural question to consider.

At present, Celtic lack a consistent football identity that exists independently of whoever happens to be the manager. Recruitment, analytics and organisation should follow a clear philosophy. Fewer gambles. More targeted signings. Less short-term thinking and more ambition. Above all, the club needs an institutional mindset that matches supporter expectations and treats fans as stakeholders rather than an inconvenience.

If Celtic fully embraced that kind of long-term thinking, the ceiling would rise significantly. Domestic dominance would become more secure. European campaigns would carry greater credibility. In time, the club’s global standing would grow.

There is, in fact, a useful example of this in Norway.

In a small town called Bodø, FK Bodø/Glimt have built something impressive. At first glance, some people assume their success comes from a brilliant manager or a golden generation. In reality, however, it comes from something more powerful. A system.

They play with intensity, aggressive pressing, quick transitions and attacking full-backs. Their style demands physical and mental commitment. More importantly, though, it belongs to the club, not just the coach. As a result, the identity survives changes in personnel.

What stands out most is the alignment. Coaching philosophy, recruitment, conditioning, analytics and youth development all move in the same direction. That is system thinking. And, in my view, it is an area where Celtic still have work to do.

The foundations, of course, are already there.

Financial strength relative to the domestic league. A huge global fanbase. Modern training facilities. One of the strongest brands in football. Given all of that, the question becomes obvious. Why not use those advantages to build something fully coherent?

Now imagine Celtic with that clarity.

Recruitment aligned with a defined playing philosophy. A football identity embedded from academy to first team. Management fully synchronised with football operations. Long-term planning replacing emergency fixes.

Then imagine greater ambition in the transfer market. Stronger communication with supporters. Leadership focused on football strategy as well as financial stability. A club aiming for real European progress alongside domestic success.

Of course, that would not guarantee instant continental trophies. Realism still matters. However, it would make Celtic consistently competitive, widely respected and tactically mature.

Bodø/Glimt themselves have produced some astonishing results in recent years. Most recently, they delivered a major shock to Italian giants Inter Milan. Not long before that, they dismantled a José Mourinho Roma side in a result that sent shockwaves around Europe.

The Norwegian example proves something important. You do not need to be the biggest club to be the most coherent. And if a small club with limited resources can build that kind of clarity, Celtic certainly have the capacity to do it at a much higher level.

For me, this is not criticism. It is expectation.

More than that, it comes with belief. If Celtic ever fully align ambition with structure, the potential is enormous. Domestically dominant without the yearly drama. Far more credible in Europe. A club that sets the standard instead of searching for it.

The resources are already there.

What Celtic need now is the system to match them.