Celtic’s change of transfer plans is shocking and un-necessary.

Let me ask Celtic a very simple question. Why did your transfer plans change so dramatically after Celtic went out of the Champions League?

Because I am genuinely struggling to understand this one.

A few weeks ago, Celtic were preparing for Champions League football. We knew the squad needed strengthening, we knew there were positions which had to be addressed, and we knew Martin O’Neill needed more quality, experience and depth if Celtic were going to compete properly in Europe.

The Champions League was the target. The Champions League money was there, the Champions League dream was there, and Celtic were supposed to be building a squad capable of competing at that level.

Then came LASK, that catastrophic collapse and the humiliation which followed it.

Celtic surrendered a four-goal aggregate advantage and crashed out of the Champions League, dropping into the Europa League instead. And suddenly, apparently, the transfer plan changes. Excuse me?

This is where my Ginger Witch instincts start screaming, because I look at this situation and ask myself a very obvious question: were the players Celtic wanted three weeks ago suddenly no longer good enough because we are playing Europa League football instead of Champions League football?

Because it’s clear that none of those players was “waiting for the Champions League.” Before this week coming ends, all will be at new clubs. None are Champions League sides.

Were the positions we desperately needed to strengthen suddenly filled? Did the weaknesses disappear overnight? Did our defence suddenly become magnificent? Did our midfield suddenly acquire the depth and athleticism required to compete against strong European opposition? Did our attacking options suddenly become sufficient?

No. Of course not. We could see it on the night.

So why does the transfer strategy appear to have changed?

That is the question I want Celtic to answer. Because if the argument is that Champions League qualification would have allowed Celtic to spend more, then I have my doubts about the people running our club. The Champions League brings enormous additional revenue and obviously changes the financial equation.

But Celtic are not suddenly a poor football club because we are in the Europa League. More importantly, we still have a football team to build.

We still have a manager who needs players. We still have European football and eight Europa League league-phase fixtures against Marseille, Ferencváros, Celta Vigo and Be?ikta? at Celtic Park, with away games against Benfica, Union SG, Omonia and Torreense.

That is not some collection of meaningless friendly matches.

That is European football. That is exactly the sort of football Celtic needed to strengthen for in the first place.

Now I look across the city and cannot help noticing something. The Ibrox side has gone out of Europe altogether. First the Europa League, then the Conference League, and now no European league phase whatsoever.

Yet here is the funny thing. Their plans were not suddenly rewritten because they dropped from one competition into another and then completely out.

Their plans didn’t change at all. They pulled out of the deal for the PSV winger, but went straight back out and brought in someone else. Their plans to spend £8.5 million (allegedly anyway) on a striker have apparently not been dented by their European exit at all. So why have ours? Why are the deals we hoped for now in the bin, and we’re moving on to lesser, cheaper targets? No-one should pretend this is okay.

Celtic still have Europe. Celtic still have European revenue, European fixtures and the opportunity to build a stronger squad. So why are we behaving as though the sky has fallen in because the Champions League disappeared?

I simply do not understand it. And I certainly do not accept the idea that Celtic should suddenly think: well, we’re only in the Europa League now, so perhaps we don’t need those players after all. No. Absolutely not.

If anything, the LASK defeat should have made the board realise that we need those players more urgently. Because what did LASK expose? It exposed weaknesses, a lack of depth and the consequences of having a squad which was not sufficiently prepared for the highest level of European football.

It exposed exactly why Celtic needed to recruit properly. Now, rather than looking at that defeat and saying, right, we need to fix this immediately, I am expected to sit here and watch the transfer strategy apparently become more cautious?

No. I refuse. If Celtic have simply decided that certain players are no longer financially worthwhile because we are in the Europa League, then I have a serious problem with that. Because the squad still needs strengthening.

Martin O’Neill himself has continued to talk about additions, highlighting left-back and a box-to-box midfielder as priorities after the Champions League exit. That in itself tells us the football requirement has not vanished merely because the competition has changed.

And this is where I come back to my favourite word.

Preparation. Celtic need to prepare, not react. We should have been preparing for the possibility of Champions League football and the possibility of Europa League football. That is what competent football operations look like.

You don’t build an entire recruitment strategy around one result. You build a squad. You identify the weaknesses, identify your targets, negotiate, have alternatives ready and move when the moment comes.

You certainly do not leave everything until the final days of the transfer window when everybody knows you are desperate.

Celtic now have almost no room left for delay. The European registration deadline is upon us and the domestic window follows immediately afterwards.

So Celtic, what are you waiting for? I don’t want ten players and I don’t even think Celtic need another enormous shopping spree. Give Martin O’Neill at least two more quality players. Bring in another few to fill out the squad.

Not panic buys and not players brought in simply because their names happen to be available. I want two players who genuinely improve this squad. Two players who can walk into Celtic and make us stronger, give O’Neill options and help us compete in the Europa League rather than simply participate in it. We need others, beyond that, for the inevitability of injuries and whatever else comes our way.

Because I refuse to accept that the Europa League means Celtic should lower the bar. Quite the opposite. The Europa League is now our European competition.

So, let’s bloody compete in it.

Look at those fixtures. Marseille at Celtic Park. Benfica away. Celta Vigo, Be?ikta?, Ferencváros. These are exactly the nights when Celtic need players with quality, courage, experience and personality.

If we are serious about making progress in Europe, this is precisely when we should be strengthening. Not weakening. Not downgrading. Not suddenly deciding that players we wanted yesterday are too expensive today.

I am not asking Celtic to spend money recklessly. I am asking Celtic to finish the job properly. There is a massive difference. And I will say something else. The Champions League exit should not become an excuse.

It should become a lesson.

LASK showed Celtic what happens when preparation isn’t good enough. Now Celtic have a choice. They can sit there, count the lost Champions League millions, complain about the financial consequences and use the Europa League as a reason to scale everything back.

Or they can look at the squad, look at Martin O’Neill, look at those Europa League fixtures and say: “Right. We got it wrong. Now let’s fix it.”

That is what I want. I want Celtic to show me ambition. I want the board to show me that losing the Champions League has not changed the fundamental objective of building a stronger Celtic.

And I want Michael Nicholson and the rest of the pricks responsible for recruitment to stop making excuses and start making signings.

Because I have had enough of hearing about difficulties. Every club has difficulties. Every transfer window has difficulties and every negotiation has difficulties. Celtic are not unique. The question is whether you are capable of finding solutions.

The Ibrox club are not finding spending money difficult. Spending money is one of the easiest things there is, and this is a true of a football club as any other institution. Celtic’s so called prudence has cost us tens of millions; it is not smart.

I still believe Celtic can end this window well. I still believe there are players available. I still believe two quality additions can make a significant difference and I still believe Celtic can have a bloody good Europa League campaign.

But we need to act. Now.

Because the window is closing, the Europa League registration deadline is approaching and Martin O’Neill needs his players. So Celtic, I am asking you again:

What is your plan? The Champions League dream may have disappeared. But the season hasn’t. Europe hasn’t. The Europa League hasn’t. The need to strengthen hasn’t.

And most importantly of all, fans expectations haven’t.

So go into the market. Find the players, sign the players and strengthen this squad. Give Martin O’Neill what he needs. At least two more big names.

Then let’s see what Celtic can actually do in Europe.

Because I refuse to believe that going from the Champions League to the Europa League means going from ambition to surrender.

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