It was striking to see the names written down side by side when the Parkhead treatment room started to empty.

Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota. Three big players for Celtic being nursed gently back into the fold as we head perilously close to 2027.

That they were all in the building on Jan 1 2023 - by the end of August 2021, in fact, for the latter two - tells its own clear story.

Well over three years since the big Aussie left for Spurs, Celtic are still reliant on key pillars of the team that Ange built.

Postecoglou can't lay claim to Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Antony Ralston. He inherited them from Neil Lennon when he moved from Japan five-and-a-half years ago but revitalised their games.

Examine any Celtic matchday squad and the captain's name is invariably still the first on the teamsheet, with veterans Forrest and Ralston often warming the bench.

After several years gorging on Champions League income of around £30m per season, should Celtic not significantly have moved on?

Admittedly, Jota did only return after moves to Al-Ittihad and Rennes didn't work out. The mercurial winger's arrival from Benfica first time around was part of a period of super-smart recruitment under Postecoglou: Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Matt O'Reilly, Liel Abada, Josip Juranovic, Joe Hart.

Compare that with some of Celtic's recent arrivals. The drop-off is staggering, with one or two notable exceptions. Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Duran can take a bow and a free pass.

Mika Baur's capture may also turn into a shrewd investment. Just ask Jurgen Klopp, who has given him his first two Germany caps.

Transfers are notoriously hit and miss. While big-money signings Kasper Hogh and Haissem Hassan may come good, what should supporters make of Joel van den Berg, Jordan Lotomba, Sam Johnstone, Oliver Sorensen, Shim Mheuka and Landon Emenalo?

The latter four are loanees. January brought short-term fixes like Tomas Cvancara, Joel Mvuka and Junior Adamu. In the wake of the Kairat Almaty fiasco, Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha cost around £10m.

Celtic's demise started, of all places, in the Allianz Arena. The club has never really recovered from Bayern Munich's last-minute Champions League equaliser in February 2025.

Now they can't buy a win at home in the Europa League against Celta Vigo and Ferencvaros.

And yet Celtic will be at least seven points clear at the top of the league on Sunday if they beat Dundee United and Falkirk.

Domestic domination appears entirely unaffected by European underachievement. If the club is serious about bringing in top-class talent to rival the likes of Carter-Vickers and Jota, simply winning the Premiership won't cut it much longer.