I must admit something. Before last night’s Europa League encounter with Be?ikta?, I wasn’t exactly overflowing with confidence.

In fact, knowing Celtic’s current situation, the performances we’ve witnessed recently and the rather depressing state of our European campaign, I wasn’t expecting much.

A little hope, perhaps, but certainly not enough to start imagining a glorious European evening at Paradise. Well, sometimes it is rather pleasant to be proved wrong.

Celtic defeated Be?ikta? 3-2, securing our first victory in this season’s Europa League.

And goodness me, what a welcome change that was.

Am I overexcited? No. Am I suddenly convinced that every problem at Celtic has magically disappeared? Absolutely not. But am I a content Celtic supporter today? Yes.

And I don’t think anybody should be surprised.

After all, we have had more than enough European frustration recently. Our performances in this competition have been disappointing, to put it mildly. We have looked short of ideas, short of confidence and, at times, short of the quality required to compete at this level.

Watching Celtic in Europe has not exactly been an enjoyable experience. There have been too many occasions when I’ve wondered where the team I know and love has gone.

Last night, however, there was something to smile about.

Let me be honest. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the first half. We were still seeing too many of the familiar problems that have been haunting Celtic. There were moments when our play lacked fluency, when our decision-making was questionable and when I found myself wondering whether we were going to make life unnecessarily difficult for ourselves again. And let’s face it, Celtic have developed something of a talent for making straightforward things look complicated recently.

Be?ikta? were certainly not there to admire the Paradise atmosphere and politely applaud our efforts. They had their moments, and Celtic had to deal with a side capable of punishing mistakes. We cannot pretend that everything was suddenly wonderful simply because we were playing at home.

I wanted more from Celtic. I wanted to see a team taking responsibility, showing confidence and remembering that playing for this club requires more than simply turning up in green and white.

Fortunately, the second half offered something considerably more encouraging.

For me, one of the most encouraging aspects of tonight’s performance was the impact of the substitutions. Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran came onto the pitch and, importantly, they made their presence felt. They didn’t simply arrive to occupy a couple of positions and wait for the final whistle.

They brought energy, movement and a completely different dimension to Celtic’s attacking play. Most importantly, they produced goals.

Duran scored twice and Osmand added the other.

Now, isn’t that a rather interesting development? I have repeatedly argued that Celtic need players who can inject something different into our attacking play.

We need movement, imagination, directness and, above all, players capable of making things happen rather than waiting for somebody else to take responsibility.

Osmand and Duran demonstrated precisely why introducing fresh blood can make such a difference. Their contribution was particularly welcome because Celtic had looked considerably less convincing before the break.

The second half was not necessarily a footballing masterpiece, and I’m certainly not going to pretend that we suddenly became Barcelona, but it was a noticeable improvement. At this particular moment in Celtic’s season, I will happily accept noticeable improvement without demanding a standing ovation for every successful pass.

The important thing is that we showed a greater attacking threat and, crucially, found a way to win. The final score was 3-2 to Celtic. Three goals, our first Europa League victory and three extremely valuable points.

I don’t want to underestimate what this result means. European football has been a source of frustration for Celtic supporters, and we desperately needed something positive. We needed a result that would remind the players, the manager and everybody connected with the club that Celtic are capable of competing and capable of winning games at this level.

Last night gave us that reminder.

One victory does not erase the problems that have accumulated over recent weeks. It doesn’t suddenly repair our defensive weaknesses, solve our tactical difficulties or guarantee that the team will perform consistently from now on.

I am far too experienced as a Celtic supporter to start celebrating the end of a crisis after one successful evening. We have seen false dawns before. We have celebrated encouraging performances only to find ourselves back in familiar difficulties a few days later.

That is precisely why I want to see consistency rather than another short-lived burst of enthusiasm. Martin O’Neill and his players have work to do. Plenty of it. But today, I am not interested in finding reasons to complain about every little imperfection.

There will be time for criticism, analysis and uncomfortable questions when necessary. Celtic supporters have every right to demand better, and one victory must not become an excuse for ignoring everything that has gone wrong.

Nevertheless, football is also about enjoying the moments when things finally go our way. And last night, they did.

So, am I overexcited? No.

Do I believe that Celtic have suddenly solved every problem, discovered the perfect tactical system and become an unstoppable European force? Absolutely not.

Am I pleased with what I saw, particularly in the second half? Yes.

Am I delighted that Osmand and Duran came on and made such an important contribution? Most certainly.

And am I a content Celtic supporter today? You bet I am.

But I want this victory to become a starting point rather than an isolated happy evening. I want to see confidence returning, attacking combinations improving and players beginning to understand what is expected of them.

I want to see Celtic playing with conviction, purpose and the champions’ mentality that should be part of this club’s identity.

Most importantly, I want the players to understand that beating Be?ikta? is something to build upon, not something that gives everybody permission to put their feet up and congratulate themselves for the next fortnight.

There is still plenty to prove.

But for today, let us enjoy the moment.

Paradise has witnessed too many frustrating European evenings recently, and Celtic supporters deserve a little happiness. Three goals. Three points.

Our first Europa League victory.

I’ll take that, thank you very much. Hail Hail!

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