(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
It is never a good idea to get carried away by a good start, and after just three competitive games it is no more than that, but the transformation in Celtic's play under Tony Mowbray is startling.
The first match—the Champions League qualifier at home to Dinamo Moscow, was a disappointing 0-1 loss, but there were encouraging signs for those who chose to look for them.
Against a Russian side half-way through their domestic season, a ring-rusty Celtic struggled to find their rythmn, but despite this, enough chances were created to have won the match.
The return in Moscow was a different story. With new loan-signing Landry N'Guemo and the revitalised Massimo Donati dominating midfield, Celtic were in control throughout and fully deserved their 1-0 halftime lead.
It took until stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes for Georgios Samaras (another player re-energised since Mowbray's arrival) to score the winner, but it had seemed an inevitability given the relentless waves of Celtic pressure in the final 30 minutes.
An away match against Aberdeen would have been approached with some trepidation by Celtic's 2008/09 vintage, but in a breathtaking 45 minutes of football, the Dons were swept away by some superb football. The 3-0 lead at half-time could easily have been five, but for some poor finishing.
Understandably, the pace slackened in the second half, with Tuesday's match against Arsenal on a lot of minds, but Aberdeen never threatened a comeback.
What had brought about the surge in optimism surrounding Celtic? In two words, Tony Mowbray.
The work is as yet incomplete, but Mowbray has set about addressing the deficiencies in the team. Danny Fox has been signed for £1.5m from Coventry and looks solid and assured at left back.
He has a terrific left foot and in his early outings has shown a calmness under pressure and excellent distribution as well as bringing a welcome physical presence to the left side of the defence.
Paul Hartley and the incomparable Shunsuke Nakamura have been lost from midfield, but Landry N'Guemo, signed on a season long loan (with an option to buy) from Nancy has been a revelation. Tenacious, hardworking, and skillful, he rarely wastes a pass and has brought an energy and drive, coupled with tactical awareness to the side.
Up front, the biggest name in football, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, has been replaced by Marco-Antoine Fortune, a £3.8m signing from Nancy. Fortune is not a prolific scorer, and already looks like he will be this season's whipping boy for both the Scottish media and a section of the support.
While he may not score many, Fortune has already brought pace, power and mobility to the attack and while Tony Mowbray will downplay the importance of his scoring record, even at this stage it is vital for Fortune to get himself on the scoresheet as quickly as possible.
Away games last season were excruciating to watch, with Celtic invariably huffing and puffing against teams with a fraction of the talent at their disposal. More often than not, supporters would endure a frantic last five minutes as the team chased a late winner or even equaliser. Yesterday at Pittodrie could not have been more different.
I wrote on this site in May that the Celtic team often seemed to be shackled by Gordon Strachan. Yesterday, Tony Mowbray let them off the leash.
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