“They also have to think bigger.” Chris Sutton’s message to the Celtic board as the ‘chaos’ unfolds at Rangers is an important one.

Because of the nature of the Celtic-Rangers rivalry, one fanbase will always enjoy a laugh at the expense of the other when things aren’t going well in Glasgow.

This summer, Rangers haven’t had to look for trouble. They’ve arrived and parked themselves on the pitch at Ibrox, quite literally.

Issues include having to move home games to Hampden, Philippe Clement admitting that the situation surrounding their’rebuild’ is not what he expected when he joined the club, and Todd Cantwell waving the white flag by submitting a transfer request.

Many Celtic fans find it amusing, of course. As I previously stated, this is a natural part of the rivalry. However, this does not mean that those in charge of the Scottish champions’ strategy should not strive to achieve new heights.

Some fans have long shuddered at the prospect of Rangers serving as a measuring stick for Celtic. It’s becoming increasingly redundant to clear the bar, and no one at Celtic should be comforted by what’s going on at Ibrox. There’s simply too much to deal with.

Chris Sutton on Celtic’s task ahead.

Former striker Chris Sutton laid it out in a newspaper column last week, and his conclusion – citing ‘chaos’ at Rangers – is one I wholeheartedly agree with.

He said via the Daily Record: “Every day there’s a different drama coming out of Ibrox – or maybe that should be Hampden. They’ve had the carry-on with the stadium and the lack of quality signings. Then there is the Todd Cantwell situation.

“It all just looks such a mess but, as I said, Celtic can’t just think the league is going to be a canter. They also have to think bigger. They probably do have enough, even now, to be too strong for most in Scotland. But they simply have to be thinking about Europe. Rodgers didn’t come back just to be top dog on Glasgow, no matter how satisfying it might be.

“The Champions League is more vital than every this season and there is a real danger another poor campaign could have long-lasting damage, with Scotland’s coefficient on the brink of collapse. The new format with eight games guaranteed should give Celtic more opportunity to collect points and perhaps even get to the knockout stages after Christmas.

“But the automatic spot in the group stages is about to go and if they are also-rans again then it might take a heck of a long time to come back. All that money in the bank won’t be worth much if they are locked out of the premier competition in the continent for the foreseeable future. And that’s a message the Celtic board should be hearing loud and clear.”

Celtic are in rude health, and their resources should be leveraged.

I believe most supporters now understand that the transfer market is not a game of Football Manager. Completing even one deal requires a lot of effort from many different people.

However, this is true for every club in the world. Celtic have resources that outstrip every other Scottish team, thanks in large part to fan spending. The club has weathered the pandemic’s storms and is arguably in the best position it has been in in a generation.

Tens of millions are being vacuumed up. Nobody is using it for personal gain, but it is true that such wealth should be used to field the most competitive team possible. That is as much the board’s responsibility as anything.

Rodgers has repeatedly called for strong transfer activity throughout August. At the time of publication, an outfield signing had yet to be confirmed. Even the most promising, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah, only add to last season’s squad.

Rangers’ woes are no reason for Celtic to sit still. Far from it. It is an opportunity to raise the bar and achieve new goals. Without going into hysterics, this is an important point that Celtic fans should discuss and raise their voices about.

“We can’t afford to fall asleep in this window,” Rodgers sends warning to the board as he discusses Celtic’s lack of recruitment.

In other news, “We can’t afford to fall asleep in this window,” Rodgers sends warning to the board as he discusses Celtic’s lack of recruitment.