The January transfer window rarely brings a lot of joy to the life of followers throughout the country who expect something to raise winter blues.
Like the main streets, businesses tend to be low.
However, for Celtic fans, especially, the month now has an imminent feeling of fear.
No one disputes the difficulty of specifying the coveted players of the understanding of the sides that are reluctant to do business in the mid -season. Similarly, the continuous failure of Parkhead Club to address pressing issues at this juncture is becoming disconcerting.
A year ago, the need for multiple reinforcements at this stage of the campaign had been evident for a long time.
By the time the window closed, a infrapelling Nicolas Kuhn and a loan agreement for Adam Idah was the total sum of the income.
Celtic could not bring a replacement for Furuhashi striker, who has joined the French club Rennes
Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi left Celtic for Rennes in an agreement worth £ 10 million
It clearly bothers a lack of will to pay the current rate of players ready for the first team, Brendan Rodgers asked that his board was “braver” in the transfers market.
A few weeks later, President Peter Lawwell acknowledged that the manager and supporters had been sold by a club with £ 67.3 million in the bank.
“The Board recognizes the inherent inefficiencies of having excess effective and, together with other cash commitments, the importance of investing in strengthening the team to offer the success of football,” he said.
'The Board shares the frustrations of the supporters with respect to the less anticipated activity in the recent transfer window.
'The Board's commitment is to strengthen and improve the game equipment in each transfer window and, although the resources were available, we could not increase the equipment even more due to the lack of availability of identified objectives.
“This was disappointing for all of us and never intention.”
The story in the second half of the season was that of a twin dynamic. While the Rangers imploded, Rodgers leaned in his experience to put his side on the line. But they won the title despite the January window. Not for that.
In the summer, it was felt that the manager's point on ambition had been accepted. Celtic twice broke his own transfer record to sign Idah permanently, then Arne Engels, even if those agreements were compensated with the sale of Matt O'Riley to Brighton.
With more emphasis on quality and less in quantity, Rodgers' team enjoyed an excellent champion league campaign.
When gathering 12 points of eight games to finish 21 of 36 clubs, there was demonstrable evidence of progress.
The reward was a tie with the Bayern Munich. The natural expectation was that Celtic loots all stops to arise a surprise against German giants.
However, a curved ball arrived at the night when Rodgers' men defeated young people to confirm the qualification.
The manager had just left the media room when the voice was ran that a rate had been agreed with Rennes by the Talismán Kyogo Furuhashi.
Celtic brought the extreme jota to the Rennes club as part of the Furuhashi agreement
The public service player Jeffrey Schlupp has joined Celtic on loan from Crystal Palace
Time felt strange, but was also revealing. The £ 10 million agreement had been previously agreed with the French club. Now that Celtic was over, it was green for Go.
The comfort for followers was that this was January 22. There were still 12 days to obtain adequate replacement.
Surely, Celtic already had someone aligned? They would not possibly be so exposed? Would they do it?
While Jota's view moved in the opposite direction to the Japanese was warmly welcome, the void in the front position of Celtic remained.
With Brondby putting an assessment of £ 14 million in Mathias Kvistgaarden, Celtic began to resemble the person who sells his house only to find all the desirable properties with his reach.
Celtic was interested in the Brondby striker with a classification of £ 14 million, Mathias Kvistgaarden
As the window last hours approached, Rodgers emphasized that the acquisition of another striker was not only desirable. It was not negotiable.
“I don't need to fall with anyone,” he said after the victory in Motherwell. 'Everyone knows what we want to do in the club and we are all. I hope we can do that.
Long before the end of the game, it was clear that it should be very disappointed.
Jeffrey Schlupp came from the Crystal Palace. In theory, you can play in Furuhashi's position. He has done it 11 times throughout his career.
He has also played 119 times in Left-Midfield, 83 times in the center of the central field, 75 times as a left side, 17 times like a left hole, 10 times as a right means and even once it was filled in the center of the center of the half.
The Ghanaian is a good player and should be a good asset for Celtic. But not in a month of Sunday is the direct replacement of Furuhashi.
Nor, in the case, it is realistic to expect Daniel Cummings or Johnny Kenny to get on the plate.
Daizen Maeda can be used there, since it has been frequently for Japan. But it is needed on the left flank. In any case, it was suspended by the first leg against Munich.
Celtic knew this in advance, but it still did not reach an agreement on the entire line. Without a doubt, how difficult it is to obtain their main objectives at this time of year will be emphasized and there is no doubt that this is the case.
But Furuhashi told them a year ago that he wanted to leave. So why didn't they sign their replacement in the summer so that the witness could be delivered without problems? Where was the planning of the succession?
The optics in all this is simply not good. In the last count, the club had £ 77.2 million in the bank. It is much easier to store money when it is difficult for you to spend it so hard.
With an agreed pre -contract for Kieran Tierney to return from Arsenal in the summer now agreed and jota on board, January has had its positive moments.
However, with the shadow of Furuhashi still persistent about the club, it is difficult to argue that they have left the strongest window.
Since the team will restore a 13 -point advantage at the top of the table if they beat Dundee on Wednesday, they are unlikely that they have played with the title on this occasion.
The forward Adam Idah has approached the dish in the absence of furuhashi
But the feeling of anger and discouragement among the followers that are currently asked to eliminate £ 46 for another match of the Champions League is as palpable as 12 months ago.
If Rodgers plays Idah in the tie of Saturday's Scottish Cup against Raith Rovers, runs the risk of losing it for the first leg against Munich next Wednesday. What would happen exactly then?
Celtic can talk about the challenges of recruitment at this time of the year everything they want. They can know how close they were of certain agreements and how scandalous were the demands of some rival clubs. They could well have a point.
But the fact is that they have not been able to do what was required of them.
After 12 years of working towards another glamorous draw in the Champions League, they simply seem to stir the white flag before a ball kicks.