Ah, the age-old tale of Celtic in European football. It’s like a broken record, isn’t it? “It’s a learning curve,” they say. “We’ll learn from it,” they promise. But let’s be brutally honest, what exactly did we learn from that defeat to Lazio? That you shouldn’t dilly-dally in your own penalty area with half a minute left on the clock? Well, that’s Football 101, isn’t it?

Celtic were in control for much of the game, and that offside goal, what a fine margin that was! On another night, the headlines would be singing a different tune. But here we are, back to square one, asking ourselves, “What’s the lesson here?”

The issue isn’t just about learning from individual games; it’s about breaking the cycle. We’ve got a revolving door of players coming in and out, each one supposedly learning from their predecessors’ mistakes. But the cycle continues. What we need is continuity. The likes of Matt O’Riley, Kyogo, Hatate, CCV, and Maeda—they’re the guys we need to stick around for 4-5 years. They’re the ones who can break this cycle if they stick around for the long haul.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. If we’re talking about fine margins, then maybe it’s not about what’s happening off the pitch, but off it. Is it time to loosen the purse strings a bit? I’m not saying we go on a spending spree, but perhaps it’s time to make the finance team a tad uncomfortable. Bring in that game-changer, that difference-maker, someone who can turn those fine margins in our favour.

We’ve got money in the bank, so why not use it? If we’re serious about making our mark in Europe, then maybe it’s time to rethink our transfer policy. Just a smidgen, mind you, but enough to give us that edge we so desperately need. And I emphasise IF we’re serious.

Instead of building on a solid foundation from last season, we brought in a wave of players who, let’s be frank, aren’t quite ready for the big stage. It’s like buying a sports car but forgetting to invest in a good set of tyres. You’re not going to get far, are you?

The lessons here aren’t for the players or the coaching staff; they’ve done their bit. No, the lessons are for the chaps upstairs, the ones who sign the cheques. They need to realise that if you want to dine at Europe’s top table, you can’t always be shopping in the bargain aisle. A player who can give you that extra inch, score that goal, make that save.

So, are we just screaming into a dark void, asking for Celtic to up their transfer game? Perhaps. But if those in charge don’t listen, if they don’t learn their lessons, then we’ll be stuck in this never-ending cycle of “almost there, but not quite.”

It’s time for a change, time to break the cycle. And that starts with making smarter, bolder decisions in the transfer market. So, come on Celtic, let’s not make the same mistakes again. Let’s aim higher, spend wiser, and give ourselves a fighting chance in Europe.

So, is it a learning curve? Maybe. But it’s high time we graduate from that curve and start acing the test.