Any early sense of summer progress was blown away in Como as Celtic endured a bruising 5-1 loss to Ajax, exposing flaws with the new season drawing near.
The Dutch side cut through Brendan Rodgers’ men with worrying simplicity, the second half resembling little more than a training exercise.
Pre-season is often measured in minutes rather than results, but Celtic’s lack of organisation and calm under pressure told its own story. Ajax set the tone early, breaking through in the 16th minute before Yang Hyun-jun equalised with a neat finish. That fleeting high was quickly forgotten as the game collapsed after the interval.
Within moments of the restart, Ajax were back in front. By the 70th minute, the scoreboard showed four, and a late fifth completed the rout. Celtic’s right flank was a constant target, the Dutch side exploiting space with ease.
Rodgers shuffled his pack after the break, but the changes offered little resistance.
One bright spot came with Cameron Carter-Vickers making his first outing of the summer. His presence was welcome, though he alone cannot solve the wider structural cracks on display.
Only one friendly remains, against Al Ahli on Saturday, before the SPFL curtain-raiser with St Mirren. Time is running short to find rhythm and stability.
Transfers have brought in Kieran Tierney and Benjamin Nygren, but exits such as Nicolas Kuhn and Greg Taylor, compounded by Jota’s injury, have left depth issues unresolved.
This isn’t cause for panic, but it is a blunt warning.
Without swift, decisive moves, Europe could once again prove punishing.