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The good times have returned! It had been a good few matches since Celtic had managed such a comprehensive victory at Celtic Park until last week’s demolition of Hearts. Long gone, it seemed, were the days of cricket scores and clean sheets before a salivating home crowd. The fact that the opposition were of the Jambo persuasion made it all the sweeter.

The goals started with defensive errors by the opposition and this continued as Strachan’s long promised outlook of beautiful football came to pass. The good football had a positive effect on the atmosphere inside Celtic Park so it would seem that the appreciation of talent on display comes when some genuine talent is shown!

Fast forward four days and to one of the best football matches I have had the pleasure to watch. The Champions League is the holy grail for club teams and qualification is worth upwards of £10 million to each team. Standing in the way of Celtic’s progression was Spartak Moscow - the current Russian league leaders. Not since Barcelona, had I witnessed such a good team visit Celtic - their passing and movement was a joy to behold at times.

The game started at breakneck speed with the ball racing from one end of the pitch to the other. Aiden McGeady came out of his shell and produced some scintillating dribbling and an end product that has eluded him so often. Then the crazy referee gave a ridiculous handball decision against a prostrate Gary Caldwell with Pavluchenko missing the resultant penalty amid a cacophany of boos from the vocal home support. A few minutes later and a case of penalty box pinball at the other end presented the industrious Scott McDonald with the opportunity to score his first Celtic goal.

A simple corner at the end of the first half cancelled out the opener and Celtic’s away goal advantage from the first leg. Pavluchenko atoned for his earlier miss by chesting down the corner, turning and drilling past Artur Boruc. This, undoubtedly, railed the Polish keeper - made evident by his half-time spat with the nervy and unconfident left back Naylor.

The second half went by in no time as the game opened up. Both sides had spells of possession but it was Celtic who created by far the most chances. There was a 90 second spell where Celtic’s Japanese superstar Nakamura had 3 chances to score - a lob, one-on-one, and a shot from the edge of the box resulting in easy saves and a balloon over the bar. The rhythm of the game was unfortunately punctuated by bizarre decisions from the Italian ref - none more so than the sending off of Spartak’s Stranzl five minutes from time for a last man challenge where there were another 3 Spartak players in attendance.

And so, after 90 minutes, the sides could not be separated resulting in a further half hour’s extra time. Again, it was mostly Celtic trying to make their numeric advantage pay. It almost happened on the 115 minute mark when Celtic’s Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink’s penalty hit the crossbar after a Scott Brown shot hit the hand of a Spartak defender.

Penalty shoot-outs - love them or hate them - are an awesome spectacle. Having never been confident about them before - see results against Valencia and Falkirk - I was expecting glorious failure yet again. All of Celtic’s penalty takers looked calm and collected and all, bar Nakamura’s thunderous effort that crashed off the bar and out, scored leaving Maxim Kalynychenko to score at 4-3 to level it for Spartak. Then the Holy Goalie Boruc dived across and clawed his shot to safety. The stands erupted and 59,000 fans jumped for absolute joy - the promised land had been reached. Pure euphoria flooded from the stands as the famous Champions League music bellowed from the PA system.

Fast forward another 4 days and back to Earth and the bread and butter of the Premier League. A side with 3 changes managed to steamroller a poor St Mirren team to a 5-1 defeat without having to break sweat. The impressive Scott Brown again showed why he is Scotland’s most promising player with his sheer talent and unlimited drive - a new hero for the fans.

All this in just over a week. Oh, and Kenny Miller and Thomas Gravesen were jettisoned to the Premiership and we still haven’t got cover at left back… Would that be too much to ask for after the week just gone?!?!

Found this on the BBC Celtic message board:

Gordon Strachan on Wayne Rooney : “It’s an incredible rise to stardom, at 17 you’re more likely to get a call from Michael Jackson than Sven Goran Eriksson!”

Reporter: Gordon, Do you think James Beattie deserves to be in the England squad?
Strachan: I dont care, I’m Scottish !

Reporter: “Gordon, can we have a quick word please?”
Strachan: “Velocity” [walks off !!!]

Reporter: Welcome to Southampton Football Club. Do you think you are the right man to turn things around?
Strachan: No. I was asked if I thought I was the right man for the job and I said, “No, I think they should have got George Graham because I’m useless.”

Reporter: Is that your best start to a season?
Strachan: Well I’ve still got a job so it’s far better than the Coventry one, that’s for sure.

Reporter: Are you getting where you want to be with this team?
Strachan: We’re not doing bad. What do you expect us to be like? We were eighth in the league last year, in the cup final and we got into Europe. I don’t know where you expect me to get to. Do you expect us to win the Champions League?

Reporter: Gordon, you must be delighted with that result?
Strachan: You’re spot on! You can read me like a book.

Strachan: I’ve got more important things to think about. I’ve got a yogurt to finish by today, the expiry date is today. That can be my priority rather than Agustin Delgado.

Reporter: This might sound like a daft question, but you’ll be happy to get your first win under your belt, won’t you?
Strachan: You’re right. It is a daft question. I’m not even going to bother answering that one. It is a daft question, you’re spot on there.

Reporter: Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take it?
Strachan: No, I’m just going to crumble like a wreck. I’ll go home, become an alcoholic and maybe jump off a bridge. Umm, I think I can take it, yeah.

Reporter: So Gordon, any changes then ?
Strachan: Naw, still 5ft 6, ginger hair, and a big nose !

Reporter: There’s no negative vibes or negative feelings here?
Strachan: Apart from yourself, we’re all quite positive round here. I’m going to whack you over the head with a big stick, down negative man, down.

Reporter: Where will Marion Pahars fit into the team line-up?
Strachan: Not telling you! It’s a secret.

Reporter: You don’t take losing lightly, do you Gordon?
Strachan: I don’t take stupid comments lightly either.

Reporter: So, Gordon, in what areas do you think Middlesbrough were better than you today? Strachan: What areas? Mainly that big green one out there…………….

Reporter: So, Gordon, any plans for Europe this year ?
Strachan: Aye, me and the wife quite fancy Spain in August

Back on the 24th of April, Celtic ventured across the city to Ibrox where they convincingly beat their Glasgow rivals to go 5 points clear in the SPL.

Fast forward five weeks and Celtic manage to squander their advantage on the very last day of the season to giftwrap the title to Rangers. It makes me sick to type it.

However, titles are not won over 5 weeks, but the whole season and this season, while neither side have set the heather alight, Celtic just were not good enough.

The loss of Henrik Larsson became all so significant in the last months of the season where in times past the super Swede would conjure a goal out of nothing to save Celtic time and time again. The arrival of Craig Bellamy on the 5 month loan at least added a touch more skill and flexibilty to the forward line but in the end was just not good enough.

And so now the Celtic board must look to the future. Following Martin O’Neill’s comments on Friday that he may not be the manager of the club next season, it is clear there may be massive changed afoot. Of the eleven players that started today’s 2-1 defeat at Fir Park, seven were over 30. Three of them - Robert Douglas, Jackie McNamara and Neil Lennon - all have contracts expiring in the next week. Of the three I feel only Jackie is certain to stay. Craig Bellamy is likely to move back to the Premiership to a club who can afford both his wage demands and the transfer fee - a sad indictment on one of the biggest clubs in the world, no longer able to compete for players in the transfer market. Also in the last weeks a get-out clause in Bobo Balde’s contract has been leaked, allowing the big defender to leave for free this summer.

Next season it is likely the nucleus of this ageing team will have changed, but who will form it? Rumours of a £15 million share injection from majority shareholder Dermot Desmond - available as Mr Desmond sold his Man Utd shares to Malcolm Glazer - could provide the manager with a transfer kitty. The manager probably won’t be Mr O’Neill - through resignation or sabbatical - with Stuart Strachan reportedly in reserve should the Northern Irishman leave.

I have renewed my season ticket for next season - convenient how the cut off day came before this league defeat - and will follow them but the board must be aware that the support is not happy. Players and managers futures are in doubt and we do not know if we have the finances to replace them. We SHOULD and DESERVE the finances after how much the support has given the club, but I won’t hold my breath.