There’s a story doing the rounds right now that Martin O’Neill could remain at Celtic next season in an advisory capacity, bringing some much-needed football authority back into the structure. It came about because he was asked the question several times in several different ways yesterday, and I was intrigued by what he had to say.

On the face of it, this sounds like one of those ideas that gets floated every so often. A big name, a respected figure, brought back into the fold to steady the ship. We’ve seen versions of it before. But this one feels different.

Because this time, it’s necessary and everyone at Celtic knows it, from the boardroom to the boot-room. We’re sitting third in the league with tens of millions in the bank. The reek of failure is wafting off us in waves. It cannot be ignored.

Not as a gesture nor as some nod to the past. This is not about giving a man who has served the club well a lifeboat after his current spell ends. This should be part of a fundamental rebuild of the football department itself.

Let’s be clear about where Celtic are right now.

As Paulina...