THERE has been so much fall-out from Celtic's defeat in Molde on Thursday night, it could turn into a nuclear winter along Kerrydale Street. As my old mate Lance-Corporal Billy King remarked in the pub last night: "They don't like it up 'em".
The Celtic family is hurting, and, like most families following a sudden bereavement, some wee cracks in the facade of unity are opening. "Uncle Sean", who never liked the idea of an unknown Norwegian managing his club anyway, has suddenly become more-vocal in his criticism of Mr Deila. Cousin Liam is going round telling anyone who will listen: "Ah aye said, thae twa centre-haufs wurney oany guid"; while Wee Tim is saying something similar about John Collins.
Once upon a time, a wee 3-0 win over the next Scottish "Diddy Team" to come calling at Celtic Park might have restored equilibrium and brought a smile back to greetin' faces, however - these days are past.
I have seldom seen such miserable faces on a bunch of Scottish fans as those we saw in the crowd shots from Molde, during the match transmission. These guys were hurting, and hurting badly.
Sure, Celtic are still odds-on to win the Scottish title again come May. They will be back in Europe again next season, but, to what end?
Preparations are already under way for the club to extract a good few more pounds sterling from the wallets of the Celtic Family, come May 2017. Then, it will be 50-years since the Legend of the Lisbon Lions were born.
But, before the Lions, whose magnificent triumph, the greatest feat by a Scottish club side, came, remember, 12-years into regular competitive European club football, Celtic in Europe was a case of tumbleweek being blown through a ghost town.
For that club, 1966 was Year Zero - Celtic, European Superpower, was born in 1967. Prior to the demolition of Inter Milan, few in Europe had heard of Celtic, afterwards, everyone had.
Todays Celtic is not the unknown factor which Jock Stein was able to unleash on unsuspecting continentals. This is a club with a seat on the European Clubs Association board. Celtic are a Big European Club, albeit one currently in a bit of disarray.
But, they are not alone in this. Celtic are bottom of Group A in the Europa League, second-bottom are Ajax, a club with a more-impressive European record than the Hoops, while, elsewhere, "bigger" clubs, with proven European track records and with European Cup or UEFA Cup triumphs etched on their escutcheons are also trailing comparatively unrated teams.
Of course, Celtic have problems - most-obviously a defence which would have no defence if charged with taking money under false pretences. As every manager worth his salt has known, when seeking to take a club forward, the first thing you do is make sure you are secure at the back.
Against the chances who pass for forwards in Scotland, the Celtic defence can cope, but, as was shown yet again in Molde, take them out of their SPFL comfort zone and they are little boys lost.
There is nothing wrong with Celtic that a few minor adjustments could not repair. They had 60% of the possession on Thursday night, but could only score one goal, from comparatively long range.
Celtic were not embarrassed on a technical level by Molde - the tools and equipment are there, just not being utilised properly. Maybe Carlton Cole's physical presence in the penalty area will afford Leigh Griffiths greater freedom to score from knock-downs and "second balls". The midfielders who didn't impose themselves on Molde will surely come good in other games, but, until that defence is sorted-out, Celtic are going nowhere.
And, by the way, a word to the stupid. Leigh Griffiths - when you lose and the fans turn on you, suck it up and say nothing son. The guys who gave you grief after the match on Thursday night are the sons and grand-sons of the guys who hitch-hiked to Lisbon. They are also the grand-fathers of the guys who will, at some point in the future, hail another magnificent against-the-odds Celtic glory night in Europe.
Players are transient, at clubs, in the case of Celtic particularly so, fans are forever. You let them down, they had every right to have a go at you - live with it.
TODAY sees the second round of the 2015-16 Scottish Junior Cup. In some ways, this is the real start of the competition, since the first round is merely a way of getting the draw down to a manageable 128 clubs.
In truth, few of the ties really catch the imagination; holders Auchinleck Talbot, because of their (Senior) Scottish Cup commitments, must wait a week before they begin their quest for yet another victory, away at Tranent, a club with a history of tripping-up clubs with ambitions towards winning the trophy. They may well need to bring Tranent back to Beechwood to do it, but, I don't see the 'Bot making an early exit.
Another tie which caught my eye was the clash of Petershill and Newtongrange Star, two of the perennial big hitters in the Juniors. "Nitton" always do the East Region proud, while the Peasie, having won the Sectional League Cup the other Sunday, are a flourishing rose in the wasteland which is Junior football in Glasgow.
It will be 60-years in June, since Petershill broke my young heart, by beating Lugar Boswell Thistle at Hampden to lift the big prize. That was their last win in the competition. Might they mark the anniversary and win it again this season?
Linlithgow Rose are another team who are always mentioned in despatches when it comes to the Cup. They too are on Senior Scottish Cup action today so will kick-off with a home tie against Annbank United next Saturday. I expect the Rose to still be blooming come full-time.
Twenty-five years ago, in 1990, the Junior Cup Final, at Rugby Park, pitted Hill o' Beath against Lesmahagow, with Beath winning 1-0. The sides lock horns again this afternoon, but, both sides have slipped somewhat from a quarter of a century ago. I hope the game goes well and old friendships are re-kindled.
Finally, I must mention another of the perennial big names - Irvine Meadow. The "Medda" were well and truly mown, thrashed 8-0 at Troon last week. This afternoon they are at Dunbar, a team always capable of beating a fancied side. This one just might be a cracking tie.
FINALLY - can we be done with this carping about "protection" for Nathan Oduwa. Yes, he was given a severe kicking in midweek. Certainly, it seemed to me as if the Livingston players had been instructed to "Rummel 'im up", and did so, in spaded.
Yes, he might have got better protection from Andrew Dallas, but, for the usual pro-Ibrox suspects to come out and demand: "protect the ball players"!!
This is taking two-facedness to extremes. John Greig might have called for: Protection for us ball players", when he was playing, but, we all knew his tongue was firmly in his cheek.
For the fans and former players of the club which gave us: Harold Davies, John Greig, Davie Provan, Tam Forsyth, Gregor Stevens, Kenny Black, Graham Roberts, Terry Hurlock, Graeme Souness, John Brown, Lorenzo Amoruso and Lee McCulloch to go all self-righteous on us about "over-robust challenges" - as they say in the South of England; Nar, ye'r avin a larff".
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