Ronny Deila didn’t get off to the best of starts during the opening few months of his Celtic tenure. The Hoops were knocked out of the Champions League twice before the group stage had even begun. Legia Warsaw defeated them 6-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round before the Polish side were expelled for fielding an ineligible player, giving Celtic a second bite of the cherry. They failed to make it count as NK Maribor edged past 2-1 on aggregate to leave the Bhoys red faced yet again.

By early October there were calls for Deila to be sacked following a 1-0 home defeat to Hamilton. This left the club 6th after eight matches but, seven league wins later, Celtic are back where they belong at top spot in the Premiership. Their Europa League campaign has been impressive aswell, even if the group isn’t the strongest in the world. They progressed with one match still to play and Deila will know his European campaign is probably what he will be judged on the most.

With Celtic sitting pretty at the top of the league and still in both domestic competitions, Deila could be on course for a domestic treble in his first season as boss. It certainly isn’t out of the question with  Rangers being all that stands between them and treble, as the two meet in the League Cup semi-final stage.

Despite the clear downsizing of the club from the glory days of around a decade ago, Celtic are starting to establish a squad capable of bringing those days back to Glasgow. They have still managed to secure three consecutive titles whilst downsizing on the pitch, although it’s no secret the lack of competition they face. It was only a couple of years ago they were beating Barcelona in what was a famous night at Celtic Park.

In order to compete in Europe again, they need to keep hold of their top players. This is something that hasn’t happened in recent years with Fraser Forster, Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama among the names that have moved on to bigger and better things. The latest player linked with a move to the Premier League is Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk. The 23-year-old has impressed significantly with his defensive capabilities this season . He is someone they need to keep hold of in order to progress.

Deila had to rely heavily on the loan system to recruit players this summer. John Guidetti has impressed most since joining on-loan from Man City, scoring 11 times in 14 matches across all competitions. He has failed to win a place at Man City but is still highly regarded. Despite limited opportunities throughout his career, he has managed to keep a healthy scoring rate especially at Feyenoord where he scored 20 league goals in 2011/2012. Celtic will hope they are able to make his loan permanent next summer as he is someone that is guaranteed goals the more he plays.

Craig Gordon replaced the departed Fraser Forster in goal and is slowly regaining the form that saw him move to Sunderland in 2007. With the likes of Efe Ambrose and Virgil Van Dijk in defence, they are certainly looking a little more solid at the back. Antony Stokes and John Guidetti have been on good goal scoring form, something that should continue against the level of domestic teams they face on a weekly basis.

There is always the debate about Scottish football becoming a one horse race since Rangers’ financial problems, but the fact remains Celtic have the chance to win all three domestic trophies this season. Surely despite the lack of strong competition, winning the treble would be a fantastic achievement for the club and something that hasn't been achieved since 2001.

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