Vexed Celtic supporters have been waiting for a pick-me-up after a season to forget.
Their 10 In A Row dreams might have faded quickly but for a section of the support the hope of Eddie Howe leading a fightback against Rangers was just the tonic.
That deal collapsed before left-field appointment Ange Postecoglou took the reins and he now must rebuild a squad, challenge for the title and end a wretched run in the Champions League.
A triple threat of challenges, that's for sure, but getting Celtic back to the top table of European football might be the biggest of the lot.
They have only qualified twice for the biggest club tournament in the world twice in the past seven seasons and on both occasions it was the brilliant Brendan Rodgers who masterminded the route from qualifiers to group stage.
The significant challenge has only become tougher as Celtic now must run a three-tie gauntlet in the non-champions play-off route.
Forget the days of foregone conclusions in Armenia, Northern Ireland and Estonia - Danish side Midtjylland are up first with the likes of Spartak Moscow, Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk lying in wait if they win that tie.
It's a mammoth challenge and Record Sport runs the rule over the six things Celtic must do to give themselves a chance of making it happen.
Landing the right transfers
Every team in world football want to sign players of quality but few have their backs against the wall like Celtic. The added strife comes with supporters expecting something special after last year's spectacular misfires in the market that came before a season to forget.
And recent missteps means the pressure is truly on to identify players of quality with the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Olivier Ntcham poised for the exit door.
You can make a compelling case that Celtic could sign players in 11 different positions with the key areas to upgrade stretching across the whole pitch.
A decent place to start is the spine of the team and a new keeper, central defender, central midfielder and striker could help alleviate some of the pressure that has built over the past 12 months.
Keeper Mat Ryan, stopper Joseph Okumu, and midfield battler Patrick Berg are some of the names who have been tipped but a raft of options will be looked at for a team expected to be very active this summer.
Postecoglou has never been a manager who has brought former favourites with him during his career but signing Marinos standout Ado Onaiwu would be an inspired bit of business. He scored a hat-trick on his first start for Japan and only has six months remaining on his current deal in Yokohama.
And what about a director of football? Chief executive Dominic McKay is in place as is the new boss but fans are expecting answers on how the new era will look in terms of recruitment in the long term.
Identifying the next Bobby Petta
Or Dedryck Boyata. Celtic need at least one current struggler to launch a Parkhead comeback for the ages under the tutelage of the Australian.
This might very well be Postecoglou's calling card as he appears very much his own man and unaffected with what has gone on before.
Rodgers and Martin O'Neill both had a knack for bringing the best out of players who had become afterthoughts and now the pressure is on the likes of Albian Ajeti or Vasilis Barkas to do the same.
But there's also a weight of expectation on players such as Ewan Henderson, Mikey Johnston and even the returning Boli Bolingoli to make an instant impact this summer. It can't all be on new signings.
Selling at the right time
As vital as signing the right players is being able to move on players at the right time. Celtic have previously used the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Moussa Dembele in key Champions League qualifiers before letting them leave but it remains to be seen if that will be the case with Ajer, Edouard and even a player like Ryan Christie as he enters the final six months of his contract.
There's no doubt the aforementioned trio at top form would provide a jolt against Midtjylland but there's a compelling case that letting these players leave imminently will help usher in a new era for the players sticking around for the long term.
A real stick or twist.
Training wheels must come off
Those who know Postecoglou speak of a man who is dedicated to football and has been waiting a lifetime for an opportunity like the one he is embarking on with Celtic. He is revered by those who know him best.
However, there appears to be one catch - multiple allies of the amiable Melbourne man speak of a style of play that requires a significant acclimation period. That doesn't necessarily chime with a team where the general expectation among the support is a win was needed yesterday.
Postecoglou won't be at training this week but his methods must be passed on quickly if they have any chance of being up to speed before they face the Danes next month. It may well be a case of evolution rather than revolution during a pre-season that takes them to Wales before they return to face Preston on July 17.
Find a way of playing away from home
Former manager Neil Lennon would be quick to point to his decent away record in Europe before last season. The displays against the likes of Rennes, Lazio and Copenhagen were thrilling but that season increasingly appears an outlier for a club who often come up short on their travels.
Brendan Rodgers had a knack of winning the games he should away from Celtic Park but outwith the 2018/19 Europa League campaign there have been chastening away days. Since the start of the 2016 season, Celtic have lost away by at least three clear goals to Sparta Prague, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern and Zenit.
Coming up short against the bigger names isn't entirely unexpected due to financial chasm in European football but Celtic don't have a recent track record of beating established names and now they must take out three in quick succession. The task is tall but it will be more realistic if they find a defined way of playing that marries pragmatism alongside a threat in the final third.
Look at Wales against Turkey and Rangers in last season's Europa League - there is a happy medium between defensive sensibility and attacking verve to be struck for streetwise sides against opponents.
Embrace newfound underdog status
Midtjylland boss Bo Henriksen expects a wild double header but he doesn't seem fazed about the prospect of facing Celtic. And a quick scan of the Parkhead side's recent record in European qualifying matches you can see why. Being talked down might not be the worst thing if it is channelled in the correct manner.
Celtic spent almost a decade running roughshod over Scottish football but often had their nose bloodied when swapping home comforts for continental adventures. Postecoglou and his staff have enough problems to solve but perhaps leaning on some psychological tricks and embracing a newfound underdog status could help produce the type of backs against the wall displays that will be needed.
