The stage had been set for a summer where Celtic and their fans would be able to bask in the warm glow of yet another treble success. Quite literally, in fact, with the plug having to be pulled on the planned celebrations at Celtic Park, and the platform from which the Scottish Cup was supposed to be hoisted having to be dismantled instead.
Now, with the penalty shootout defeat to Aberdeen, the coming weeks will instead become a time of inquest and much navel-gazing over the direction of Brendan Rodgers’ team.
Of course, when the shock wears off and the pain subsides a little, the bigger picture is – as the Celtic manager was correct to point out after the final – that this was a successful campaign for the champions.
A Premiership and League Cup double were delivered, and importantly, progress was made in Europe. The Champions League campaign was a success, and while Celtic may have benefited from a favourable draw in the new league format, they came within seconds of forcing extra time against Bayern Munich, proof of the levels that this side are capable of producing.
None of that should be lost in the fallout of the Hampden disappointment, but even if they had come out on the right end of the penalty shootout, there are still issues to be addressed in the close season.
There is no doubt whatsoever that the Celtic team that ended the Scottish Cup Final was significantly weaker to the one that started it, but they still should have had enough to see off an Aberdeen side that was constructed on a fraction of the budget.
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Rather, this was an afternoon where Rodgers needed more from his big players, and where some of them let him and the team down. It was unfortunate that it was Callum McGregor and Alistair Johnston who missed the penalties given the sterling service they have given their side over the season and in previous years, but in truth, it should never have got to that stage.
The error from Kasper Schmeichel that handed Aberdeen the lifeline of extra time was of far greater concern. Again, mistakes can happen, but the manner of the mishap from a keeper of such quality and experience has accelerated creeping concerns over his age and conditioning.
Over the course of the season, Schmeichel has been an excellent signing for Celtic, filling the leadership void left in the position by Joe Hart’s exit seamlessly and producing some fine stops when called upon.
He attracted criticism though from Danish pundits for his performances for the national team, and particularly, for his lack of fitness. Some of that, infamously, was needlessly personal and completely crossed the line, but it isn’t unfair to point out that he has looked far from his sharpest over recent months.
His recent shoulder injury only exacerbated such concerns, and while it is perfectly understandable that both player and manager wanted to have him between the sticks for the big occasion after his contribution earlier in the campaign, would a match-sharp Viljami Sinisalo have made such a shocking and consequential error?
Hindsight is 20/20, and all that, but Schmeichel will need a good pre-season under his belt and emerge next season showing the form he did at the start of his Celtic career just to quell the doubts over his ongoing suitability as the club’s number one.
It is a big summer too though for the relationship between board and manager. Rodgers has spoken repeatedly this season about pushing Celtic to be just a touch more ambitious in the transfer market, and spend bigger on ‘safer’ bets rather than spreading their outlay over four or five players in the £3m-£4m bracket.
The board though may well say that they did that last summer, splashing £9m to bring Adam Idah to the club and then smashing their transfer record by spending £11m on Arne Engels. Will they be so willing to do something similar again when considering the return on that investment so far?
You can’t judge these players on their underwhelming contributions on Saturday alone, but the issue is that over the course of the season, such concerns have been raised about the value for money that both of these players have so far represented.
Engels is 21 and Idah is 24, so they both still have time on their side. But again, these are players that the fans will want to see more from next season, and both will be expected to step up a level in terms of their contribution and their consistency.
So, there are some big decisions to be made this summer and one or two pretty major holes to fill in the side.
All this being said, had Celtic come out on the right side of the shootout, no doubt these pages would be filled instead with their players and almost certainly journalists like me lauding the brilliance and the winning mentality of Rodgers and his team of history makers.
So, Rodgers won’t be throwing the baby out with the bath water. There isn’t all that much wrong with his Celtic team.
The question is, will the short term pain of the penalty shootout defeat and the chance to make history slipping through their grasp, just as the ball slipped through Schmeichel’s, convince the board to sanction the level of spend required to firstly meet any improved challenge from across the city following the takeover of Rangers by 49ers Enterprises, but to also take the next step in the Champions League?
The Celtic board are often accused by fans – and sometimes unfairly – as being asleep at the wheel. Now is their chance to put such accusations to bed.
This season, despite Saturday’s disappointment, has been a successful one. But that is precisely when big, serious clubs strengthen.
The stage is theirs.
