Celtic head into the international break on the back of successive wins, and everything feels very different. The Bhoys went into the last international break on the back of three straight defeats, and things couldn't have felt any worse.
Fans were enraged with the board over the summer's poor recruitment, and rightly so, and on top of that, pressure was building on Martin O'Neill and there was really no sign of Celtic being able to compete at European level.
There have been some ups and downs since then, including a league draw and defeat, but Celtic now go into this break on the back of a huge European win over Besiktas and a league win over strugglers Kilmarnock, albeit it was an ugly and tired-looking win.
Going into this break, Celtic are four points clear at the top of the league, albeit with Rangers having a game in hand, and they now have three points on the board in Europa League, keeping them in with a chance of progressing to the next round.
Martin O'Neill's men are going to need another six or seven points to advance, and barring a clash with Marseille, the other fixtures are winnable, albeit no game is easy at European level.
But Celtic have a chance, and suddenly there is a sense of optimism. Look, of course we know that the Bhoys are not going to get far in the Europa League, and they are unlikely to be dominant in the league. They lack talent, and the issues in midfield can only be addressed properly in the winter transfer window.
But that last international break was torture for Celtic fans, who had three weeks to stew on the rotten run of form their team suffered going into it. To make matters worse, O'Neill had spoke about potentially leaving and didn't communicate any decision, leaving fans waiting for answers during the almost three weeks.
Things certainly aren't perfect around Parkhead, but Celtic fans can at least enjoy the feeling of their team not being in crisis during this international break. The club may well remain in a crisis, but the team is taking steps forward, and they are in a good position, especially when you consider some of the challenges they have faced.
Jota will be back to full fitness in a couple of weeks, as will Yang Hyun-jun, and both played on Sunday. We could also see Alistair Johnston come back in after the break.
Things are looking up.
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