Celtic must be bold after Philippe Clement's Rangers flop

Celtic have known all summer that their place in the Champions League was set, for the first few months anyway. They qualified for the new look league phase by winning the Premiership last season. That guaranteed a further financial boost to put into the running of the club and strengthening the squad.

On the other hand, the Rangers only had the certainty of a place in Europe, not which competition. As they were eliminated from the Champions League qualification phase at Hampden Park on Tuesday night, their destination is now set. It’s the much less lucrative Europa League.

Estimates suggest the Champions League is likely to bring Celtic at least an extra £25 million, probably more than what the Rangers will collect from the Europa League. It’s also worth noting that had Philippe Clement's side defeated Dynamo Kyiv, that and the playoff round to follow against RB Salzburg would have meant more financial boosts for them. That too is lost and gone.

That's quite a difference in finances between the two clubs and means the gap between them will open even wider. It should also mean that the Hoops can bring in better quality players in the transfer window. On the other hand, the latest rebuild at Ibrox is struggling in so many ways.

Celtic must be bold after Philippe Clement's Rangers flop

The potential issue is that Celtic get complacent. The board may decide not to risk the financial advantage they already have, and the rest which is to follow, on signing quality players.

The summer transfer window hasn't been wholly encouraging so far in bringing in the level of quality Brendan Rodgers has talked about needing.  The recent signing of Adam Idah and links to Arne Engels are positive signs though.

This is not the time for the board to hold back. This is the time to invest in the squad, to try and be competitive in the new format Champions League, and to see what great new signings can do for the squad.

What Rangers do or don’t do is largely irrelevant. Celtic need to keep making their own history and way forward. This season is a remarkable opportunity to do that. The club must be bold in the transfer window to provide the support the manager needs.