Now transfer talk is over, the race is on

The biggest plus of Celtic’s shambolic January transfer window is that it’s finally over.

What should have been a real opportunity to improve and galvanise the squad for the second half of the campaign instead turned out to be a massive disappointment.

Just two players were brought in, while not nearly enough were moved on. If our target was to exit the window stronger than when we entered it, we’ve failed miserably.

However, we now know exactly which players Brendan Rodgers can now call upon in our remaining 14 league games and that stability has to be seen as a positive given what’s been an unsettling five weeks or so of the new year.

Though we still have injury concerns over two of our most important players in Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate, a level of calm must surely have been restored at Lennoxtown with the remaining players assured of at least their short-term futures at the club.

For those who remain, the challenge between now and May is clear. Find a way to win consistently in our remaining league fixtures, and prove that you have what it takes to be a title-winning Celtic player.

Can Callum McGregor – now with over 450 Celtic appearances under his belt – find consistency in his own performances to lift a third successive Scottish Premiership as club captain?

Can Kyogo rediscover the goal scoring form which saw him sweep the boards at last season’s player of the year awards?

Can new Bhoys such as Luis Palma, Paulo Bernardo and Nicolas Khun prove that they have the talent and the mindset to succeed in Glasgow’s East End?

In a short few months we’ll have the answers to all of these questions.

With the top of the table now closer that it’s been in some time, it's time for Celtic’s players and coaches alike to show exactly what they’re made of.