NafisaCeltic may have finally started putting their Champions League nightmare behind them.
After the painful collapse against LASK left the Hoops facing another season in the Europa League, Martin O’Neill needed a response from his players when Falkirk arrived at Celtic Park.
And, for the most part, he got one.
Celtic came through a nervy afternoon with a 2-1 victory, thanks to another impressive performance from Camilo Durán, who continued his excellent start to life in Glasgow with both goals.
The result ensured that Celtic maintained their perfect start to the domestic campaign and, perhaps more importantly, prevented the disappointment of Austria from completely derailing the mood around Parkhead.
There was plenty for O’Neill to think about, though.
The Celtic boss made several changes to his side following the European disaster, with Callum McGregor and Kasper Høgh both absent and new signing Haissem Hassan handed his first start.
Durán took his opportunity brilliantly, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also impressed as Celtic eventually held on despite a late Falkirk fightback.
But while attention naturally focused on the players who stepped up, Celtic were also quietly continuing to reshape the squad behind the scenes.
And one attacker who had increasingly found himself on the outside looking in was conspicuous by his absence.
The writing had been on the wall for some time.
After arriving at Celtic in a £5 million deal from Royal Antwerp last summer, expectations were high for Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
The Belgian-born DR Congo international had already established himself in Belgian football and was expected to provide another dangerous attacking option for Celtic.
Instead, his first year at Parkhead proved extremely difficult.
Balikwisha managed just 14 competitive appearances, registering two assists but failing to score. His opportunities became increasingly limited, and his last competitive appearance came in January, while he had not featured for Celtic this season beyond being an unused substitute during the Champions League play-off campaign.
O’Neill had also previously admitted that there had been interest in the attacker while making it clear that he could not promise him regular opportunities.
That was perhaps the clearest indication yet that the 25-year-old’s future under the Celtic boss was becoming increasingly difficult to see.
And now the club have made their decision.
Just hours after the Falkirk victory, Celtic’s latest squad reshuffle was confirmed with Balikwisha completing his move to Belgian side KAA Gent.
The attacker has joined on a season-long loan, with Gent holding an option to make the move permanent. Reports have placed that option at around £3.5 million.
For Balikwisha, the move represents an opportunity to restart his career somewhere he already knows the footballing environment.
For Celtic, meanwhile, it is another indication that O’Neill is becoming increasingly ruthless about players who are not part of his immediate plans.
Gent boss Rik De Mil made it clear that the Belgian club believe Balikwisha still has plenty to offer.
“Balikwisha is an experienced player who knows the Belgian league well.
“He has proven on numerous occasions that he can make the difference with an individual action, an assist, or a goal.
“We are therefore very happy that he is joining our squad.”
That could be exactly what Balikwisha needs.
Rather than remaining at Parkhead and fighting for scraps of playing time, he will now have the chance to play regularly, rebuild his confidence and potentially convince Gent to make the transfer permanent.
For Celtic, however, the timing raises another question.
The Hoops have already lost several players from their attacking options, while O’Neill has publicly admitted that he needs more reinforcements with Celtic facing a demanding schedule domestically and in the Europa League.
Balikwisha’s departure therefore makes sense if the manager had already decided he was not going to be a major part of his plans.
But it also means another attacking body has disappeared from a squad that O’Neill himself has admitted needs strengthening.
The Falkirk victory provided some welcome relief after the LASK disaster.
Now Celtic need to make sure the departures are followed by the arrivals required to prevent another problem from developing later in the season.
And for Balikwisha, his Celtic chapter could now be heading towards its final page.
Nafisa
