It hasn’t been the greatest of weeks for the usually all-conquering Celtic.

A disappointing home draw with AEK Athens leaves their Champions League prospects on the edge of a knife.

Losing out on John McGinn to Aston Villa was a blow to a playing squad which Brendan Rodgers has made clear to all and sundry that he is trying to strengthen.

And to top it off they were beaten, again, at Tynecastle from a Hearts team rebuilt and rejuvenated under Craig Levein.

It is probably the worst week Brendan Rodgers has endured since taking over at Celtic, which I think shows you not only job he has done but the standards he has set at the club.

Clearly there is a difference of opinion between the board and the manager on player transfer activity. You could see and hear the frustration in Rodgers’s voice all week concerning the depth of his squad. Players have left Celtic and have not been replaced.

It is also clear Rodgers wants to kick Celtic on to the next level.

Domestically they have a stranglehold but it’s in Europe that progression and improvement will be craved.

To not only get into the Champions League every year but to get out of the group. Rodgers is ambitious and that has to be applauded. But there are clubs spending infinitely more money who not only can’t get near the knockout stages but can’t qualify for the group stages.

So, the board at Celtic simply cannot gamble and throw serious money at the squad. If the finger cannot be pointed in their direction for that, it certainly can be in the McGinn debacle.

McGinn was a standout for Hibs and would undoubtedly strengthened the Celtic squad. Yes, it’s debatable if he would have gone straight into the Celtic team but with Celtic competing in four competitions he would have got plenty of game time.

Just look at Eboue Kouassi’s performance on Sunday against Hearts and you can see precisely why Rodgers was so desperate to get him. He knows his squad depth is nowhere near as deep as he would like.

When you consider Rodgers has won every domestic competition at Celtic and got the club the riches that the Champions League brings, to not back him to the tune of under £3m for McGinn was farcical.

Celtic tried to bully Hibs into selling John on the cheap as they knew he was a Celtic fan and only had a year left. I don’t think they bargained on Rod Petrie and Leanne Dempster calling their bluff.

But more importantly the determination of McGinn to make sure the two clubs who have set him on his way to stardom, St Mirren and Hibs, would get the fee they deserved and not get stiffed for money.

I can understand the disappointment of the many Celtic fans who wanted McGinn at Parkhead. But for some to accuse him of taking the money at Villa over his boyhood heroes is totally wrong.

If he wanted to make as much money as possible he simply would have played out his last year at Hibs and signed on a free next summer. That £2.8m fee that has stayed in Scottish Football and been split between St Mirren and Hibs?

Well that would have gone into his pocket in wages and a hefty signing on fee. Would I have blamed him if he did pocket all that money? Absolutely not because many already have.

I can remember Gary Caldwell getting plenty of jeers at Hibs for signing a pre contract at Celtic. It happens all the time. But McGinn did the right thing for everyone concerned and that is why not one Hibs fan would wish him any ill.

It remains to be seen how much of an error Celtic have made in not paying the initial fee quoted for John McGinn.

One high profile Celtic fan in James McCarthy has already slipped through their grasp and went on to go for big money in England. A good debut season at Aston Villa will see McGinn’s value rocket into the £15 million plus variety.

I have absolutely no doubt he will go on to be a huge success in England. And for Celtic again it will be a case of what might have been.