When it comes to reading the room, there are few clubs who get it wrong quite as often as Celtic.The reaction amongst the supporters to the unveiling of the new Lisbon Lions-inspired away kit on Tuesday morning was exactly as you’d expect.Frankly, getting their hands on next season’s gear doesn’t even crack the top five on the list of things they care about at this moment in time.The comments on social media summed up the apathetic mood rather nicely. The decision to then follow up that big reveal with a link taking fans to a page selling shoes for a hundred quid a pop — yes, really — didn’t help.Nor did pictures posted over the following days of Alistair Johnston, Kieran Tierney and Liam Scales kitted out head to toe. Fine footballers, questionable models.You could be forgiven for thinking the club are actively trying to wind the supporters up at this stage. Especially when 99.9 per cent of them are asking the same question: what’s the point of having a new strip when there aren’t any new players to wear it? Martin O’Neill has admitted his squad is short on quality… and nothing has been done about itThe fact that Colombian striker Camilo Duran is the only fresh face in the door with just a fortnight until the new season begins is ludicrous.Celtic’s wait-and-see approach last summer drove former boss Brendan Rodgers to distraction, and was arguably the biggest factor in their failure to qualify for the Champions League. One year on, lessons seemingly haven’t been learned.The common consensus was that last season’s version of Celtic was one of the poorest in the club’s history. Yet, somehow, the current squad is even weaker. And it could get worse before it gets better.How is it going to look when Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate inevitably all head off for pastures new? All three would jump at the chance to test themselves at a higher level, albeit the jury is out on whether they have the quality to do so.Regardless, it would be a massive shock if any of them were available for Martin O’Neill when the transfer window closes on September 3, but, given their track record, it would be an even bigger one if Celtic had any sort of fallback plan in place.It was revealed this week that chief executive Michael Nicholson admitted the club are struggling to compete with sides in the English Premier League and Championship when it comes to attracting players.That may be true, but it’s hardly a new problem. Celtic have been fully aware of where they place in the pecking order for well over a decade now. That excuse doesn’t hold water. Camilo Duran, who scored in a friendly against Middlebrough, is Celtic’s only summer arrivalThe club are world-class operators when it comes to dragging their heels. Just look at what’s happened regarding the pursuit of Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian was much-maligned when he arrived late in the day last summer but, to his credit, won over the fans with performances on the pitch. Indeed, Celtic wouldn’t have won the title without him.It was a no-brainer to bring him back for another campaign but, for whatever reason, a deal couldn’t be done. On Friday, Iheanacho joined Bursaspor in the Turkish second tier.The likelihood of left-back Marcelo Saracchi returning also decreases with each passing day. Available for next to nothing, his signing would have been regarded as a sensible bit of business. It may still happen down the line, of course, but don’t count on it.While Celtic stumble along, their two title rivals are ramping things up.Derek McInnes is barely in the door at Rangers, but has been backed to the hilt as he tries to rebuild this squad, making six signings in a matter of weeks.Granted, Rangers have been down this road before and it’s not gone well — just ask Russell Martin. But there does appear to be a different feeling in and around Ibrox this time around. At the very least, there is a clear plan in place.A lack of leadership in the dressing room has been their Achilles’ heel for years. Not every signing will work out, of course, but Rangers can’t be accused of not trying to address the glaring issue. The Celtic board have done little to encourage supporters to believe in them and their planHearts will be damaged by the loss of Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin, make no mistake. However, that was always a strong possibility, as was the departure of McInnes.The Tynecastle decision-makers factored that in to their long-term planning and have acted swiftly. You’ve never got the impression that there was a sense of panic within the building.Celtic, meanwhile, seem to be making things up as they go along.O’Neill has been consistent in his belief that the board are doing everything in their power behind the scenes to improve this team, and reiterated the point in the wake of Tuesday’s 4-1 friendly defeat to Sporting Lisbon. He better hope so.With a two-legged shootout for the Champions League looming, he can’t afford to be left in the same position as so many of his predecessors.Any repeat of last year’s debacle at the same stage, and flogging merchandise will be the least of the club’s worries.