To be honest, if you were to look at Celtic’s recent European games then you wouldn’t feel entirely confident backing them to beat Ajax tonight.

But we all know that football doesn’t entirely work that way. Celtic have no option but to go into the game believing that they can do it, but there is a big difference between believing that you can do it and actually going out and doing it.

There have been obvious failures where the European games have been concerned this season – the lack of tempo and intensity in the play and the very apparent slackness – and that is me being kind – at the back.

It is such an important game and not just because Celtic need to win to maintain their hope of getting out of the group.

Peter Lawwell and Ian Bankier, the Celtic chief executive and the Celtic chairman, gave Ronny Deila commendable amount of public backing at last week’s AGM, but another limp display, like the one we saw in the second half against Molde, will see the finger pointed at the manager again.

It is not just that there is a clamour for a victory to sustain their hopes in Europe but also that there must be evidence of a significant improvement in the performance.

The Norwegian has done very well domestically since he arrived at the club to take over from Neil Lennon but these two games against Molde have given people cause to come to very different viewpoint about Celtic’s progression than what it might have been a few months ago.

He desperately needs to oversee a big performance tonight because it really is a massive test for him.

There are doubts in people’s minds and the performance must be so much better than it was for that last 45 minutes against Molde. There was an alarming lack of any kind of spirit at all in that performance and Celtic Park was also very quiet.

Granted, it was a Europa League game and not a UEFA Champions League game but the ground had nothing to get them going.

There are a few big calls for him to make too. With Stefan Johansen and Nir Bitton out there is a call to be made over who he plays in the middle of the park.

Charlie Mulgrew has made noises about being fit and although he hasn’t played a first-team game since the start of September, I think he is the type of player who has enough experience that he could come in and get through the game.

Given the lack of experienced and reliable bodies now, Charlie is a genuine option to come back. He is a naturally fit guy and I think you could get an hour or so out of him at least if the decision was made to throw him back into it.

Kris Commons, too, is one that Deila will want to have fit and available because he is the one guy that you can look to in order to try to make something happen.

Kieran Tierney has not let anyone down when he has played in these games and it will be interesting to see if the teenager is brought back to the fore for this one.

But, all talk of tactics and who plays where is, in my opinion and irrelevance if you do not have the right mindset as you go into the game.

It is vital that you start in the right way. Celtic actually started the games against Malmo, Fenerbahce and Molde well enough but the big problem when they went behind against Molde was there seemed no real desire to get back into it.

When they scored the two early goals against the Norwegians – both were given for offside – you felt that they were capable of going out and taking the game to Molde. But in that second half, there was just nothing.

You have to expect too, that for all Molde are top of the group, Ajax are a team of considerable pedigree and judging by the way they have gone about their domestic business this season, will be a tougher proposition at Celtic Park than Molde were.

The intensity has to be much better. They need to move the ball much faster and it will be interesting to see just how the team is set up given the absence of two players who have been integral to Deila’s midfield.

In some ways it might be a consideration – not that I expect for one second that he will actually change his way of setting up – to go with a 3-5-2 or a re-jigging of the midfield that gives greater protection to the back four.

I would doubt that he will change his mindset for the gamer but certainly, if there is to be evidence that the team are going forward and are improving then there certainly needs to be a much better performance than we have seen of late in the Europa League.