RONNY DEILA has had nearly a fortnight to let his head clear.

Issues and responsibilities rushed in on Celtic's young Norwegian manager and, if it would be a gross exaggeration to suggest that he was drowning in the job, then the water was certainly lapping uncomfortably high. The international break interrupted the domestic season and allowed him to take a breather. He has, he said, returned refreshed and revitalised.

A new country, a bigger job than he had ever experienced, having inherited an unknown set of players and staff, a remorseless pre-season schedule, a transfer window, one Champions League elimination, then another one, frustration in doing deals, last-minute negotiations, losing one key player for £10m, another taking the huff about not getting to leave: all of it smothered Deila. Before the break Celtic's results were not good enough under the 38-year-old: only four wins in his 10 games, only two in the last eight, none at all in the last four.

Between the most recent disappointment - the 1-1 draw away to SPFL Championship champions Dundee 13 days ago, when some supporters booed the team off at full-time - and his return to prepare for today's lunchtime game against Aberdeen, Deila returned to Norway. There, in the peace and quiet of home, he gathered his thoughts. Today, he said, was the beginning of "chapter two" of his Celtic career.

"There was a lot of reflection," Deila said. "When it's games all the time it's very hard to see the whole picture. At home it was very good to just reflect on things and see where we are and what the next moves are. I can see positive things happening and of course things that we need to do better.

"It's a situation that I don't think anybody can put themselves into. To take a big team is one thing. I had never been to Scotland before - well, one time - but coming into a new culture and a new team and new experiences, and then you have also the Champions League coming very quickly, and also the window . . . that takes a lot of energy. So there were so many tasks and you have to know your staff, you have to put your ideas in, there's an unbelievable lot to do."

His chief executive, Peter Lawwell, has described the set of circumstances which descended on Deila as a s***storm.

"I can understand what he's saying," said Deila. "But it has been fantastic, also. When I look at the players I see a lot of skills and a lot of opportunities. There are two things we need to be better in: to get the fitness even better than we have been, and to be even better at playing together.

"I think there has been too much individual things so we need to get a pattern in the offensive play.

"I think it is chapter two. But I am very glad that I had the chapter one here, because it can't be more intense than those 10 weeks were, travelling all over Europe, a lot of new things. Without those 10 weeks I wouldn't be here now with the knowledge I have. So that has been positive. It now becomes my chapter now.

"Is the club bigger than I had expected? Yeah. I think so. You can't say no to that question. I think the pressure after results is different to what I'm used to. I've been in smaller clubs where I can build something and I know in the end I'm going to destroy them, but here you have to win and develop and that is very difficult.

"But we have much better players here. The Champions League is a very high level so we think the fitness we had, and the squad we had, was not good enough.

"It's a fantastic job, but it's also a very hard job. But I will never give up. I know where I want to be and I am looking forward to sitting one day when you will think, 'f***, you've made it'. Every night when I go to sleep I think that. I know it's going to be tough in the first year, I have been through it before at smaller clubs. The fun part will come."

Deila's work resumes with a run of three games against the strongest team in their Europa League group and the clubs which finished second and third in the SPFL Premiership last season: Aberdeen today, Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday, and Motherwell next Sunday.

Scott Brown could return today having been out with a hamstring injury since early July, but Charlie Mulgrew will begin a lay-off with a knee problem. Aleksandar Tonev is unlikely to feature but two other new arrivals, Stefan Scepovic and John Guidetti, are both in line to create a stir around Parkhead by making their debuts. "I think now we are more complete and can be dangerous in the wide areas. I want crosses coming and that was one of the tasks for me in this window: to get players who can be dangerous when those crosses come in."

Derek McInnes' team has the width, pace and quality to cause Celtic real trouble if their full-backs push as far up the field as they did at Dundee. Presumably Deila has reflected on that, and his chapter two must begin by showing he can do something about it.