Picking up maximum points this early in the season when you are joint top of the table alongside St Mirren does not always induce angst. Immediately after a chastening defeat, things are different. Celtic slid from control to crisis within 90 minutes last weekend and must collect full points tomorrow to steady our communal nerves.
On paper, you and I should be able to play central defence for Celtic and still collect three points against St Johnstone. The Perth side lost 0-2 at Hearts on the opening game of the season before going down by the same margin at Ross County two weeks ago. Their most encouraging aspect of August, so far, was that due to not making it out of their League Cup group, they had two weeks to prepare for the trip to Celtic Park.
Defeats to Stenhousemuir, Ayr and a 0-4 home loss to Stirling Albion were only offset by a win over Alloa. Rookie manager, Steven MacLean, travels to Glasgow tomorrow with nothing to lose.
News that we will be without Maik Nawrocki and Cameron Carter-Vickers for two months has inevitably impacted Brendan Rodgers plans for the final week of the transfer window. I am sceptical that we can move the dial greatly in the short period of time we have before going to Ibrox, but enduring half a Champions League campaign without our two first choice central defenders is arresting.
Almost as important as the result, will be another 90 minutes on the pitch for a team that looked like a collection of strangers for parts of recent games against Kilmarnock and Aberdeen.
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