NEIL LENNON takes a lot of satisfaction when he studies the SPFL Premiership table and notes his Celtic side has finally drawn level with long-time leaders Inverness Caley Thistle.

But the Hoops boss purrs with delight when it is pointed out to him that his Bhoys are actually five points better off than they were at this stage of the championship campaign last season.

Not least because they were forced to start their campaign earlier and have played two more Champions League qualifying ties.

In their opening six SPL matches last term, Celtic only won three, drew a couple and lost to St Johnstone to trail in third place behind Motherwell and Hibs.

This time, they have won five, and dropped points only to Inverness in a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park.

These victories include the weekend's 2-1 success against St Johnstone, a day which looked to be going according to plan with early goals from Teemu Pukki and Charlie Mulgrew, but ended in fraught fashion after Liam Caddis scored with nine minutes to go.

Just like at Tynecastle the previous weekend, and Tannadice before that, this was a match in which Lennon believes his team would have shipped points last season.

But, as the table shows, they are a different entity this time around, much more capable of dealing with the rigours of fighting on more than one front. That can only spell bad news to the rest of the teams in the division as the Hoops' early-season vulnerability appears to be a problem of the past.

Having emerged from what could have been unlucky game 13 of the campaign with maximum points, Lennon took a little time to reflect on the first phase of 2013-14.

He said: "I think it is the hardest part of the season. That's a quarter of it gone, and we have only played six league games.

"We've had seven Champions League games, plus all the internationals several of the players have played, and it is very hard to manage that in a very short space of time.

"So, it is very pleasing to be back level with Inverness, with a game in hand. We are now the only unbeaten team in the league this season, and that shows good consistency.

"The stalwarts of the squad are playing very, very well. But, what pleases me most is to discover we are five points better off than this time last season.

"The mentality is better. And the new boys, like Teemu Pukki, Amido Balde, Derk Boerrigter, Nir Biton and Virgil van Dijk, even Tom Rogic, who are coming into the squad will adapt to the game here. When they do that completely, they will make us better."

Lennon knows there is no time to rest on any laurels, and is only too aware that, given the size and resources of the club, they are not going to get any huge plaudits for being up beside Inverness at the head of the table because, frankly, that's exactly where they are expected to be.

However, the Hoops boss believes this is to ignore the not-insignificant fact they are also flying the flag for Scotland in Europe, something no other club has managed to sustain this far into the season.

This comes at a price, as the weariness on show in the closing minutes of Saturday's game against St Johnstone exposed. Saints boss, Tommy Wright, could sense that the vice-like grip Celtic had in the first 80 minutes of the match had loosened, and his players attempted to take full advantage.

Lennon said: "It is not easy. We had one day to recover from playing in the San Siro. We got back from Milan about four o'clock on Thursday morning, and you can't train the players on the Friday.

"So, it is a case of trying to balance and manage the squad as best we can. There are a few tired players and sore legs at the minute, but getting the three points was the most important thing, and we got them."

The early goals from Pukki and Mulgrew came when energy levels were still at their peak. Ideally, Celtic would have added even more to give them a substantial cushion, but to say they should have is to disrespect a Saints side who have had their own moments of magic in Europe this season.

"We did expend a lot of energy in the first half," said Lennon. "And I am not going to let the final 10 minutes detract from what was a really good performance.

"Two-nil is a funny scoreline, and St Johnstone ended up going for it, throwing on two centre-forwards. But we saw the game out, and I am delighted."

Lennon baulks at the suggestion he could virtually field one team for Europe then another for domestic matches.

Numbers-wise, perhaps that is true. And he did start with Georgios Samaras on the bench on Saturday, a player who would be a certain starter at every other club in the country.

But, winning games in the Premiership is not as easy as many would have you believe.

"It's absolute nonsense to say we have a big squad," said Lennon, clearly irked at the very presumption. "We lost Mikael Lustig before the Saints game with a groin problem. And James Forrest is out with a virus while Joe Ledley is also missing with a groin injury.

"Steven Mouyokolo is out for a long period, and he is one who would have played on Saturday. I feel he would have made a difference because we look a little bit short in that area.

"If anything happens to Charlie Mulgrew, Virgil van Dijk or Efe Ambrose now, we are light in that department. So, that is obviously a concern with the amount of games we have coming up."