It is amazing what a few goals will do. Fifteen of them to be exact. In three games.

They may not have put Barcelona to the sword, and they are still so wide open you could drive a double decker through the defensive gaps, but the grumbles and discord that surrounded Ronny Deila and this Celtic side have dissipated somewhat over the last few weeks.

That is the way of it when things are going well. No-one really cares if Deila doggedly refuses to play two up front so long as they are winning games and playing decent football.

The menu in the players’ canteen at lunchtime doesn’t warrant a mention so long as the points are mounting and the goals are going in.

In the aftermath of the Champions League exit this summer, Celtic carried their malaise like a wet overcoat. It weighed heavy on the team, on the club and especially on the manager.

Those problems that stopped Celtic from making it into the elite group stages of the Champions league, that prevented them from making any significant imprint on the Europa League other than to provide a statistical footnote, have, however, not been eradicated.

Michael O’Halloran and Steven MacLean managed to exploit them on Saturday afternoon when the former ghosted past Kieran Tierney before the latter beat Craig Gordon with a simple effort at his near post.

The reminders are there that they are vulnerable, should anyone forget.

It is why one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon was reserved for Erik Sviatchenko, the Danish defender who made the switch from FC Midtjylland last week.

It is he who Celtic will look to now to establish a partnership with Jozo Simunovic – who found O’Halloran a handful for much of Saturday’s game – and Deila will hope the duo can form the kind of foundation that will lend a solidarity to his side long before next summer and all that rides on it rolls around.

It is at the other end of the pitch that there has been a conviction of late about Celtic.

There is a directness about their play leading to chances, to openings, to a little bit of creativity that has been posted missing for large chunks of this season.

Callum McGregor has been quietly effective in that role just inside in the middle of the park, while Gary Mackay-Steven has slowly been revived to produce the form he showed when he first arrived at the club this time last season.

The winger netted twice, one in each half and played with a confidence that underlined his worth when he is in that kind of form. Consistency is his biggest challenge.

His first goal was the kind of opportunistic strike that Leigh Griffiths – quiet by his own standards throughout – would have been pleased with.

The striker, with 27 goals to his name so far this term, had a shot parried by St Johnstone goalkeeper Alan Mannus and it was Mackay-Steven who was quick to slot home the rebound.

That lead last just three minutes before Saints levelled through MacLean. Although Celtic took a while to re-establish that advantage, there was no real tension in the stadium such was the manner in which they appeared to have control over proceedings.

Sure enough, Stuart Armstrong lashed home an exquisite volley on the cusp of the break before Mackay-Steven netted a third when he collected a through ball from Stefan Johansen and drove the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

This time last season, Celtic found their fluency in the run-in. It was the closing stages of the campaign where they started to click and Deila will look for a similar run now as his side hunt down a domestic Treble.

The next 10 days will see that either loom into sharp focus or melt away; a semi-final in the League Cup awaits at Hampden on Sunday, a game that is followed a by a Wednesday night trip to Pittodrie to take on an Aberdeen side that Celtic currently hold a six-point lead over.

“It is always important but again I say this league isn’t finished now, it is finished in May,” said Deila. “There are months and many, many games left. We just have to keep on producing good performances and train well like we have been doing. We have players getting back from injury, Scott Brown and Charlie Mulgrew are looking sharper so there will be competition for places but we need that competition to get the best out of the team.

“But it was a very pleasing afternoon. We can see much more sharpness in the team now. I think we are developing every day and today we created a lot of chances again.

“We were not so effective in taking them, but 15 goals in three matches you have to be pleased. We have done well.

“Stuart Armstrong looks very sharp so I am pleased with that.”

Ryan Christie made his debut in the latter stages when he was introduced into the fray and Deila was pleased to see the 20-year-old make his first appearance for the club.

“Ryan has been training for 3-4 weeks so it was good to give him his debut. He is a talented boy,” said the Celtic manager.