CELTIC'S revival in the SPL title race has been attributed in no small measure to the contribution made by the men who bolstered the squad during the mid-season transfer window.

After a damaging December, and a jittery January, the arrival of Barry Robson, Andreas Hinkel and Georgios Samaras helped breath new life into a championship defence which appeared to be desperately searching for its second wind.

As the new Bhoys have settled, their contribution has become even more marked, and they have underlined how shrewd the business conducted at the turn of the year really was.

Whether it is the deciding factor in where this season's league flag finally flies, the next couple of weeks will tell.

But what is not in dispute, according to Robson, is that the men who arrived in January will be even better next season once they have fully acclimatised to life as Celts.

With a summer's hard graft under their belts, and the chance to reflect on their first few months working for Gordon Strachan, the 29-year-old former Dundee United skipper is convinced they will all be even better equipped to make their mark.

That will be important, as Robson reckons winning a place in the side will be even tougher by the time August comes around.

As he enjoyed another hard week's graft at Lennoxtown ahead of the penultimate league game of the campaign, against Hibs at Celtic Park on Sunday, Robson said: "Come the start of next season, the boys who arrived in January will feel the benefits of already having had six months at the club.

"But I am also certain that the manager will strengthen the squad again. That's just what happens at Celtic.

"Players will come in, and that's a good thing.

"You can never be strong enough. You can always improve your squad and it will be tough again to win a place in the team.

"First things first, though, we want to do everything we can to finish this season on a high and then take it from there."

It is not just the new arrivals who can look forward to an even brighter future. A look at the average age of the side tells Robson this is just the start of something good.

He said: "As a squad we have got our best years ahead of us.

"You look at guys like Scott Brown and Aiden McGeady in their early 20s. They are already fantastic players and will only get better.

"Naka is a good age at 29, while there are a lot of other younger players getting better.

"Gary Caldwell and Stephen McManus are both in their mid-20s, while Mark Wilson and Scott McDonald are even younger.

"It's a phenomenal bunch of players the manager has brought together and finger crossed we can all stay and grow together at this club."

Winning this title championship would help create an even stronger bond between the players. But to have any chance of achieving that, they must win their final two games, starting this weekend then 11 days later when they sign off with a tough fixtures against Robson's previous club, Dundee United.

It would be ironic if the man who served United so well without tasting any success should seal a championship medal back at Tannadice on May 22.

And there is no doubt the biggest smile for miles around would be on Robson's face.

But, before that can happen, he knows they have to keep winning, and keep hoping that Rangers slip up at least one more time.

The rot set in for Walter Smith's side when they lost back-to-back games against Celtic last month - their previous defeat in the SPL had been in October when Robson fired in the winner for United.

But the midfielder accepts they now need others to help them halt Rangers, while all they can do is concentrate on their own final matches.

He told the Celtic View: "The derbies were great. It's brilliant to get one over on your biggest rivals and to do it twice in a row was great.

"But it's not just those games that are important for us - every game is.

"The two wins mean nothing unless we can capitalise on them and win the rest of our games."

Robson is delighted that the momentum is with Celtic at this vital stage, and he continued: "It has been good over the last few weeks and it is amazing what a couple of goals can do for a team.

"I thought we had been playing well prior to the start of April, but we just were not putting the ball in the back of the net.

"That was down to the whole team, not just the strikers.

"In the last few games we have been scoring goals again and it has been great. Long may it continue."