THERE is a tendency for a rush to judgement on players before they have so much as learned where their new locker is.

Henrik Larsson remarked dryly after he had significantly compensated for his sloppy pass on his Celtic debut at Easter Road “that was the day I made Chic Charnley a big man in Scotland".

There may be some dubiety about that but certainly it created headlines that were not entirely favourable on the Swede who had arrived as a relative unknown in Glasgow.

Had it been around then, social media would have had a field day with the clip where he conceded possession and watched in despair as his mistake was punished robustly by Charnley and Hibs.

Larsson was able to find his feet – and then some – after an inauspicious start but it serves as a reminder that not all players hit the ground running as they arrive at a new club.

Carl Starfelt had a fairly tough introduction as he arrived into a Celtic team that was in the process of undergoing surgery after a calamitous campaign in which the club’s defensive frailties were ruthlessly laid bare.

With Champions League qualifiers and immediate high-pressure league games, there is no easing into the Celtic first-team.

And while it was a tough introduction for the 26-year-old, the performance of the Swede during Thursday night’s win over Hearts at Parkhead suggests that he has something to offer.

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A reappraisal of what he can bring to the table looks to be in order after he had to be up to the challenge of keeping Hearts at bay in a challenge that grew as the game wore on.

Certainly that Celtic deserved overall to take the points was not in question but, with a 1-0 lead always tenuous, Starfelt was solid in the latter stages of a game where nerves inevitably were tested.

Indeed, one late clearance as he twisted his body to get his head in the way suggested a willingness to block anything that was coming in his direction. It is a robustness that has not always been glimpsed in Celtic’s backline of late.

That the team as a whole were able to come through relatively unscathed on Thursday night bodes well ahead of a month that will be significant in determining the shape of the latter half of the season.

And for all that there remain question marks over Celtic defensively, it is worth noting that Postecoglou’s still side have the best defensive record in the league so far this season.

With Christopher Jullien, whose return was expected before now, still to come back Celtic’s hand should get stronger in that regard.

On current evidence, Starfelt will have a significant contribution to make.