THE MAGNITUDE of the three points that Celtic took at Tynecastle on Wednesday night will only truly be revealed at the end of the season but it was difficult to overlook just how big a win it was for Ange Postecoglou’s side against Hearts.

If nails bitten to the quick are still a reminder almost 48 hours on from the fraught nature of the finale in Gorgie, the fact remains that Celtic faced a stern examination of their title credentials and stood firm. With a little bit of help from a post.

Still, with key players missing – a narrative that has ran steadily throughout this campaign – it was three points that will feel essential to sustaining the club’s title ambitions. It also pointed to resilience within the Celtic side that was conspicuous by its absence last term.

If Postecoglou has had cause to curse the gods that have ensured his treatment room has never been quiet this term, he must be grateful for the manner in which new arrivals have come box-fresh and ready for the first-team.

If Reo Hatate has looked like he has been playing in green and white hoops all season, his fellow new signing Matt O’Riley made a similar impression on his Celtic debut. Given the reliance in the opening half of the season on the midfield triumvirate of Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull it was notable against Hearts that it was an entirely new midfield who took to the pitch.

That the pace did not drop was testimony to just how seamless the introduction has been of players who have barely learned how to negotiate the drive to the club’s Lennoxtown training ground.

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And while Celtic will now have all eyes on Dundee United this weekend as they look to go into the game against Rangers on the back of an unblemished start to the year, there is a repeated pattern that has emerged in Postecoglou’s side.

Their ability to start well, to dominate and to threaten to banish teams emphatically is evident and yet there has been an inability to kill teams off when they are in the ascendancy. It could have been particularly wounding at Tynecastle.

Being able to translate those swashbuckling starts into a tangible lead is necessary if they are to turn the screw rather than risk fading as games go on. Such a scenario invites the potential for problems in the latter stages of games.

The truth is, however, that Celtic will be satisfied with the trajectory of their course at the minute.

So long as they avoid the gap between themselves and Rangers expanding then there is always the awareness that they will get stronger as the season goes on as players return from injury and from international duty.