Celtic didn’t even have to play that well to convince Steven Anderson they will stroll to the Premiership title.
The central defender returned to the St Johnstone side after injury for their 3-0 loss to the Hoops at McDiarmid Park on Sunday.
While he felt Saints tested their opponents for long spells and that it was losing two goals at corners that cost them the game rather than any brilliance from the champions, Anderson is still tipping them to run away with the league.
Asked if there is even a championship race taking place, Anderson replied: “No. I don’t think so.
“Their wage structure is massive compared to other teams.
“Aberdeen are up there with the wages they pay but Celtic should be winning the league with what they’ve got.
“It’s really a case of seeing how many points teams can take off them.
“We were just hoping that, being at home we could have gotten something from the match. Had we won then happy days!
“Every season we seem to do all right against them but maybe it shows how far we have come that we are so disappointed to lose.
“The thing is, Celtic are still a good team.
“Some people may say they are not as good as they were but I think they are a good side.
“They will win the league no doubt about that.
“I don’t even think they turned it on against us because it was the two corners that killed us.
“The third goal was really form a counter-attack so I wouldn’t say they were excellent.”
If Anderson is correct and surely most people will agree with him then that leaves a battle to be the best of the rest involving Aberdeen, Hearts and St Johnstone.
The Dons are in second spot with 38 points after their home win over the Jam Tarts on Saturday.
The third-placed Edinburgh team sit just ahead of Saints with 31 to their 30, with those two sides meeting in a pre-Christmas cracker at McDiarmid on Saturday.
Anderson said that once the analysis of the Celtic defeat has been done especially the concession of the first two goals then full attention will be given to Robbie Nielson’s men.
He said: “If you don’t take your chances then Celtic are a good enough team to pick you off.
“We lost two bad goals from corners and we are usually quite solid at corners.
“They were two decent deliveries from Callum McGregor but frustrating for us nonetheless.
“At the second goal I was just above it and I thought I was getting it but it went over my head and (Dedryck) Boyata was there to knock it in.
“It just wasn’t our day and we move on to a big game against Hearts here next week.
“We will go over the goals on the video and then concentrate of facing Hearts.”