Celtic fans once again let their feelings be known towards the board about the lack of transfer activity - but Brendan Rodgers and his players stuck to the task at hand by sweeping away Livingston at Parkhead.
The Hoops were unable to get on the scoresheet in the midweek Champions League play-off draw against Kairat that has left them with plenty to do in the return leg in Asia on Tuesday and for 45 minutes it looked like they might also come unstuck against David Martindale's Lions.
However within two minutes of the restart, summer signing Benjamin Nygren eased those worries by netting from close quarters.
Sub Johnny Kenny then came on to head home a superb second before Swede Nygren rounded things off in style with an emphatic finish to complete the score line.
Livi had gone onto the game off the back of a win and a draw in the Premiership but found themselves penned in their own half for large parts of the game as their wait for three points at Celtic Park stretches to 22 matches.
Supporters held up banners questioning the ambition of the Celtic hierarchy and Rodgers will be desperate to see some new faces in the door before the window slams shut on September 1.
Catch our RECAP on all the action at Celtic Park as it happened right here!
Key Events
No complaints from Livi boss
David Martindale has no qualms with Livi's 3-0 loss to Celtic but reckons his players still gave a decent account of themselves.
He told BBC Sportsound:
We had a really, really good first half and then we give away a cheap goal. The change of shape helped us offensively but left us a wee bit wide open at the back and that probably led to the other two goals.
I didn't come here to take a 1-0 defeat, I didn't come here to take a 2-0 defeat. We came here to try and stay in the game as long as we could.
Celtic deserved the three points but I think there's still positives to take. We've not played an opponent at this level for 18 months. The boys equipped themselves fairly well, especially the first half.
Rodgers lavishes praise on Nygren
Brendan Rodgers reckons Benjamin Nygren's double salvo in the win over Livingston shows exactly why they paid Nordsjælland £1.2million to bring him to Parkhead.
Speaking to BBC Sportsound, he said:
Very pleased. I thought it was a really good performance. We should've been ahead by half-time. Our patience was important. The crowd could see what we were trying to do. The second half, they get their reward for that.
I thought that Benji [Nygren] was the standout player. It's why we brought him to the club. He wants to score goals, he can score goals.
5 talkies from CP
Benji on the wing
He was signed after an impressive season on the right flank for Nordsjaelland. And in his first start in that position for Celtic Benjamin Nygren was the Hoops’ most effective player with his direct running, dangerous crosses and crucial double. Nygren started and finished the move that broke the deadlock after 47 minutes.
Picking the ball up in his own half the Swedish international drove infield and fed Yang whose low effort was spilled by Jerome Prior right into the path of Nygren who followed in tap home. The Swede then pounced on a loose ball in the box and bent a brilliant finish high into the top corner to seal the points with 20 minutes to go. By that point he was back in his midfield role. But with a frontline creaking through injuries the 24-year-old could well be deployed on the flank in Almaty with Arne Engels available to take his slot in midfield.
Board games
The Green Brigade followed up Tuesday’s attack on the Parkhead board with another round of pot shots as their team struggled to find a breakthrough. It took until the 13th minute for the first of three chants of ‘sack the board’ which was accompanied by a banner screaming ‘Zero ambition. Neglect team. Rinse fans. Basic board’. With the words world class scribbled out and replaced by Basic.
Ironically just as the chant and banner went up Celtic took the lead - or so they thought before Shin Yamada’s effort was ruled out for offside.
The vast majority of Parkhead left it to the ultras. But if the frontline isn’t strengthened with at least another two new signings then expect the toxicity levels to swell. Failure to win in Kazakhstan on Tuesday will see to that. At least almost 4000 miles away on the Chinese border the suits’ ears should get a rest.
Eight not great.. but enough
Rodgers admitted his side looked lethargic in the first half of the goalless draw with Kairat. Eight changes were made to the side that drew with Kairat with skipper Callum McGregor taking a rare seat on the bench where he was joined by Cameron Carter-Vickers, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Kieran Tierney. Injured trio Alistair Johnston, Austin Trusty and Adam Idah were also missing meaning a competitive debut for Hayato Inamura, a first start for Shin Yamada who linked well but had little end product, Dane Murray strolled it at centre half beside captain for the day Liam Scales while Paulo Bernardo struggling to impact from the middle in his first start since the Scottish Cup Final in midfield.
The rejigged Hoops went after Livi early on. But having seen a 13th minute Yamada goal rightly chalked off for offside the intensity dropped. before Jerome Prior was finally called into action after 35 minutes to touch Yamada’s header over. But Nygren’s opener followed by the introduction of McGregor and Maeda saw the Hoops ease to the points with Johnny Kenny netting his first Parkhead goal to round off a fine second half.
Shin the running?
Hoops fans got their first proper look at Shin Yamada through the middle with Adam Idah injured and Daizen Maeda rested. The Japanese frontman certainly shares the explosive work rate and pace of his compatriot and looks to have the chaos factor in his armoury.
An end product though? That remains a question mark. Yamada showed nice touches linking up. And he did tap home Engel’s cutback after 13 minutes only to be denied by the offside flag. But he lacked any composure when put through by Dane Murray just before the break and looked raw in front of goal.
Lions fail to roar
Livingston are still searching for a first ever victory at Parkhead after 22 attempts. Their record now reads 19 defeats and three draws and while the sat deep in a bid to frustrate the makeshift Hoops they failed to create any serious chances on the break.
On a positive they looked comfortable defending their box in the first half and Prior made an early contender for save of the season just before the break when he somehow got across goal to push Yang’s header onto the bar from point blank range.
Livi rallied after Nygren’s opener for a spell too. But they failed to seriously trouble Kasper Schmeichel and were comfortably beaten in the end.
Job done
After a goalless first-half, it turned out to be a routine three points for Celtic.
Benji Nygren helped himself to a double before Johnny Kenny put the icing on the cake with a third.
There was a debut too, for youngster Colby Donovan - the fifth Hoops academy graduate who featured today.
Brendan Rodgers will be chuffed after making eight changes to the team that drew a blank at home to Kairat Almaty.
And there's plenty to ponder too, for the Celtic boss, who now finds himself with a selection dilemma up front.
Shin Yamada was given the nod for crocked Adam Idah and caused Livi's backline problems with his clever movement.
He had a header that clipped the crossbar and a couple of efforts saved by the impressive Jerome Prior.
But it was sub Kenny who got on the scoresheet with a thunderous header that misfiring Idah could do well to study.
Next up, is a gruelling 10-hour flight to Kazakhstan for Tuesday's winner-takes-all Champions League second leg playoff - before the small matter of a Glasgow derby at Ibrox next Sunday.
Full time: Celtic 3 Livi 0
The champions return to form with a dominant win over Livi.
Benjamin Nygren scored twice and Johnny Kenny got in on the act as Celtic found their mojo before their trip to Kazakhstan for the £40m showdown with Kairat.
Livi keep trying
But the threat is at the other end as Celtic look for more.
Inamura has been on it and now Maeda down the left is trying to expose Livi forcing themselves forward.
Debut Bhoy
A proud moment for young Colby Donovan as the 18-year-old make his Celtic debut.
Alistair Johnston's three-month injury layoff has seen the defender promoted to the first-team.
Brendan Rodgers hinted yesterday that he'll resist the temptation of dipping into the market for a stand-in right-back.
Donovan - who impressed for Celts during pre-season - was a loan target for Dundee and Ayr United.
But the teenager will be staying put at Parkhead to serve as Anthony Ralston's deputy.
By the way, that's five academy graduates who have been on the pitch for Celtic today.
Ralston, Dane Murray, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Donovan.
Ken he do it? Yes he Ken
A thunderous header from Johnny Kenny.
And what a confidence boost that will give him.
A first Celtic Park goal for the big man from Sligo.
It's his second for the club, after finding the net at Pittodrie in May.
That will do his chances of starting in Kazakhstan no harm whatsoever, especially with Adam Idah being a major doubt.
GOAL! Kenny makes it 3-0
That is another team goal.
Maeda's wicked ball is turned home from the Irishman.
His first goal of the season.
Ralston downed again
But the cult hero, affectionately known as 'The Brickie, is built of sterner stuff.
He is back up and is ready for more.
Engels is also down in a crumpled heap.
Game over
There's the goal that Celtic have been craving.
And who else but Benji Nygren?
It was on a plate for him after another loose ball inside the box, but he rifled it into the back of the net.
And crucially, Nygren was in the right place at the right time.
Three goals in three league games now for the Swedish talisman.
GOAL! Nygren makes it 2-0
The champions are flying.
Engels' danger ball was cut out and it was Nygren on hand to do the damage.
Inamura again
He might not be ready for Yamal but boy is he good enough to star in the SPFL.
Celtic recycle the ball better when Tierney's deputy is on the pitch.
Good play from Jonny Kenny too.
One-way traffic
We're midway through the second-half and Livingston still haven't registered a single shot at target.
Other than a goalmouth scramble from a high free-kick, Kasper Schmeichel has been a virtual spectator for the Hoops.
It's been one-way traffic. And a second goal would surely kill it for the champions.
But the longer it stays 1-0, David Martindale's troops might fancy their chances of stealing a point.
Inamura gets one wrong
And his error forces Engels into a crude tackle on Sylla.
It came seconds after Nygren was an overgrown toenail away from making it 2-0,
Livi are trying to make their move.
Chances aplenty
Yang has been impressive and now Maeda is trying to fill his boots.
Livi remain in it when there is only one goal in it.
Walking wounded
Ralston, Yang and Nygren have all had treatment.
Bernardo, McCowan and Shin are replaced by McGregor, Daizen and Forrest
Yamada misses
Great football from Celtic started by Inamura's assured passing.
Yang fires across for Yamada but he cannot turn his near post effort on target.
Big Ben
That's back-to-back league goals for Celtic's Super Swede.
He's settling into life at Parkhead quite nicely.
In an ideal world, Brendan Rodgers would utilise his playmaker in the middle of the park.
But Nygren's versatility also gives the Hoops boss the option of playing him on the right-hand flank.
That's where he played mostly for FC Nordsjaelland last season and he looks comfortable out there, albeit lacks the blistering pace Rodgers builds his front three on.
Pressure valve lifted
Celtic have been active but boy that is a relief for the natives after the tribulations of Wednesday night.
Super Swede
Magic play to get up the pitch and Yang's fastball causes Prior to spill it straight at Nygren.
Celtic get the goal they deserve
He might not be ready for Yamal...
But fair play to Inamura, he is cooler than the other side of the pillow and his latest forward pass should have been seized by a team-mate.
We're back underway
And there are no changes as a cast of key Celtic men warm up with vigour ahead of their flight to Central Asia tomorrow.
Same old story
Well, the half-time stats tell the story.
Eight shots, four on target and 83.6 per cent possession for Celtic.
Yet goalless - again.
It's almost like Brendan Rodgers had predicted this would happen without fresh firepower.
Once again, Celtic's Achilles heel is a lack of cutting edge up front.
Shin Yamada has caused problems against a typically stubborn Livingston defence.
But the Japan cap, like the rest of his attacking colleagues, lacks an end product.
Half time - Celtic 0 Livi 0
Celtic have dominated but have drawn a blank once again in the first 45 vs Livi.
Yang was denied by Prior's save of the season with Engels and Yamada impressing.
Yang is nursing a sore one after he clattered the post.
Yang denied
Prior with the save of the season - utterly incredible.
It came after Engels tumbled like Annie Power after Yamada played him in.
Celtic are, somehow, still level with Livingston.
