THE Celtic players, manager and coaching staff were all swift to dismiss speculation about unrest in the Parkhead camp last week in the wake of the defeat to Aberdeen.

Yet, their actions in the eight days since the costly 2-1 loss at Pittodrie – a result which saw them deposed as Ladbrokes Premiership leaders by their conquerors – have spoken far louder than their words.

A 2-2 draw with Ajax in the Amsterdam ArenA in their opening Europa League group game on Thursday night was, irrespective of the disappointing late goal they conceded, a fine response to the painful reverse.

This utterly ruthless dismantling of a Dundee side which had started the 2015/16 campaign brightly drove home that there are no underlying issues at Celtic which may jeopardise the defence of their title.

With Aberdeen storming into a 3-0 lead against Hearts through at Tynecastle in the early kick-off, the pressure was well and truly on Celtic as their game got started.

Drop points against Paul Hartley’s side and they would fall seven points adrift of Derek McInnes’s side. Lose, and the margin to be made up on the top flight leaders would be extended to eight points.

However, Ronny Deila’s charges brushed aside their visitors with ease. Goals from Tom Rogic and Leigh Griffiths within the opening 16 minutes got the rout underway.

A second half double from the unlikely source of Emilio Izaguirre, the Honduran left back who atoned for his ordering off in Holland three days earlier, ensured all three points were collected by the home team.

Late strikes from captain Scott Brown and substitute Nadir Ciftci completed a high satisfying afternoon’s work by the Scottish champions. Crisis? What crisis?

The 6-0 triumph emphasised, if anybody had doubted it after the unimpressive performance in the north-east, there is a long way to go to before the Premiership is decided.

"I was very happy about the performance,” said Deila. “The whole day was very good. There were a lot of people in the stadium and the atmosphere was good. The team played well for 90 minutes and we could have scored much more, but it's a good thing when you win 6-0.

"There were so many good performances. The players are getting better and the team is getting better as well. We need to have a clear match plan, follow it and today everyone showed great commitment. That was good.

"I had noticed a change in the players. We have worked a lot to find reasons (for bad performances) and to get over it, move on and get back to the level we were at and also get better. The last two performances have been good. We can get better.”

The victory could have been far more emphatic. Scott Bain in the Dundee goal produced some outstanding blocks from Griffiths, Rogic and Brown.

Izaguirre also missed a penalty. Having netted twice, he was the only choice to take the spot kick after Dundee defender Gary Irvine had brought down Callum McGregor inside his own area shortly after the Celtic man had replaced James Forrest.

A huge roar went up inside Celtic Park when McGregor handed the ball to Izaguirre. The popular defender, though, blasted his attempt well over the crossbar to squander the chance to register the first hat-trick of his professional career.

"I haven't seen many worse penalties,” said Deila. “There was too much pressure in that situation. The whole stadium was watching and he had to wait quite a few seconds as well. I think he was thinking too much.

“I like him to get forward and make crosses, but he will need to stay back next time we have a penalty. That will be his last. He might get one in a penalty shoot-out! I think he has scored some penalties with Honduras but he has a lot to work on."

The clean sheet Celtic kept – their first since the 2-0 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill way back on August 9 – and the goal which Nadir Ciftci netted – his first since joining from Dundee United in the summer – pleased Deila.

"That (the clean sheet) was something else that was pleasing,” he said. “That was good. We defended as a team, we did not concede any chances in open play, we were aggressive and compact. We were also quick on the ball and dynamic. We had a good rhythm of play.

"It has taken Ciftci some time. He has been out with a suspension, which did make it hard for him. We know what kind of qualities he has and today he worked really hard and then he got paid with a bit of luck. This will be the first of many for Nadir and we know that he has a lot to give to the team."

Hartley admitted Dundee had Bain to thank for ensuring the final scoreline was not greater. “It was a poor performance,” he said. “It was unacceptable. It was a really bad day that we had. If it wasn’t for our goalkeeper it could have been more.

“He is an outstanding goalkeeper. But we gave him too much to do. I felt we were just off it all over the park. We had one performer and that was the goalkeeper. We had 10 off it and I think the players know that because they have been good for the majority of the season.”