The only person who can be more disrupted than Brendan Rodgers to this result will be the person of the SPFL who is currently responsible for compilation of the apparatuses of post-Plates prime minister.
If Celtic had checked the victory that was widely awaited here, everything they needed to cross the line in the title race would have been to repeat the home tip for Kilmarnock at noon lunch on Saturday. So much for all this.
Although this unforeseen overthrow for Rodgers players – a first in 32 games against St Johnstone – will not remove their grip on the title, he launches the League a bend in terms of game planning after Easter.
If the last years is something to pass, they will surely do everything they can to reduce the possibility that Rodgers players do work in Ibrox late.
The problem for all concerns is that there is really no way to know when Celtic will be shaken. Play as badly as they did here and Celtic could force their fans to wait for a while.
Dragging on the goal of the fourth minute of Daniels Balodis, visitors had all afternoon to find their composure and the right solution to see a side that started 52 points behind them.
The defender of St Johnstone Daniels Balodis goes beyond Celtic’s defense to go for the sole purpose
The goalkeeper Andy Fisher goes out to refuse the Celtic substitute Luke McCowan to McDiarmid Park
For reasons, only they could explain, Celtic collectively organized a horror show and was rightly beaten for the fourth time in the League this season.
For everything, there was a moderate improvement in their display in the second period, it was never pronounced enough to suggest that a spectacular reversal was on the cards.
The goalkeeper of the Saints Andy Fisher made great stops towards the end of the match, but was hardly overloaded.
Frankly, it was difficult to escape the idea that on the back of the loss of the rangers against Hibernian the day before, Celtic said that they had to present themselves to obtain the desired result.
However, you had to give it to the saints. With results elsewhere against them on Saturday, they might have been able to get here, their heads down almost resigned to their fate.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. A first victory over Celtic since 2016 maintains them less than five points from the pack and still in the fight.
Although they obviously have an enormous amount of work to be done, if the side of Simo Valakari can reproduce the level of mind and belief they have shown here, when anyone else made them do it at their own risk.
What a day it was for the Perth Club. A few weeks ago, this date was in pencil as the title of Celtic title. Feeling the opportunity to collect, St Johnstone abandoned three stands from their land.
By Time Up, it was not only their chests that had been considerably swollen. The bottom of the table can still be, but their self -confidence reserves will now be overflowing.
Rodgers recently talked about the need for his team to eradicate slow departures in matches. He would not have been impressed by what he had initially seen here either, another sloppy start which saw his side hanging inside four minutes.
Visitors could not say that they had not been warned. Balodis had already flashed a header closely above the summit when Jeffrey Schlupp’s error gave the saints a chance to ask their opponents another question.
Graham Carey’s in-swing kick was whipped with pace and precision.
Balodis attacked him with the nearby post and flashed a head beyond Viljami Sinisalo. What a time for the Latvian international to record his first goal of the saints.
The McDiarmid Park field looked hard and bumpy but which alone could not explain the lack of mastery of the Celtic exposed in the first exchanges.
You had to switch your hat to Valakari. Folding in a compact 4-4-2 each time Celtic had the ball, they abandoned little space and glued with their tasks.
Their attitude was illustrated by Stephen Duke-McKenna. The inclined driving of Daizen Maeda seemed to be resolved to be exploited at the house of a thumbnail by Nicolas Kuhn until the winger of the saints produced an authorization for an exceptional goal line.
A few moments later, the same player appeared at the other end, leaving flying with a fierce strike. Sinisalo did well to spring to his left and touch the ball for a corner.
Celtic was devoid of a spark. Their races were predictable. They wanted too many keys in the last third. Those they took were invariably awkward.
Standing, arms folded on the touch, Rodgers was not impressed. Last season, on the same reason, he said that the first half of his team had made him be the most angry that he had ever been in the management. It was certainly not an improvement.
Stephen Duke-McKenna intervenes to prevent the equalization of Nicolas Kuhn from Celtic at close range
He said a lot that his team’s best chance came from a Sam Curtis error. A capricious back-back offered Maeda an opportunity. The Japanese reached the ball first, bypass Fisher and rolled the ball into the target. The guardian of the saints recovered in time and made a block of economy.
The chances of Celtic with golden edges during the opening period were rare. Arne Engels drew straight on Fisher in the first seconds while Jota – otherwise anonymous – forced the goalkeeper to switch his growing strike.
The saints could even be two at the break. Reo Hatate was lucky that Var does not penalize him for handball while he was falling back while trying to defend the Carey cross.
Adama Sidibeh also forced Sinisalo to a backup after exceeding Schlupp to win a header.
The only surprise was that Rodgers only made two changes to the break, Greg Taylor replacing Schlupp and Kuhn giving way to Yang Hyun-Jun.
Celtic has restarted more purposes. Taken by the short corner of Engels, Hatate broke the ball against the amount. Unfortunately on this occasion, the midfielder could not give him no room for maneuver when he then skied the ball high in the Jota Cup stand.
Despite all the pressure increased significantly, Duke-McKenna was a few centimeters from the house’s advance of the house team with spectacular training.
Some of the latest saints have been extraordinary. Played by Hatate, Adam Idah seemed ready to score with his first touch since his departure from the bench until Zach Mitchell slips.
Coming from the bench, James Forrest had a blocked shot before his compatriot under Luke McCowan draws the large rebound. Forrest was also refused by Fisher’s legs after Mitchell’s error before he duly pulls in the goalkeeper’s arms.
In both cases, the veteran winger’s winger were lacking in conviction. The same could be said of Celtic throughout the afternoon.
It was still time for Fisher to produce a last heroic act when his face blocked the McCowan strike in time of time.
This result will not change the top of the table, but it certainly has things shaken at the foot.
St Johnstone (4-4-2): Fisher 8.5; Curtis 7, Balodis 8, Mitchell 7, Wright 7 (Steven 67); Griffith 7, Holt 7, Duke-McKenna 8, Carey 7 (Sprangler 67); Kirk 7 (Kimpioka 67), Sidibeh 7 (Clark 67).
Reserve: Wright, Holt, Curtis, Mitchell.
Director: Simo Valakari 8.
Celtic (4-3-3): Sinisalo 6; Johnston 5, Carter-Vickers 5, Trusty 5, Schlupp 4 (Taylor 45); McGregor 5, Engels 5 (McCowan 66), Hatate 5; Kuhn 4 (Yang 45), Maeda 5 (Idah 61), Jota 4 (Forrest 75).
Reserve: Taylor, Yang.
Director: Brendan Rodgers 4.
Arbitrator: David Dickinson 7.
Presence: 9,090.