As the old saying goes, the more things change the more they stay the same.

The rapturous delirium that spewed out of the green and white end at Hampden on Sunday could not have been further removed from the scenic and serene landscape that whizzed by the Celtic team bus as it snaked its way towards Dingwall.

A peaceful and idyllic Autumnal picture was painted in the Highlands for Brendan Rodgers and his group of players ahead of the first of three long trips that stretch out in front of the Ladbrokes Premiership champions on a week of consequence.

Read more: Graeme Shinnie admits Aberdeen were poor at Hamilton, but warns against writing them off against CelticGlasgow Times:

With a jaunt up to Pittodrie lurking in the back of Rodgers’s mind, not to mention a flight to Germany on Monday ahead of their crucial Champions League group game with Borussia Monchengladbach, change was in the crisp air as those Celtic players climbed off the coach and into the Global Energy Stadium for their latest opportunity to try and continue their domestic rampage.

As it transpired, the 11 that soon after took to the field were vastly different to the line-up that despatched Rangers in Sunday’s 1-0 Betfred Cup semi-final win. Yet the outcome was all too familiar and welcome to those supporters who had meandered their way through the Highlands to witness their team extend their lead at the top of the Premiership to seven points after just nine games.

Read more: Graeme Shinnie admits Aberdeen were poor at Hamilton, but warns against writing them off against Celtic

Even if they were made to sweat for it until the last 10 minutes.

A total of eight alterations were made to the starting XI here from the weekend yet it did not stop this Parkhead juggernaut from motoring even further ahead of the chasing pack in the Scottish top flight with this 4-0 victory.

It didn’t take long for them to accelerate into the lead here. Two minutes and 13 seconds to be exact as Patrick Roberts trailed a blaze through the County defence to score. Stuart Armstrong’s low shot sealed the deal on 83 minutes before Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele rounded things off in injury time.

But they didn’t have it all their own way. Jim McIntyre’s team will still be wondering how they didn’t convert at least one of the plethora of chances they carved out as the game sat at 1-0, but given the vast rotation of squad members used by the Celtic manager, Rodgers will surely be delighted with how they applied themselves with such energy during a challenging 90 minutes against a typically industrious Ross County team.

Cristian Gamboa and Emilio Izaguirre – the latter on his first start this season – were both deployed at full-back, Liam Henderson, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, Armstrong and Roberts transformed the midfield entirely, while Leigh Griffiths was given the nod for his first start since August in favour of Old Firm goal hero Dembele.

Each one of them received pass marks, but it was the figures of McGregor and Armstrong that impressed the most at the heart of this Celtic team. The pair provided a solid base throughout this game and the latter got the goal his overall play deserved.

Having said that, it was Roberts – who did have a tendency to overplay the ball at times - who kicked the whole thing off within three minutes.

There was no messing about here, though as he opened the scoring with grace and ease. The on-loan Manchester City forward twisted, turned and sliced his way through the heart of the Ross County defence en route to slotting a low left-foot shot under Scott Fox.

Celtic’s changed side had their moments to add to that tally in the first half. A Gamboa through ball dummied by Roberts for Griffiths saw his shot deflected just wide. Henderson then danced into the box to tee up Christie to fire at goal only to have fox save, while the County keeper denied Griffiths again a few minutes later from the edge of the area.

As previously mentioned, County did have their chances in this game. Early on Liam Boyce got away from Mikael Lustig – skipper for the night as captain Scott Brown was rested - as the defender misjudged a through pass. The Northern Irishman was through on goal but the presence of the back-tracking Erik Sviatchenko forced him to rush his shot enough for Craig Gordon to get an outstretched leg to the ball.

Then, on 32 minutes, an equally-glaring opportunity was squandered by Michael Gardyne. The tricky forward received Ryan Dow’s cross-field pass after it was left by Boyce but, after he had jinked away clear in the box, he dragged his thumping shot just wide of the far post.

Martin Woods also should have done better just a few minutes into the second half when one on one only to lose his footing at the crucial moment and Craig Gordon pulled off a stunning save to deny Chris Burke from close range.

As the game drifted into the final third some recognisable faces were introduced by Rogers in the form of Sinclair and Dembele in attack and Nir Bitton to try and offer some protection to a creaking backline.

Read more: Graeme Shinnie admits Aberdeen were poor at Hamilton, but warns against writing them off against Celtic

Still County came and defender Andrew Davies saw his header from a Martin Woods corner cannon back off the base of the post from six yards.

Dembele did have the chance to at last put County to bed eight minutes from time thanks to a great through ball from Sinclair. As was the case in the first half, Fox stood up to the task well and the Frenchman’s low shot from 10 yards after he burst clear was well saved.

Sixty seconds later, the three points were finally put to bed. A Roberts ball out to Armstrong on the right was controlled and then perfectly despatched by the midfielder from the edge of the area with a sweeping shot.

Sinclair would somehow blast high and wide with the goal gaping a few seconds later, but he made amends on the stroke of 90 minutes to react quickly to a charged down Roberts shot to hook the ball high beyond Fox.

Celtic were still not done, though, and an emphatic scoreline was topped off with literally the last kick off the ball as Dembele swept Roberts’s cute cutback into the gaping net from close range.