The pressure is all on Celtic this evening after they failed to secure all three points in a game that they really should have won. Gordon Strachan decided to break from his normal 4-4-2 to allow his team a bit of freedom in order to kill off Well. This worked quite well with all three strikers getting chances to score with the excellent although wasteful Scott McDonald being as proficient at creating scoring opportunities as he was in failing to convert them.
This now means that although Celtic are level on points with Rangers, the Ibrox sides superior goal difference means that they are top. The fact that they play before us next weekend and have the potential to be three points clear by the time we face St Mirren is a concern for a squad that appears to be lacking in confidence and in need of a massive lift or some serious motivational inspiration.
The pitch at Motherwell has never been kind to Celtic in the past and it did us no favours today as our usual passing game was never going to prevail on a playing surface of such disrepair, but Celtic adapted well to the conditions.
The new system that we were employing allowed a few key players the room to create. The width that was supplied by our front three was stretching the Motherwell back four allowing us the room to create.
However despite getting ourselves into several gilt edged goal scoring positions we failed to convert more than one of the chances and Motherwell got a point that their endeavour deserved.
It was against Motherwell this time last season that the title race was blown wide open, and yet again the steelmen are asking serious questions of our hopes for four in a row.
No need for any shadows hovering over the panic button just yet but this does look like a squad low on confidence. Time to show us your marbles Gordon.
Yours in Celtic
Clydebuilt