Celtic: 24h On

Our old weakness came back to haunt us, big time. We looked vulnerable at set pieces and we failed to cope with the threat posed by the likes of McManus and Vennegoor of Hesselink in the air. It looks like the training exercises before the next game will have a defensive focus.

The warm up

The jury is still out on the experiment which saw McLean at right back and Quinn at right midfield. It seems unlikely that we'll see that strategy employed again especially if Malcolm is available. On a positive note, we can take comfort that Hughes seems to be on form. Had his breathtaking run in the second half ended with the ball in the net it would have been a candidate for goal of the season. Let's hope he continues till the season ends.

Half time entertainment

Given the recent fixture congestion it seems odd that we have to wait a fortnight until the next game. Rangers cup commitments give us a free weekend but the rest of the top six will be in action. The shambles that are Aberdeen have to go to Parkhead while on Sunday Dundee United host Hibs. The result at Tannadice will be of particular importance to Motherwell as the pair are currently two points behind us. A draw would suit us nicely.

Now that the worst of the winter rains are behind us there is every chance that the team can train on a reasonable surface. If the guys can regain the zip which was such a feature of the early season then we can look forward to the visit of United with confidence. A couple of weeks hard graft might be what is needed to secure third spot.

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