Five points on Celtic’s carelessly dropped six points

Celtic huffed and puffed all afternoon against a Motherwell side that sat deep and played for the point that they were ultimately gifted by Brendan Rodgers’ side after it looked like David Turnbull had won the points after finding the back of the Motherwell net with a perfectly taken penalty.

That’s three games where Celtic should have won but didn’t get the result across the line and in doing so it opens up a title race. Here are our five talking points from the supporters bus home…

1. Corners and penalties

Celtic had a bucketload of corners and created nothing from any of then. The ones actually put into the box were under-hit, hitting the first defender. Motherwell got one and score and the Celtic defending was abysmal to say the least.

As for penalties, is there any other team worse at converting penalties than Celtic? Fair play to David Turnbull for his perfectly taken spot kick today after Luis Palma became the third to miss in recent games.

2. Lacking tried and test quality

Yang pulled up holding his hamstring in the closing stages but how the Korean winger last so long was a mystery to the Celtic support where the chat at the break was that he’d have to be subbed off. The boy was having  a mare. Yang looks decent in fits and starts but is hardly the finished article as a Celtic player. Without the likes of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada this Celtic side today looked short in quality. Yang though had a brilliant chance to win it, but fluffed his opportunity as indeed did Matt O’Riley as Celtic Park groaned. Holm too is another player who flatters to deceive and you have to wonder if his inclusion ahead of Turnbull was merited.

3. Atmosphere flat as the performance

The atmosphere was flat for most of the game with the Green Brigade still out in the cold and Celtic Bhoys boycotting in solidarity for their Ultra colleagues. The Green Brigade did however show up to welcome the team with their drum, songs and green smoke bombs before heading back to the Celtic Supporters Club on London Road.  When rockstar Rod Stewart turned up he turned the Green Brigade’s song into booing and an alternative chant on the Maggie May’s singer’s political views. Rod Stewart responded with a finger gesture that was certainly ungentlemanly conduct. The quicker they are allowed back the better.

4. Rest up before Rome on Tuesday

Brendan Rodgers’ side was on the wrong end of a 6-0 hammering in Madrid against Atletico and will face another daunting challenge on Tuesday evening in Rome with Lazio looking for the three points that will secure their qualification. Celtic meanwhile will be looking for win by a two goal margin as an unlikely qualification chance to reach the knockout rounds would go into the last day against Feyenoord at Celtic Park. Rodgers has injuries aplenty and Luis Palma is also suspended so our chances are slim at best.

5. Title Race is on

Squandered points with three drawn matches that should have been won – two at Celtic Park against unfancied opponents- has give fresh impetus to theRangers title challenge even after they have had three defeats this campaign. They are at Pittodrie tomorrow but will have plenty to play for and will go into the game on a high after Celtic yet again slipping up. There are plenty of points to be played for before the winter break and the January window opening so we need to find a way to negotiate our way through this busy period then look at the much needed quality additions arriving during the window.

Afterwards Brendan Rodgers told BBC Sportsound:

“We’re disappointed. We had enough opportunities to win the game, over 80% possession. We didn’t create as much as we’d like but the chances we had should have been enough.

“A draw at home always feels like a defeat. You need that quality and that bit of finesse in the final third. Sadly, we didn’t quite have that today.”