Well, for quite some time now we've been telling ourselves that Celtic are nothing special so, while a draw is obviously better than a defeat, I haven't been crawing too much about Sunday's goalless stalemate.
Yes, we should have won it, maybe even quite comfortably too, but my great fear is that our lack of ruthlessness when we've got our opponents on the back foot could return to haunt us. Draws away from home - we drew five times on the road against sides in the top six last season (lost four and won only once!) - are no cause for celebration. We have to look to win these games and, if we are to have any hope of regaining the SPL title, we have to put together a lengthy winning run pretty damned quickly.
Checking out our future fixtures, I reckon it is not unreasonable to ask that the Rangers win all eight games between now and the split. We let Septic off the hook yet again this weekend. It is time to stoke up the pressure on them and we have to start against the Killie Boys on Saturday. A good convincing victory would send out the message that we mean business, then we can sit back and wait to see how many players Mark McGhee decides to rest when his wee pal from his Pittodrie days visits Fir Park on Sunday. Lets hope the SPL's Integrity Committee are watching.
I've not been surprised to note that the Hack Pack haven't been too hard on referee Calum Murray's performance on Sunday. Were they at the game? What constitutes persistent fouling these days? Big Salt'n'Vinegar was guilty of half a dozen niggly fouls before the ref showed any interest at all and it was not until he fancied some all-in wrestling with McShagger that Murray finally got the card out. And because Davie Weir didn't like it he got booked too. We really should be used to this sort of nonsense by now but it isn't any easier to swallow, especially when Broon and McDonald can commit sneaky fouls over and over again and the ref only books them when they try his patience.
And what about the thug they call Big Mick's challenge on Miller? A stonewall penalty kick if ever there was one, then Murray gives them two phantom corner kicks late in the game and falls for the Knackered fella's atishoo-atishoo-we-all-fall-down act. Fair play? Aye right!!!
Like I said at the start, we should have won this one and we would have done, if not for their Teflon-handed keeper. Whatever howlers he has been guilty of in the past, he saved the bassas on Sunday so no doubt they will continue to see him as something of a hero. Mind you, if we manage to pip them for the flag, they might look back on events at their midden in August and a couple of other pat-a-cake episodes and decide that playing to the bigots in the crowd isn't enough. They don't do irony, do they?
It is no coincidence that our only efforts on target came from McAnus's near o.g. and Sasa's (it was Sasa, not Davie Weir or Lee McCulloch?) powerful header. Well, what do you expect when the top scorer is dropped to the bench? Both Barry and the Badgethumper also had chances but couldn't make the keeper work and, for all his willingness to put himself about, I don't think Kyle Lafferty gave their iffy back line too much to worry about.
But I'll bet they were keeping a close eye on goings-on in our dug-out and couldn't believe their luck when Steven Naismith was preferred to Boydie for the closing stages. At a time when we were dominating the game but weren't making it count in front of goal, we needed a proven goalscorer to punish them but Walter seemed to be more focused on Naisy's pace keeping Hinkel pinned back and we had to settle for a point. Ho-hum.
However, I reckon we took more out of the weekend game than they did. Celtic's recent form (0-0 against Caley Th., Dundee Utd., and the Sons Of) is hardly the sort of stuff to have us shaking in our shoes and if we could just go for the jugular - be a bit bolder, Walter! - we could be very well placed at the split. Although they won the last game at our place, being at home for the final Old Firm match of the season is a big plus for us. If we can get ourselves into a situation where they are playing catch-up, I'd fancy us to sneak it.
For what its worth, we'll need to show more inclination to go for it before I'll risk a penny of my hard-earned at the bookies.
ERWIN G