Nothing new here. Motherwell's poor record against Celtic was never threatened on Saturday.
Any slight prospect of a home success disappeared after 17 minutes when a loss of concentration led to the first goal. The bright start counted for nought as the visitors took control of the game. They ended the afternoon with over 73% possession and we had no shots on target.
A fine show from the 'Well Bois
Graham Alexander did his best to put a positive spin on the defeat. In his post match interview with MFC TV he talked of the "really good discipline and structure" shown by his team. As for the penalty that should have been awarded, he pointed out that a goal against the run of play would have given his team a lift and might have punctured Celtic's momentum. We'll never know.
The loss drops Motherwell to sixth place after nine games. The two remaining fixtures that complete the first cycle are away against Dundee United next Saturday and then at home when St Mirren visit the following Wednesday. If the opening spell of the season is to be considered a success the current league position must be the minimum target in the next fortnight.
The manager reinforced his faith in his troops. "We have a good team here, a good squad. I had to leave good players on the bench and good players out of the squad today and I know that over the course of the next few months these players will have great value for us."
That value needs to be shown at Tannadice if a third consecutive loss is to be avoided.