MEMBERS of the Celtic squad made a trip to the Ally Pally for the darts last week.
But they could have played all day at Tannadice without hitting the bullseye.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Brendan Rodgers and his side[/caption]
Luis Palma was one of several fringe players to get a chance[/caption]
Kyogo passed up a great chance for Celtic[/caption]
Dundee United keeper Jack Walton denied Arne Engels with a brilliant save[/caption]
Brendan Rodgers’ leaders had 78 per cent possession and 17 attempts on goal.
But Dundee United keeper Jack Walton barely had a save of note to make all afternoon.
Kyogo Furuhashi did miss a second-half sitter for Celtic as they pinned Jim Goodwin’s side back.
Yet, on a day when illness and injury deprived Rodgers of key men, the Hoops fans were left feeling sick after dropping two points.
Celtic are now nine ahead of second-placed Rangers going into the festive fixtures and the Parkhead boss will hope this is just a small bump in the road.
On another day they could have won but paid the price for being wasteful.
Credit to United for being organised and limiting Celtic for spells, especially in the second half.
But Rodgers, making his first-ever trip to Tannadice, will feel that his side created enough to win the game.
Celtic fans arriving on Tayside must have got a shock when the line-up landed.
Alistair Johnston and ill duo Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty were missing from the first-choice defence.
And this season’s top man Nicolas Kuhn also failed to shake off a knee injury.
Coming on top of the news that James Forrest will miss six weeks, the Celtic squad was suddenly stretched a bit.
Those two were badly missed as Yang Hyun-jun and Luis Palma took turns at showing why Rodgers wants a new winger next month.
The South Korean struggled badly while the Honduran didn’t convince after initially looking bright.
Tony Ralston, Stephen Welsh, Liam Scales and Yang were all brought in from the start by Rodgers.
Goodwin played down Celtic’s problems and fielded an attacking line-up.
The United gaffer hopes to get after the Hoops from the start – but they spent almost the entire first half pinned back.
The strong wind didn’t help Goodwin’s men in their attempts to get up the pitch.
One Walton clearance almost blew back on top of the United keeper.
But Celtic totally dominated the first half, although Walton didn’t have a save to make.
Put that down to good United defending and wasteful attacking from the Hoops.
Time after time, Celtic got into superb positions and failed to even hit the target.
Reo Hatate was the first culprit – taking a superb Daizen Maeda flick and electing to shoot when he should have squared for Kyogo.
Luke McCowan flashed two 20-yard drives past the same post and Welsh screwed a shot wide from a corner.
Callum McGregor was barged by Vicko Sevelj as he prepared to get a shot away on the edge of the box.
Hatate won the debate to take the free-kick and hammered it low into the United wall.
Kyogo didn’t have much space to work in as United stayed deep in the first half.
But he still found a yard to accept a McGregor pass and send a curling effort narrowly wide.
He was also screaming for a cutback from Yang after the South Korean broke into the box.
https://twitter.com/ScotlandSky/status/1870811553919819854
Instead, the Celtic winger rushed his cross and rattled it across goal to nobody.
Kyogo couldn’t believe his failure to find him but didn’t cover himself in glory either on their next attack.
Maeda picked him out with a low cross but the Celtic striker didn’t get a clean connection as he tried to convert.
United had a brief flurry towards the break and Kasper Schmeichel finally got his gloves dirty.
But there was still time for Hatate to send a shot over the bar from a decent position.
Goodwin wanted more threat from his side in the second half and they took just 60 seconds to test Schmeichel.
Yang’s loose touch sparked a counter attack and Miller Thomson’s curling shot was saved by the Dane.
United’s Sam Dalby tried to get on the end of a few balls into the box but the wind was still causing problems.
Rodgers wanted more in the final third and made a double change on the hour – with Palma and Adam Idah on for Yang and McCowan.
The Irish striker almost had an instant impact when he cut in from the left and fired a low drive wide.
Honduran wideman Palma then found Hatate on the edge of the box but Sevelj blocked his fierce drive.
United got eleven men behind the ball at times but always looked to break and Schmeichel was forced to save from Middleton.
Kyogo, back defending, took a slack touch to let the Tannadice winger get a shot away but it lacked power.
Celtic were finding it difficult to create against a packed defence but Ralton’s lofted pass found the run of Maeda.
The Japanese winger tried to guide a header over Walton – but got a fingertip to it.
https://twitter.com/ScotlandSky/status/1870827856248336823
Then came an even better chance for Celtic in 79 minutes as Kyogo fluffed his lines.
Idah’s flick from a Welsh pass was perfect for his Hoops strike partner.
But Kyogo seemed caught in two minds and Walton rushed out to save from eight yards.
Palma had a shot blocked and McGregor’s drive was deflected over as Celtic kept pushing.
Sub Arne Engels had a toe-poke saved by Walton in the first of six added minutes.
United then had Celtic panicking momentarily from an injury-time set-piece – but neither side could find the breakthrough.
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