Scottish Premier League/Motherwell - 4 Celtic - 4: For a few highly uncomfortable post-match minutes in the bowels of Fir Park's main stand on Saturday afternoon, a visibly shaken Gordon Strachan attempted to make his case for the defence.
Strachan's Celtic do not actually have one - as the former Coventry and Southampton manager is finding out in the hardest way possible. Anyone who has watched the Parkhead side's last 180 minutes will testify to that.
Nine goals, the latest four coming against injury-hit Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League's opening fixture.
"This is another body blow," said Strachan, "and one which we will just have to try to pick ourselves up from. We tried to change the back four today by leaving Bobo (Balde) out, but we've seen similar results to last Wednesday in Slovakia. I'm not making issues with individuals, because the reality is we are not defending well as a team."
Strachan said last week's 5-0 Champions League qualifying reverse in Slovakia, Celtic's worst result in Europe, was the sort of thing that happens "two or three times in everyone's career".
The stark reality of events here, then, will not have been lost on the manager. Celtic led 3-1, before losing three second-half headed goals, and only left with a point courtesy of Craig Beattie's fortuitous last-minute strike.
The Scottish press and supporters of Celtic are yet to round on Strachan, with his defenders' reputations being put through the proverbial wringer instead, but with three weeks to go before an Old Firm game, these are highly worrying times for the former Scotland international.
The fact is that he is being let down by senior players throughout the team, but better managers than Strachan have been hung out to dry long before the highly paid stars who take to the field every week.
Celtic's trip to Ibrox on August 20th is already seen as D-day for Strachan's Parkhead tenure. The ramifications of defeat in that Old Firm game would be severe, with murmurings already surfacing of dressingroom unrest.
Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive, leapt to his manager's defence but his remarks bore the troubling tone of a vote of confidence: "The board are right behind Gordon. He needs time and will be given time to get it right . . . (he) is the manager and has our full backing."
Ranger yesterday started the defence of their title at Ibrox with a 3-0 win over Livingston that left them top of the table. Dado Prso put them ahead midway through the first half, Jose Pierre-Fanfan got their second after 53 minutes and Peter Lovenkrands scored the third in injury time.
MOTHERWELL: Marshall; Paul Quinn, Kinniburgh, Craigan, Hammell, McCormack, Leitch, O'Donnell, Paterson, McDonald, Hamilton. Subs: Kerr for Leitch (9 mins), Fagan for McCormack (70 mins), Wright for McDonald (86 mins). Booked: Hammell, McDonald. Goals: Kerr 20, Hamilton 58, McDonald 60, Kinniburgh 84.
CELTIC: Marshall; Telfer, Varga, McManus, Camara, McGeady, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson, Maloney, Hartson. Sub: Beattie for McGeady (68 mins). Booked: Varga, McManus. Goals: Hartson 14, 32, 44 pen, Beattie 90.
Referee: M McCurry (Scotland).
