UNDER normal circumstances, a Celtic team losing ground to one of the lesser sides would be of little consequence. The expectations would be that Celtic would, in the remaining weeks of the season, make-up the lost ground, and go on to win the league, or, at least run the other half of the Old Firm close.
This season, however, I have a feeling this current Celtic team, just might find it difficult to claw-back any advantage Aberdeen might accrue over the next few weeks. This squad has shown itself to be a bit flakey under sustained pressure - not least the pressure of the expectations of the Celtic Family.
Pressure does funny things to football teams. For that reason, one hesitates to cast Aberdeen in the role of title favourites - the race is not yet, unlike that in the Championship, a case of: it is the current leaders' title to lose.
But, IF the Dons continue to rack-up the points, and IF Derek McInnes can get them to believe - well, things will become increasingly interesting as this season comes to the boil.
A one-horse race, it no longer is.
WELL done Alex Neil - landing the Norwich gig. At least, Delia Smith will make sure he eats well. And, we Alex certainly made the best-possible start - toppling table-topping Bournemouth, first time out.
Of course, English football, at the top level, is a totally-different ball game from up here. Time will tell if Alex has what it takes to swim sucessfully in the bigger, deeper, more-frightening pond that is England. But, I wish him well.
I also wish Accies well without him. Alex will be a hard act for Martin Canning to follow.
I HAD a free week from reporting duties today, and, with the weather continuing to be as poor as Ayr United's recent form, I opted for a day in front of the TV.
The Sunderland v Liverpool game did offer me some food for thought, particularly around the performance of referee Craig Pawson.
Now, like all referees, Mr Pawson, one of England's top officials, as a FIFA elite referee, doesn't get everything correct. But, I thought he handled the match particularly well.
He got some flak from the tv analysts, for denying Liverpool a possible penalty at 0-0, but, on play-back, Michael Owen - who would surely never be guilty of pro-Liverpool bias!! - suggested it was probably the assistant referee's call, and, if it was wrong, it was the assistant and not Pawson, who got it wrong. I can live with that.
Later, however, Pawson played a great advantage, which allowed Liverpool to go ahead. That's when I got thinking.
In rugby, referees play a lot more advantages than their football "cousins" do; we reporters who cover rugby, occasionally fret about the length of advantages allowed, which varies greatly.
However, when playing advantage, the referee calls-out that he is about to play an advantage, while out goes an arm as a clear signal that advantage is being played.
I'd like to see football referees doing this.
IT HAS been a funny week around 'Edmiston Drive'. The alleged Felix Magath involvement is, I think, a distraction. And, even if he is ever installed as "Technical Director", or whatever - I predict disaster.
Things have also gone a bit quiet on the Phoenix Suns/Govan Huns front. This is hardly surprising, take-overs and financial shennanigans are rarely conducted in the public eye. No news doesn't mean no movement - things may be happening behind the scenes.
Of course, inactivity in the interesting part of "Rangers" has thrown attention onto the uninteresting side of the soap opera - events on the park, where the RTA scrambled, 1-0, past Alloa.
A win is a win is a win; so, perhaps we should be happy for Kenny McDowall and his men. But, keeping-on winning will not be enough for the fans. They want the RTA, in that league, to not only win, but, to win with style - and doing that will prove difficult.
LIKE everyone else in Ayrshire, who isn't a total unreasonable Killie fanatic, I was a wee bit sad when the Honest Men didn't get Ian McCall's managerial reign off to a winning start, at Brechin this afternoon.
It would have been a nice story, if wee Ian had turned-around Ayr's season straight-away. I still hope, and believe, he will do this, however, it will not be easy.
Opinion on the McCall appointment is split in Ayr. I have spoken to several Somerset Park regulars, who are delighted to have him and are right behind him. However, a very good friend, a one-time United director, voiced some big misgivings to me this week.
Ach, this is fitba - let's enjoy the ride, however long it lasts.
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