COMING from Norway, Ronny Deila is accustomed to a winter shutdown.

 

Unfortunately, it looks like it is his Celtic strikers who are now indulging in the annual tradition after failing to provide any festive cheer to the shivering supporters who made their way to Parkhead for the post-Christmas goalless draw against Ross County.

The cold stats produced are as tough to stomach as leftover turkey. It may be the season to be merry, but there is little to put a smile on the face of any Celtic fan.

What they are struggling to understand is how their heroes managed to smash 11 goals past Dundee United (6-1) and Ross County (5-0) when they met them earlier in the campaign, yet, in consecutive games either side of Christmas, they could only hit the net once and pocket a solitary point when they were expected to bag all six?

If they are hoping Deila has the answer to that one, they are in for another helping of disappointment, because he is as stumped as anyone as to why a side which had racked up eight straight SPFL wins should suddenly falter so badly.

Sure, the alarming loss of form shown by leading scorer John Guidetti is part of the answer.

But it is not the complete solution to the conundrum as the Swede, who has now gone five games without finding the net, is far from alone when it comes to failing to convert Celtic's continued superiority in matches into goals, and now points.

Losing Anthony Stokes to a calf injury after just five minutes also played a part in upsetting the best-laid plans to go at the visitors from the start, as they did when sweeping them aside in Dingwall back in October at the beginning of that streak of SPFL games which carried the Hoops to the top of the table.

THE sleigh-load of good opportunities created and unfulfilled in the recent games against Motherwell and Dundee United were conspicuous by their absence when Ross County came to Parkhead at the weekend.

Which is one reason, timing is another, that the Staggies player who tried to crack a joke with Deila when their paths crossed during post-match interview duties found his material as unappreciated as the material that falls out of a cracker.

"Do you think we could have our bus back?" asked Paul Quinn of the bemused Hoops boss. "The one we parked out there on the pitch", the punchline which failed to crack the Scandinavian's stern expression.

Truth is that Ross County didn't really manoeuvre their mode of transport into such a position.

And neither did they need to. Celtic ran up enough cul de sacs of their own volition to deem this tactic unnecessary.

They knew they were going to have the lion's share of the ball, and that there would be very little room behind the deep-sitting County defence which involved everyone from main striker, Youann Arquin, back.

So the onus was on the Hoops to stay calm and drag their opponents out of position to create space for someone to step into and get a sight of goal.

This simply did not happen, and the longer the game went on, the more desperate, long-range and hopeful the shooting became. Keeper Antonio Reguero can be justly proud of emerging from from Celtic Park with a clean sheet.

However, he will surely be the first to admit it was a much easier shift than he could have anticipated, during which he had to be alert rather than brilliant.

A free-kick whipped in at his near post by Guidetti in the early stages almost embarrassed Reguero before he managed to finally grab it, and a Callum McGregor shot which cannoned off his bar before the rebound was ungainly bundled wide by the exasperated Swede shortly before he was replaced were his two genuine moments of concern.

The rest of the day saw Celtic huff and puff, but fail to make their superiority tell.

They almost paid the ultimate price when Craig Gordon could not extend his dive far enough to get to a 25-yard shot by Filip Kiss which the keeper was relieved to see strike the foot of his right-hand post before being cleared.

That really would have brought a turbulent 2014 to a sorry end of for the Hoops and their supporters.

As it was, they were more stupefied than stunned by the 97 minutes referee Crawford Allan decided County's stalling tactics merited.

The game was preceded by an immaculately-observed minute's silence for the victims of the George Square bin lorry tragedy.

But the final whistle sparked an exchange involving Scott Brown which did not appear to include best wishes for 2015 and saw the Hoops skipper booked for venting his spleen.

IT WAS all tough viewing for those who hauled themselves along to Celtic Park, including the contingent of unemployed granted free

admission by way of a Christmas present from the club.

Deila has since excused himself from entertaining his house guests over the holidays, his parents and twin daughters, to analyse why it was such poor fare to put before their fans.

And he concedes the quality of chances generated in previous stuttering performances was missing on this occasion.

The manager said: "That's true, and that was the most disappointing thing on Saturday, that we did not create more than we did.

"We have to get back on track with that when we play Partick Thistle on Thursday."

The return to midweek action after a few weeks of weekend-only football does not perturb the man who has watched his charges play more games, 33, than any other team in the country this season.

"It's good to have another game coming so quickly,"

reasoned Deila. "We want to play matches, and we are looking forward to this one."