Celtic failed to pressurise League leaders Rangers by drawing a blank against Dundee United at Parkhead last night.

Shunsuke Nakamura and Scott McDonald hit the woodwork in the first half and whilst the Hoops dominated the second half,they could not find a way past a resolute Tannadice defence who now relish Sunday's CIS Insurance Cup final against Rangers at Hampden.

The jeers rang out around Celtic Park at the final whistle with the realisation that the Ibrox club are three points ahead and with a game in hand as the SPL title race hots up.

Strachan said: "We had a good start and had good possession but never capitalised on that."

He added: "We did the same in the second half and I didn't think the opposing team would score against us.

"I thought it was a matter of time before we got a goal but we didn't have enough in the locker to finish off the moves that we had, so you get a zero-zero.

"Shunsuke Nakamura and Gary Caldwell were magnificent, Andreas Hinkel did very well, Lee Naylor came on to a game and Aiden McGeady showed some good stuff so there lots of positives to take.

"The only negative I can take is that we didn't score.

Unless Celtic regain the winning thread and their goal touch quickly, their grip on the title they have held for the past two years will yield.

Defeat in Barcelona was followed by a Scottish Cup draw at Aberdeen, and now a stalemate in the league against the Terrors: Three matches, three competitions, only one goal scored.

Admittedly, there were enough chances carved out - against a United side missing at least four of the players who will start in Sunday's CIS League Cup Final against Rangers - to win a handful of matches.

But the bottom line is that while Polish keeper Lukasz Zaluska was kept busy at Parkhead, he was never required to perform heroics.

The towering defence in front of him saw to that, frustrating Celtic's much-vaunted strike force at every turn.

Between them, Scott McDonald, Georgios Samaras - given his chance to show what he can do from the start - and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who replaced the Greek for the final half hour, have banged in 43 goals this season.

Amid the frustration of this match, they never looked like adding to that tally, which must be a worry for manager Strachan.

Source :Evening Times