CELTIC had the chance to open up an eight-point lead in the league on Sunday when they hosted Rangers but more importantly it offered an opportunity to restore confidence in an ailing side before the international break.
Instead, the Hoops' lead has been cut to two points and boss Martin O'Neill and the players will have much to mull over during the international break after a third consecutive defeat in all competitions.
There were early signs of optimism at Celtic Park as Auston Trusty had a goal ruled out for offside after five minutes and Kieren Tierney rattled the bar with a vicious shot on the half-hour mark.
However, minutes later, Ryan Naderi steered home after Viljami Sinisalo had palmed away Kim Min-Su's effort and Celtic's fragile confidence appeared to shatter.
Bar a Colby Donovan header early in the second half, Ivor Pandur in the Rangers goal wasn't troubled in the East End of Glasgow.
O'Neill said afterwards that he didn't think there was much between the sides.
"It was a tough old game and tough to take in terms of the defeat,” he told Celtic TV.
"But eventually I suppose if I analyse us we maybe just didn't create enough during the course of the 90-odd minutes of the game and that's what you have to do.
"We had one or two flurries and it was a tough old game.
"I'm not saying that Rangers created a great deal either, I didn't think there was much between the teams and I don't think that anyway in all honesty but I'm just really disappointed to lose the game."
Second best
It might be true that there wasn't much between the team's goal-wise but for the second week running, Celtic were a clear second best in every department.
As with Ibrox, they again mustered only one effort on target, a sorry return at home, while they were bullied all over the pitch by the visitors, who had eight efforts on target.
Celtic's players were too easily muscled off the ball, hit misplaced passes, conceded possession far too easily, were slow to react, positionally poor and in some cases showed a lack of fight in a game that needs no motivation.
The only plus point was that they improved on the number of goals they shipped at Ibrox in the League Cup last week and that their goal difference didn't suffer more here.
Naderi headed straight at Sinisalo shortly before his goal, while Djeidi Gassama struck the post a few minutes after the strike.
Celtic started the second half brightly with Pandur reacting well to turn away Donovan's header but Rangers continued to look the more threatening.
James Penrice saw Sinisalo parry his effort while Naderi got in a tangle with Cameron Carter-Vickers as he attempted to slide Dan Neil's cross in at the far post.
Olwethu Makhanya saw a superb effort ruled out for handball, while a deflected effort from Nico Raskin almost looped in.
Early-season form masked size of task
Having spent relatively well in the summer — albeit still significantly in the black after key exits — Celtic fans should be expecting more from the side.
In nine appearances, record signing Kasper Hogh has scored three goals but they all came in one game against Kilmarnock, who are currently rooted to the bottom of the table after just one league win all season.
Camilo Durán impressed early on but the goals have dried up recently with O'Neill seemingly still trying to work out how best to deploy the Columbian and in what system.
Much was expected of Haissem Hassan after an impressive World Cup with Egypt but after featuring nine times so far, he has yet to complete 90 minutes as he is eased into the side.
Mika Baur meanwhile won a call-up to the German national team this week and scored in Thursday's 3-1 home loss to Ferencvaros but looked overawed in both games against Rangers.
The size of O'Neill's task when it comes to overhauling the team was perhaps disguised by Celtic's impressive start this season, winning their first four games and conceding just once.
Even after the LASK rout, the Hoops won their next four league games, albeit three by a single goal.
They have now lost three matches on the bounce, managing just six shots on target in those games, scoring once and leaking seven.
O'Neill will now have much to think about over the three-week international break as he ponders how to get this team firing on all cylinders or indeed, firing at all.
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