Motherwell appointed Craig Brown as manager a couple of days before the New Year and although they lost their next game, they have completed January, February and some of March unbeaten in 11 subsequent league games.

The longest unbeaten run Celtic can boast this season is six games, Craig Brown can double run at home to Hearts on Saturday.  Motherwell conceded only twice in those 11 games, once against St Johnstone in a game the won anyway, and once against Rangers, in a game they would have won but for an 'honest' mistake by an assistant referee.

Craig has done a magnificent job which is truly worthy of respect, but when Granpa Broon can emerge from retirement to transform the fortunes of teenagers and journeymen pros at a penniless SPL club you have to wonder if we are over stating the extent of the challenges Celtic face.

If Celtic had been able to put together a run like this since Craig Brown arrived at Motherwell they would be hot favourites for the title right now.  We should write a case study on Motherwell's challenge and response to the issues they faced when considering Jim Gannon's future.

From CQN

Years from now this will make a great 'What happened next?' question.  Robbie Keane is running a good two yards behind play when Georgeos Samaras releases the ball into his path.  The assistant referee, also behind play, so he has the benefit of a clear perspective on the action, is a pace behind Keane and several yards behind the ball.

The assistant ref raised his flag, intimating that Keane (near the bottom of the picture) is ahead of the ball.  Although this didn't cost Celtic points, it is even worse than the ridiculous decision which cost Motherwell victory against Rangers recently.  

The question for the SFA is simple, when your referees are making decisions like this, are they fit for purpose?

If this is an appropriate standard, tell us, at least we'll know.  It doesn't look like Scottish officials are at an appropriate standard but I would be interested to hear an argument which suggests otherwise.

If this is not an appropriate standard, let's be honest about it and plan a route forward.

Another week, another voice raised over decisions favouring Rangers.  St Mirren manager, Gus MacPherson, who after his team's defeat at Ibrox made the point that SPL managers are obliged to meet the SFA to hear how the rules will be applied, only to find, "We see a different set of rules getting applied, none more so than when we're coming here."

Rangers Davie Weir fouled Michael Higdon in the act of shooting only four minutes into the game, but while referee Charlie Richmond awarded the foul, he failed to even caution Weir, despite the rules of the game being very clear on this issue.

SFA president, George Peat, has been struck dumb by MacPherson's "none more so than when we're coming here" reference to refereeing at Ibrox.  Less than two weeks ago an unidentified Celtic source made a less substantial comment to the BBC which drew a tirade of criticism from Peat, but the St Mirren manager going on record has been met with silence from the SFA.  

Perhaps embarrassed into hiding, Peat seems to be less keen to attack other clubs than he was to lay into Celtic.  While it is technically possible to deny the undeniable when it happens on a football field, it is intolerable that the SFA president singles out Celtic for criticism.

Rangers manager, Walter Smith, lost his usual post-match composure, "Everybody wants people to get ordered off and everybody wants penalties against us and everybody wants everything against us at the present moment", without pausing to wonder if "everyone" feels that way maybe they have a point.

The SFA need to provide fair and balanced refereeing to the most polarised football country on the planet.  I see no evidence to suggest they even understand this challenge exists.