Celts Can't Finish For Christmas

That's about as much as Celtic can take from this stalemate as they left Tannadice with their unbeaten domestic run still intact after 20 games - but with Rangers having cut the gap at the top to nine points.

DEPLETED but still not defeated.

Santa's helpers might be busy up north but Celtic's back-ups failed to produce the goods as Brendan Rodgers went without a host of top stars due to illness, injury and some given a festive day-off.

Despite bossing 78 per cent of possession and accumulating 17 shots at goal there was no way past Jack Walton as United put up the shutters a week after losing four to Motherwell.

Speaking of Father Christmas, he seemed to be suffering split loyalties as he sprung up in the home and away ends at Tannadice during this Baltic 90 minutes.

But it was the home punters who got their jollies after their Scrooge-like defence took points off the champions for the first time in three seasons.

Poor old St Nick innocently found himself in the eye of the storm around this time last year as a baying Hoops support demanded his sack be used on the board.

What a difference 12 months make as the Hoops streak clear in the Premiership and have real ambitions of qualifying for the latter stages of the Champions League.

But they'll need to produce much better than this. Despite getting into good areas they wasted chance upon chance with Kyogo Furuhashi the chief culprit.

Rodgers on his first taste of Tannadice in two spells as Celtic boss - rang the changes as the hectic festive schedule kicked into gear.

Greg Taylor was the only surviving member of the back line from the cup final glory-with no Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers nor Austin Trusty in the squad at all, the last two victims of a bug.

Stephen Welsh came in for his first league start of the season along with Anthony Ralston and Liam Scales while in midfield Paulo Bernardo dropped to the bench for Luke McCowan and the lesser-seen Yang Hyun-jun replaced Nicolas Kuhn who was also absent from the entire squad.

United must have fancied their chances when the visitors' team sheet dropped through the door.