SWEET sixteen? Anything but. The litany of Celtic's disappointments on their Champions League group stage travels has yet another entry after the 1-0 defeat in Villarreal.

Their sixth campaign has picked up where the previous five left off. And if there is to be a twist in this sorry tale, few would bet on it being written at Old Trafford on October 21.

Yet, from the ashes of another crash and burn, there smoulders more than a bit of hope, and an even bigger slice of respect.

At least this was not a tame surrender. Celtic's approach had some teeth and, given a smidgen of good fortune, might even have put the bite on a decent Villarreal side who have already shown their worth with a goal-less draw at Manchester United.

Now the Spanish league leaders share top spot in Goup E with United while Celtic and Aalborg - who lost 3-0 at home to Fergie's high-flyers - stay locked on one point apiece.

A battle to the death between the Spl representatives and the Danes to determine whose European season is over by the time the Christmas cards are sent, and who will parachute into the Uefa Cup, looks the most likely scenario even at this stage of proceedings.

But within the confines of Lennoxtown, all hope has not been abandoned that a third visit to the knockout stage is still attainable.

Celtic - although ultimately in possession for only half as much time as Villarreal - did play well for long periods.

And there were enough elements of Celtic's performance in El Madrigal which pleased Strachan sufficiently to make it a safe bet that the same 4-5-1 formation - with pace at its heart - will get a re-run at Old Trafford.

It is a work in progress and needs tinkering. As with anything new out of the box, you don't know what you have got until it is up and running.

Questions which require answers include: Is Shunsuke Nakamura the right man to play directly behind lone striker Georgios Samaras? Because his lack of pace prevents him getting close enough to capitalise on the big Greek's knock-downs.

Shaun Maloney and Aiden McGeady did their best to get to him from their wide positions. But, when faced by a team like Villarreal with full-backs custom-built for forward forays, defensive duties can't be abandoned.

There are also doubts about the effectiveness of Lee Naylor at this level, and Strachan is aware you are only ever as strong as your weakest link. There is no doubt that was down Celtic's left where they were cut open with alarming ease.

Another doubt hovers over the size of the Celtic side when the midfield is populated by Maloney, McGeady, Naka, Scott Brown and Paul Hartley.

Is it a gamble too much to go with so many players under 6ft?

This match was played in the country still celebrating their Euro 2008 victory with a midfield where the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas - all huge components - were dwarfed by their minder, Villarreal's Marcos Senna. So why should a lack of height be dangerous?

Well, for one, it leaves you short at set-pieces. And, as a keen student of Champions League results, Strachan knows too well many of these games are decided from such plays. Add this one to the list after Senna's cheaply-won but well-executed second-half free- kick speared Celtic's heart.

If Celtic are to capitalise on this line-up, it has to be through the pace it brings, particularly at turnover of play.

Against a side as frugal at home as Villarreal, any chances which did come their way had to be treated as gold dust. What a pity it was their main striker, Samaras, who spurned the best of them midway through a keenly-contested and tactically intriguing first half, when a long ball from Mark Wilson was missed by the slipping Eguran, allowing the Greek a clear run in on goal.

It was the same position from which Sami had scored two goals against Kilmarnock. But this is the Champions League, and the difference was never better illustrated than when Diego Lopez stood up to the shot from the outside of the Celt's right boot and deflected it clear.

The movement and passing - give and go in old money - of the Villarreal players was a lesson in what Celtic have to do to compete effectively against teams with the credentials of the Yellow Submariners.

Man United are the masters of this destructive technique, and hopefully Celtic will have learned from what was done to them - particularly as fatigue set in - at El Madrigal.

The way livewires Llorente and Rossi dropped off the front line gave Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell endless problems.

Do they step out with them and leave a gap behind, or stay in formation and allow the player receiving the ball room to turn and run at them? Again, United know how to exploit this tactic, possibly even better than Villarreal.

The energy spent chasing the men in yellow was always going to be a factor. But, it's amazing what an adrenalin boost going in level at the interval provides, especially when so many road trips have seen Celtic head for the dressing room to regroup and work out how to stem the flow of goals.

This time it took only one bulge of Artur Boruc's net to do the damage. But the result was the same. NEED TO KNOW

Was it a good game? Tight scoreline ensured the tension remained until the final whistle. The football on show provided enough excitement, and while further goals would have pleased them even more, few left the ground complaining. The humidity and heat should not be understated and it was to everyone's credit that they maintained the tempo throughout. Good passing from both teams was the foundation for a fine match.

Who was Celtic's best player? Everyone involved had a tough 90 minutes - some more than others. Artur Boruc made some very important saves, but will feel he could have done better at the goal. The defensive core of the team stood firm when under great pressure, and the players ahead of them put in a lot of work preventing the ball even getting into Celtic's final third. Holding it all together - and not for the first time - was Gary Caldwell.

How successful was the new formation? It worked to the extent that Villarreal were constantly aware of the threat posed by the pace breaking on them. But the bottom line is that, once again, Celtic did not get the ball in the net and eventually had to mount a rearguard action as Villarreal took control.

Who was Villarreal's top performer? Marcos Senna was the fulcrum for the side, and showed how to make time and room at this level. His free kick was clever and well executed, though if it quite merited the celebrations which followed is debatable. Young Giuseppe Rossi ran Senna close as top man, as the striker's perpetual motion was a joy to behold.

What about the ref? Hungarian Viktor Kassai had a decent night in Spain. Was asked to make one very important decision and came down on the side of the home team. The free-kick which led to the only goal was borderline. But overall, the ref kept good control and was not influenced by the passionate support. Those booked had no complaints.

Who's up next? It's back to the bread and butter of the SPL when Hamilton travel to Celtic Park this Saturday. Ouch!