MUCH has changed at Celtic Park since Aberdeen last visited a little over a week ago, but then again, much has stayed the same.

Neil Lennon may no longer be prowling the Celtic technical area, but the outcome was wearily familiar for Dons supporters nonetheless as their side fell to their second single goal defeat at Celtic Park in just 10 days. And in fact, their 29th defeat in their last 31 visits here on league duty.

And just like in that game, they lost an early goal, lost their way in the match, before rallying in the second half to no avail. Their record-breaking goal drought may have come to an end with the win over Kilmarnock last week, but the goal that won that game is now their only one in eight matches.

As for Celtic, well, at least they won through Odsonne Edouard’s deflected first-half effort, his ninth in ninth games and 21st overall this term. But those fans who bothered to stick with their Celtic TV streams until the bitter end will also have recognised the same old failings in their team that have blighted their season.

There is a theory that interim manager John Kennedy may have been a frustrated hostage to the tactical preferences of his former boss, but there was no sign of a clean break from the approach of former manager Lennon in his first line-up, even if there were a few tweaks to personnel.

The 4-4-2 diamond favoured recently by Lennon remained, with the only real eyebrow-raiser being the head-scratching inclusion of Patryk Klimala in the attack alongside Edouard. If a new broom has swept through Lennoxtown this week, it has thus far failed to clear the lingering stench of disfunction that has clung to this Celtic team all throughout the campaign.

McInnes went for the same 3-5-2 approach that brought a decent enough performance if not a result when they took to this ground a little over a week ago, with Jonny Hayes passed fit to patrol the left wing. Niall McGinn played off Florian Kamberi with Fraser Hornby injured, and Connor McLennan replaced Matty Kennedy on the right from the 1-0 defeat last time around.

It was the visitors who threatened first, with Celtic’s weakness at defending set-pieces laid bare once more. A floated corner from McGinn was met by Ash Taylor, who found the top of the cross bar with his header. As the ball bounced back into play, it was funnelled wide to McGinn once more to repeat the trick, teeing up Taylor to bring a wonderful point-blank save from Scott Bain, who got a hand up to help Taylor’s crashing header over.

Moments later, Celtic were ahead in fortuitous fashion. Ryan Christie fed Edouard on the edge of the box, with the striker’s shot cannoning off Tommie Hoban, wrong-footing the despondent Joe Lewis, who didn’t even look back to see the ball landing in the opposite corner of his net.

David Turnbull then went close after wriggling through three challenges in the Aberdeen area, but Lewis managed to beat his low effort away for a corner.

A drilled low cross from Jonjoe Kenny then presented Klimala with his first opportunity, but the striker just couldn’t make the telling contact as he stretched every sinew to get on the end of the ball. It was the closest he came to making a meaningful attacking contribution.

Celtic attacker Christie has come in for stick recently for his wayward shooting, but he was unlucky with an effort from the edge of the area that fizzed just over after a period of sustained Celtic pressure.

The rather animated reactions of Aberdeen boss McInnes in his technical area were a great deal more absorbing than his side’s display since Celtic’s opener, and spoke to its inefficacy. Indeed, he may have expended as much energy as his midfielders did chasing shadows.

It was no surprise to see the jacket off as McInnes reappeared for the second half, and there were signs that his men might also mean business as another Taylor header from another McGinn corner caused problems for Celtic, Klimala getting back to head his floating effort clear of the goalline.

Kamberi then got down the right and fired an inviting ball across for the arriving McGinn, but his volley was blocked behind by some great last-ditch defending by Diego Laxalt.

Callum Hendry came on for Dean Campbell with McGinn dropping back into midfield as McInnes sensed an equaliser was there for the taking, with Kennedy responding by hauling off the ineffectual Klimala to be replaced by Elyounoussi.

Celtic had completely lost their way, but in fairness, Kristoffer Ajer and Stephen Welsh did well to limit Aberdeen to any further opportunities, and Edouard should have rounded things off in the final minute as he broke two-against one alongside substitute Ismaila Soro, but the attack petered out as the striker tried to go it alone.

It had all rather turned into something of a slog, and Kennedy has some job on his hands to avoid the rest of the season going the same way for Celtic.