Who didn't grow up having sympathy for Wile E Coyote?

Trapped in a universe where all he wanted was to catch the Road Runner but forever undone by his own lack of speed/disastrous schemes/frustrating adherence to the laws of physics.

Few would wager that fans of Aberdeen, Hearts and Rangers cannot relate to Chuck Jones' cartoon creation after a midweek card when the three clubs expected to challenge Celtic each dropped a one ton ACME anvil on their own heads when presented with the opportunity to apply a little bit of pressure.

First up it was the Dons left running off the cliff edge and holding up a sign saying "help".

Willie Collum served as a surrogate antagonist in their tale of woe, dishing out a soft penalty to hosts Hamilton which would lead to eventual defeat for Derek McInnes' men.

They had arrived in Lanarkshire with a six-game winning run and a grip on second place but they were quickly reminded the Scottish Premiership can be a cruel mistress.

Frustrated by Accies, and unable to take the chances they did create, by full time the Pittodrie men had handed Celtic the chance to shoot further into the distance.

On to Wednesday night and Hearts were in pole position to take advantage of the Dons' mishap against a Kilmarnock side with a home record about as prolific as Wile E's.

Whether lulled into a false sense of security by their hosts' recent shortcomings or just hamstrung by their own inability to take chances, Hearts hurtled towards a tunnel leading to second place, only to find it had been painted on the side of the mountain. Splat.

Meanwhile, north up the M77, Rangers were plotting their way back in to the race when they hosted St Johnstone at Ibrox.

Mark Warburton's side even managed to recover from Blair Alston's early goal to restore parity and set their sights on the prize.

But just like their top six rivals, the Light Blues fell foul of their own inability to make the most of their chances and two points were dropped.

In Dingwall, Celtic made eight changes to their line-up and still cantered to a 4-0 victory.

Those 200 miles between the league leaders and their apparent challengers felt like more than just physical distance after the midweek card of Premiership fixtures as Celtic remain only just visible through a cloud of dust.

Meep meep. [JB]

Partick Thistle's 2-0 win at Dens Park was concerning enough for Dundee but for a game in late October it was fitting it had a spooky resemblance to a horrific tale from across the road.

They've now gone 10 games without a win - their last triumph coming on the opening day of the season - and it has left them rooted to the bottom of the table.

The downward spiral Dundee are trying to get to grips with right now is eerily similar to Dundee United's implosion over the past two years.

Their own struggles will be uppermost in their minds just now, and it's unlikely Dundee will be thinking about matters across the road at a time like this, but perhaps they should heed the early warning signs.

When United lost their two key players, Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong, in the 2015 winter transfer window, the message coming from the club was a resounding "it'll be fine".

Whether or not they actually believed that is another matter but they vowed to fight on regardless, relying heavily on Nadir Ciftci for goals.

When Dundee lost their two key players, Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart this summer, the message followed a similar line.

They brought in Faissal El Bakhtaoui, who had already proved he could score for fun at Dunfermline, but it was an uphill challenge for the striker to step up two divisions and make an impact without the support of their two best players.

Dundee United's first game without their star duo filled the fans with optimism. They beat Stranraer 3-0 in the Scottish Cup and there was a sense of relief as it looked like things might be all right after all.

It was the same for Dundee. The first game they played without their striking pair was a 3-1 league win against Ross County on day one of the new league campaign. Everything was looking rosy for them as well.

But they have since gone on a run of 10 games without a win - and yes, you guessed it - that's exactly what United did too.

Jackie McNamara talked about feeling under pressure in his job but refused to walk, while Paul Hartley called his team "fragile" and has described this period as his most testing as a manager.

The Tannadice side ended that streak with a 1-0 win against Hamilton Accies and Dundee have the chance to do the same on Saturday when they take on none other than Martin Canning's men at New Douglas Park.

It may just be list of strange coincidences but it's something Dundee will have to wake up to quickly if they are to avoid the same collapse United suffered. [LB]

Brendan Rodgers' reshuffle last night gave some a chance to push for a regular starting position but Stuart Armstrong may have given more than one manager pause for thought.

The midfielder's man of the match performance, capped with a well-taken goal, couldn't have been better timed as Gordon Strachan considers his options for Scotland's Wembley showdown with England.

Armstrong has been in the Scotland reckoning before, called up in August 2015 after making a bright start following his move from Dundee United to Celtic.

However, by his own admission, he wasn't able to reach the heights he had hoped for under Ronny Deila and cited both physical and mental demands as factors he was still learning to deal with.

Those very demands on Celtic's squad have given him a chance again this season. Though not first choice in Rodgers' strongest team, Armstrong has had plenty of opportunity to show his talent in key games.

Along with James Forrest, Scott Brown and others, Armstrong already looks to be thriving under new management and a career that looked to be stagnating slightly appears to be on the up.

Ousting Tom Rogic might be a challenge but it's not beyond him.

Pushing into Strachan's squad is a whole different challenge but with Robert Snodgrass out of the reckoning there's a space open for a form player to be brought in.

Other players have a case to make but an attack-minded midfielder at a Champions League club brimming with confidence shouldn't be easily overlooked. [AC]