THE Artur Boruc question used to centre around how long he would linger at Celtic.

THE Artur Boruc question used to centre around how long he would linger at Celtic. Now all the enquiries concern his faltering form. Saturday's 2-1 victory over Dundee in the Homecoming Scottish Cup produced another moment of costly eccentricity. The Polish goalkeeper's fresh air swipe allowed the Dundee striker, Colin McMenamin, to open the scoring at Celtic Park and was the latest in a series of Boruc gaffes this campaign.

That the 28-year-old has lost some focus is undeniable. Mistakes have been part of Boruc's game since he arrived at the club in 2005, but it is the frequency of them in recent times which has surely given Gordon Strachan food for thought.

The Celtic manager has remained loyal to his goalkeeper throughout his recent travails. When Boruc let John Rankin's long-range shot squirt through his arms in Hibs' 2-0 victory on December 7, Strachan would have been within his rights to drop him. He remained faithful and was vindicated when Boruc kept a clean sheet against Villarreal the following midweek.

The latest mistake on Saturday was preceded by a match-turning save from Kris Boyd in Celtic's 1-0 win at Ibrox on December 27. Saint and sinner, the Boruc question is a complex one.

Walter Smith responded to Allan McGregor's loss of focus at the start of the season by bringing in Neil Alexander for three games. Strachan may be tempted to draft in Mark Brown for a few games to allow Boruc time to regroup.

The Celtic No.2 has made the same number of appearances for Celtic as Alexander has for Rangers this season, yet a feeling persists that Brown is not as reliable a back-up as his Ibrox counterpart. Although Boruc's apparently chaotic private life appears to have been partly responsible for eroding his concentration levels, it has also been suggested that the lack of a genuine contender for the No.1 jersey may also have bred complacency.

Lukasz Zaluska has been secured on a pre-contract agreement and will join up in the summer, but it is not inconceivable that a deal could be done to bring the Dundee United goalkeeper to the club this month.

In doing so, it may provide Boruc with some genuine and much-needed competition. Boruc and Zaluska are friends but the presence of the latter could shake any complacency out of the former.

Michael McGovern could be forgiven for cursing the preponderance of quality Polish goalkeepers in Scotland. At Celtic, the Northern Ireland internationalist found his path to the first team blocked by the imposing presence of Boruc.

After switching to Dundee United in the summer in search of regular first-team football, he ran into an inspired Zaluska. McGovern, 24, is an admirer of both goalkeepers and backed the Celtic No.1 to bounce back from his recent slump in form.

"Every goalkeeper makes mistakes but it is magnified times ten at Celtic," he said. "Goalkeeping is all about how you respond to mistakes. The mental side is just as important as the physical and Artur is very, very confident in his own ability.

"He has shown his quality in the last World Cup and in Europe and quality like that doesn't just disappear overnight. His technique is frightening. Artur is a big-game player, that is when he comes into his own."

Zaluska has been a stand-out for Dundee United this season and his form has been rewarded with a move to Celtic. McGovern is in no doubt that the Pole has the quality to make the grade at Celtic Park.

"Lukasz is a very good shot-stopper - probably the most important thing for a goalkeeper to be. He has done really well this year and got his move to Celtic. I think he is good enough to make the step up. He has hardly made any mistakes and proved he is good enough for the SPL. He's confident and is also a really nice guy who speaks decent English.

"Technique-wise, Lukasz and Artur are very similar. In Poland they have specialist goalkeeping schools. Artur and Lukasz were coached by the same guy and they have a very similar style. They use a lot of the same drills in training. When they were younger they did a lot of gymnastic work to improve their flexibility. You can see that now in both their games."

Meanwhile, the highly-rated McGovern continues to wait patiently for his chance. Apart from a loan spell at Stranraer in 2005, he has yet to enjoy a sustained spell of first-team football. When Zaluska moves, either this month or in the summer, it is likely that he will be offered the chance to consolidate the No.1 slot at Tannadice.

"The manager wants someone to challenge and play if needed," he said. "The reason I came to United was to play first team football. I am desperate to play, but Lukasz has been doing really well so I can't complain too much. Goalkeepers don't reach their peak until their early thirties so I have a long career ahead of me.

"Look at the Premiership - Edwin Van Der Sar is still going and he is nearly 40, David James is the same.

I need to be patient."

How long Strachan's patience lasts with his errant goalkeeper remains to be seen.