The highlight of the day was the goal that was made in Japan - Koki Mizuno's fabulous run and shot after Nakamura's great through ball - but seeing Georgios Samaras and Scott McDonald both netting during the second half was a great boost for the Celtic boss.
Celtic victory seal says 'Made in Japan'
The highlight of the day was the goal that was made in Japan - Koki Mizuno's fabulous run and shot after Nakamura's great through ball - but seeing Georgios Samaras and Scott McDonald both netting during the second half was a great boost for the Celtic boss.
"Apart from the first 45 minutes against Hearts last week our form has been reasonably good apart from scoring goals but that is the most important thing," said Strachan. "So hopefully the players who got goals will be boosted for next week. That showed the problem with our game just now - we have so many chances but we're not taking them. But hopefully that'll help a couple of the lads feel better about themselves."
"Because when we're at our best we've usually got a couple of strikers who would get quite a few goals," he added "but we're not getting that just now so what we've got to do is play very well as a team and as a team today I thought they were excellent."
This was a much different Celtic side from last week with the manager making an astonishing five changes for the game at the Falkirk Stadium - and two of those were forced just prior to the game starting "I thought Koki was fantastic and Darren O'Dea - excellent - Loovy, we know what he can do, Nayls is back in the team, I thought they were excellent today." said the boss "We had the team picked yesterday and another two players disappeared from that side and its credit to the lads as they've not had too much preparation when the side was put together and their spirit was fantastic today."
Celtic now approach next weekend's Hun game at Ibrox safe in the knowledge that regardless of the result they will still begin the new year on top of the league. And as the Bhoys prepare to face the unspeakably ugly crowd down Govan way their boss praised their spirit and the camaraderie within the dressing room which he insists is much better than the Media-House inspired hacks in the Scottish press would have you believe.
"Their spirit can never be in question, there are a good bunch of lads and we do well as a group together. But as I said today, they were smashing." said Strachan "They don't have to answer to anybody, especially people who have opinions and don't know exactly what is going on and if you don't know what is going on, I find it very hard for those people to have an opinion. It's very strange that everybody knows what goes on in our dressing room without actually being there."
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