Gordon Strachans' Greatest Hits of 2007

"So it's not easy. If I put Riordan in instead of Nakamura, you're off your head; take Aiden out, you're off your head; leave Maciej out, you're off your head. So basically, I'm off my head."
WGS on Riordan situation as fans/media asking why he is not playing (April 2007)

Interviewer: "Gordon tell us how your feeling winning back to back title here today"
WGS: "Sorry I cannae describe my position to anybody.... I'd love tae but.... I've never taken drugs but I wonder if it's a bit like this!"
On winning the Scottish Premier League (Apr 2007)

"Maybe I scored a goal against his favourite team 30 years ago."
Strachan on Ref Dougal after being sent to the stands (May 2007)

"If you get a lot of chances and miss them then there is nothing you can do. It's human error. There's no way I can come in at the end of the game and stick bamboo shoots up the fingernails for missing chances."
Gordon on the missed chances in the opening game of the season (Aug 07)

"You talk about that question (of pressure) but that shouldn't be asked now because I think I've proved that. What you should ask is who is posing the question? Not an intelligent person, that's for sure.
"It's someone who's sitting with his tracksuit on, his devil dug at his side and a can of Kestrel in his hand, maybe coked up to his eyeballs, shouting down the phone.
"I'm not answering to that. I'm not answering a question from Mr Ned."
WGS on stress before the Champions League qualifiers (Aug 07)

Asked if changing the shape of the team was the one way in which he could surprise Spartak, he offered a characteristically sharp response:
"Well, not if you and I keep talking about it."
Strachan on tactics ahead of the CL qualifiers (Aug 07)

"Fans can be easily manipulated by you,(the press) You can start wars you people , never mind going for managers "
Talking about the influence of the press (Aug 07)

When asked about the challenge from Rangers, a question seldom heard after August,
"I might start panicking tonight, take a drink and become an alcoholic, but the TV is alright tonight, so we should be OK."
WGS in Celtic Press Conference (24 Aug 07)

"At Falkirk the other week, the police were asked to speak to me about smiling at the crowd," he said. "Someone reported me for smiling in his direction. Obviously it's not the best smile in the world. "I can see a lot better smiles, but I never knew my smile could be offensive - but there you go. That's the world we live in just now."
Strachan on fans who cant handle getting it in return (Aug 07)

"I don't know if there is another big club where the supporters have a love like the supporters have a love for this club."
WGS on the Celtic fans 2006)

"The transfer list thing went out in the 1970s, it doesn"t happen here so it"s a mysterious one," he said. "I was having a cup of tea and a rhubarb tart when I saw it and I nearly spluttered. Nobody is on the transfer list and we don"t want to see anyone going out the door. We love our squad the way it is. I hope Kenny is still here on Saturday morning. I like Kenny, he"s done very well for us."
WGS on rumour transers that Kenny Miller was for the off (Aug 07)

"I've had some good nights but that is one that I'll remember when I'm sitting in my golf club 25 years from now. I'm sure everyone enjoyed it and will remember it. It had everything. I don't think I've won a shootout before as a manager."
WGS on win over Spartak Moscow to get through to the Champions Lge (Aug 07) Link

Interviewer: "How does it feel to be back managing where it all began all those years ago?"
WGS: "Old"
WGS just before the Dundee v Celtic cup tie (Sep 07)

Strachan said: "We [him and Boruc] passed each other in training, laughed at each other and walked on. He's an absolutely fantastic character.
Someone said to me after the match, 'Will you drop him for the next game?'.
"I was laughing but realised he was serious and then he actually said, 'Are you going to take sanctions?'.
"I didn't know he was a country or was President of Iran. Now we have to stop food parcels getting through to his house!
"There won't be any sanctions against Artur."
WGS on Artur Boruc after he gifted Hibs three points (Sep 07)

Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager, refused to comment, claiming that he had a poor view of the incident:
"I never see anything, I'm like the fourth official, I never see anything at any time."
WGS after the Celtic 2-1 AC Milan Game when questioned about a fan "invading" the pitch (Oct 07)

"Really? The boy who played today then was better than Artur Boruc. What a great place this new training academy is: we are cloning players now. Now that we have two, maybe I can sell one and keep the other."
WGS comments after STV sport report that Boruc missed training. (Oct 07)

"Last week I was told of the headline that I wished I had David Weir.
"No way at any time did I say that I wished I had David Weir.
"You people [The Scottish Press] sometimes are like those serial killers you see in films who send
out these horrible messages.
"The serial killer who cuts out the words 'I am going to get you' or 'your
wife is next'. You are the very same.
"In the 20 minutes that I sat there I'm sure that 'David Weir' and 'wish' may
have been said but at no time did it ever, ever come together.
"That's my opinion on it. Whether you like it or not it doesn't matter but
that is what it's like here."
WGS in Press Conference on the press talking shampoo! (Oct 07)

"People say kids are getting too much football.That's not right. They're getting too little football, but what they are getting is too much pressurised football. They play with their schools and clubs and have adults screaming at them from the sidelines. They only play in front of parents and coaches and don't play on their own where they can learn from their own mistakes. If you're dribbling and get kicked on the shins you say to yourself it's about time I passed now, or your team mates will say 'Oi, greedy guts, give us a pass.' That's the way to learn."
WGS on training kids in Football

..asked if that's why so many of his players were booked (9 Celts in first Old Firm of 2007-08 season) he said: "I don't think that has anything to do with it. Have a look at the game, nobody's injured. I bet nobody in the Rangers team went for treatment. Too much spice: McCurry struggles to keep control at Ibrox in a match that saw him book 11 players "When they were celebrating goals they seemed to be leaping about all over the place without any injuries.
"But to get nine bookings? I think there's only one man to ask about that.
"That's when we start singing that song, isn't it - 'That's why we're paranoid'."
WGS on Ibrox-gate (Dec 07)

"Am I enjoying it? The Celtic job has to be the best job in the world. I love it."
WGS on the Celtic manager job. (Dec 07)