Strachan: Never a dull moment at Celtic Football Club

Last updated : 31 December 2008 By Mikbhoy

The demands are such that following the final whistle his mind must always shift focus immediately to the the next match and the next opponents - in this case Dundee United. "After a win like that against Rangers, you get about 15 minutes when you think, 'Phew, that was good'," he said "and then it's away. It's not fair because when the result goes the other way it doesn't leave you for a while. It stays with you."

The Celtic boss has said recently that he'll only really be satisfied with a seven point lead over his nearest rivals when that lead is insurmountable "Yes, when we only have two games left and can't be caught. We're happy with our position at the moment but nobody is looking too far ahead." he said "It was only a few weeks ago when we were seven points ahead, we were beaten by Hibs and all hell broke loose. The same people who said to me before the game, 'You must be comfortable with your seven-point lead', change it when we get beat to 'The pressure is on now!' You have to strike a balance and, for me, it's right to do that by not reading anything - win, lose or draw."

The huns travel to Inverness on Sunday giving the Celts an opportunity to extend their lead to ten points when Dundee United first-foot Celtic Park on Saturday but neither Strachan nor his team will be taking anything for granted as they look forward to the game against the Arabs. "Dundee United can be incredibly hard to beat," said the Celtic gaffer "This season, they have played us once and Rangers twice and all three games have been draws. That shows how difficult it is against them. You don't really need to say anything else. The management and the players take great credit for their form and they have good players who want to get better. We have had a few difficult matches in recent weeks and this will be another one."

As 2009 approaches rapidly the manager of the Scottish Champions looked back with pride on the achievements of the last year and is eagerly looking forward to whatever the new year will bring ""It wasn't boring - everything happened," he said. "We won a league, we had ups and downs in Europe. In terms of pure football performances, some of the football has been better than it probably was last season. In terms of injuries, I've probably never had so much to contend with but you get on with it. There is never a dull moment at Celtic Football Club. The next massive piece of news will probably be only around the corner, but I think we can be pleased with the year overall."