CELTIC WORRIES FOR STRACHAN

GORDON STRACHAN admits to being worried as Celtic prepare to take on Ajax on Thursday night.

The former Hoops boss watched his old team lose to Molde at Parkhead at the start of the month to leave their Europa League qualifying chances hanging by a thread.

Ronny Deila’s men must take full points from the Dutch aces in Glasgow AND Fenerbahce in Turkey next month to reach the next stage.

And Strachan is well aware of the pressure that is on the Norwegian at the moment to turn things around.

He said: “I remember talking to Steve McClaren about getting abuse as the England manager.

“I asked him: ‘Am I right in saying you get paid a lot?’ He answered: ‘Yes, I do.’

“And I said: ‘Well, that’s why you’re getting paid. It’s not for picking players for the England team. Let’s face it, they’re all good players.’

“It’s the same with Celtic. You have to deal with stress moments and crisis times.

“At Celtic, you have crisis times nearly every week if you don’t win and you need to sort it out.

“It’s not just a Celtic problem, though. For me, as Scotland manager, I have got to look at the big picture.

“Molde, a team sixth in the Norwegian League and 20-odd points behind the leaders, managed to beat Celtic twice.

“That is my worry as a Scotsman and a football fan.”

Deila’s team failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second consecutive season after losing to the Slovenians of NK Maribor last year and Sweden’s Malmo during this campaign.

The four-in-a-row SPFL champions are bottom of Group A without a win and only two points from four games.

Craig Gordon has conceded nine goals in the section – four at Parkhead in the 2-2 draw with Fenerbahce and the 2-1 defeat against the Norwegian minnows who have already qualified ahead of their three more glamorous European opponents.

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It started with Caesar & The Assassin last year. CQN’s best seller told the story of the Billy McNeill’s two stints as Celtic manager with Davie Hay’s time in the Parkhead hot-seat sandwiched in between.

Now we continue the series on managing Celtic FC after Jock Stein by picking up the story in the summer of 1991 as Liam Brady is appointed Celtic manager.

Brady, Macari, Tommy Burns, Wim Jansen, Dr Jo Venglos, Barnes and Dalgish are all featured as is Martin O’Neill. And wee Fergus is in there too!

This is as fast paced as Caesar & The Assassin and even more dramatic. You can order THE WINDS OF CHANGE direct from CQN HERE or click on the image below….