Gordon Strachan is now under more pressure than ever before after the recent defeat at the hands of arch rivals Rangers. Even if we beat them twice at Celtic Park and win all our remaining games, we still need other teams to do us a favour against Rangers and with referees and officials very much on the side of the establishments team it looks unlikely. Rangers are no great shakes but they play to their strengths and since Walter Smith returned to Ibrox they have gone for brawn rather than style and by packing the midfield and an experienced back line they have found success. We may need a minor miracle so get the rosary beads out and pray to what ever God you believe in.
I don't see Strachan being sacked at the end of the season by the power brokers at Celtic. His CV has 4 trophies on it and he has guided Celtic to the last sixteen of the Champions League for two years running. He may however choose to part company on his terms with a good record intact, take some time out of the game and come back to a less pressured job down in England.
After being dumped out of the Champions League by Artmedia Bratislava, drawing with Motherwell and losing at Ibrox, in his early days at Celtic, Strachan was under a lot of pressure but he did turn it around. Once again he is under immense pressure. It gives me no pleasure to write about our failing this season but it's a reality and the buck stops with the manager.
After the game at Ibrox or Castle Greyskull as it is known to Celtic fans, the Rangers fans have been singing the praises of their born again saviour Smith but they seem to have short memories. Ten years ago when Wim Jansen and the bhoys said cheerio to ten in a row, Rangers and their fans also said cheerio to Walter as the their fans called for his head and he moved on to pastures new in England.
We played very well against Rangers and in the first half and up until they scored we were bossing the game but they gained in confidence in the second half as we chased the game, once again we failed to turn chances into goals like when we dropped vital points at home against Dundee Utd.
It was no shame getting dumped out of Europe by Barcelona as our miserable away record in Europe continues. I did not expect us to go through after conceding three goals at home. You can question Strachan's selection and formations against the Catalonian giants but at the end of the day they are a class act but where our manager and his players must be held accountable for defeats against Hearts and Aberdeen which knocked us out of the CIS cup and the Scottish Cup and both games were at Celtic Park. All the big guns were playing in these ties. Unlike other football managers, Strachan does not play reserve players or fringe squad players in league cup games or against lesser opposition. You only have to think back to the team that played Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup back in January.
I would like to take you back to Barcelona, the Celtic fans once again turned up in their numbers and once again behaved themselves and showed the Rangers fans up for what they are an embarrassment. While they were met with signs of closed for the day on bar doors while they visited this great city and proceeded to urinate on local land marks and statues. The atmosphere could not have been more different for us, the local business communities welcomed us along with open arms and deep pockets. Some ripping us off including ticket touts and greedy bar owners in Las Ramblas area. The team may not be getting the results on the pitch against Rangers but at least we the fans are still miles ahead of their lot when it comes to behaviour in Europe.
I hope and I pray that just maybe another SPL team can give us a dig out and take points off our bitter rivals and for the first time we can win three titles in a row and Strachan can be the first manager to do so since the late great Jock Stein but it is a big ask but I live in hope as I have no other option. A few seasons ago Scott McDonald became the toast of Ibrox when we were only minutes away from winning the league he popped up scored two goals against us for Motherwell to win the league for Rangers. I was gutted travelling back to Ireland that day but just maybe when I travel back from the last game of the season this year I will be smiling and a new Albert Kidd will have emerged to bring a much needed smile back to all our faces.
