Gordon Strachan Quotes (76 Quotes)

We had to work incredibly hard at times to win the ball out there,

I lived in England for 21 years and I know that everybody, apart from some of the teams that think they might get relegated, would love Celtic and Rangers to be in the English League. I think it will happen eventually.

Stephen is as important to this club as any player. The talks to sign him up have been going well and we're not too far away.

We have to watch what we do in the first 10 or 15 minutes because we don't want to end the tie, or make it even more impossible than it is, by losing a goal right away,

We're back in terms of freshness and imagination and touch. We were a wee bit nervy near the end when they scored but I think we all agreed the game should have been all over and done with.

It's never good losing a player like Stan, but hopefully the rest will do him good. I think it's probably fair to say that he hasn't been as dynamic for us over recent games and, if you look at his performances, I think there's a lot there to suggest that his body has been getting tired.

He's got everyone's respect at Celtic Park, but I'm afraid it's every man for himself on Saturday,

I had a discussion about it over a plate of soup with Stan,

He's the one who does our talking at the back and he's maturing all the time. Guys like Stephen are one of the reasons you become a coach.

If I'd spoken to the media about him, it could have been misinterpreted by Roy. I only wanted to speak to him about it. I sat down with him for two hours when we met and if Roy thought there was anything in my body language which said I didn't really want him, then he wouldn't be here.

I think Alex and I can both switch off as managers, and we both understand that someone has to lose. Sometimes the problem is how you handle it after the game, as a winner and a loser. That can be difficult when it is someone close to you.

When you look at the games he's played, it's no real surprise. He's not missed many matches for club or country over the last couple of years and, when you look back to those games he travelled to America for recently with Bulgaria, maybe it's just all beginning to catch up with him now.

The defense was fantastic, absolutely fantastic and Adam and Stanislav give me food for thought. I don't think Adam made a mistake the whole game.

It would be good for everybody, although we would have to make sure the rest of the Scottish league would be safe and prosper,

The reality, ... is that I need to win games of football. That's where the pressure and the sleepless nights come from. There's a fantasy pressure with this job but none of that matters. I need to make this team into a good unit, need to take it forward, give it a change of pace, need to get it younger and to use the experience of the lads we've got here. I need Lennon and Sutton and people like that to go and show how you handle being a Celtic player.

Age doesn't bother me, ... I played in the Premiership until I was 40, Gary McAllister was huge influence on Liverpool at 36, so I don't have a problem with that. It's about fitness, mental attitude, are you still hungry enough.

The biggest disappointment for me is that I will have to wait until next year until we have nights like this again,

I went to see him and I didn't see too many managers clambering over from Britain to watch him,

The ball stuck to John and he is good at seeing things around him and its that sort of thing which wins games.

It would have been a benefit to me and the lads in some way in terms of playing in it. I hope we can play with a full deck of cards next time.

We have to check on what the week has taken out of the international players physically,

I don't think the squad we have at the moment is conducive to the number of games we'll play next season.

All these guys are now knocking on the door - and that includes Du Wei.

It would be stupid to think people would not notice there was a hitch in his contract and try and get a top player.

Everyone has done it without being critical of the club, their team-mates or myself so I've not got a problem.

Craig, like Adam, still has loads to work on before he can be called a real player here.

The lines of communication have been down for a while now, to be honest,

I don't want it to be something that you couldn't offer to his memory. You couldn't have that for Jimmy Johnstone. I'd want to dedicate something of beauty and not a horrendous performance.

If you want to start it, accept it. That's what we did when we were players. We used to go hammer and tongs at it, and some of the things that were said were nasty, but if someone wants to start a verbal in any walk of life, they have to accept it.

Some of the football was excellent today, which the wee man would have liked.

I've got more important things to think about. I've got a yogurt to finish by today, the expiry date is today.

We went over the goals again with the players this morning,

When you make those decisions, it is hard because you know you have to let down people who are playing well. I just wish we had that sort of competition everywhere in the team. Two of our best players form-wise have not been getting a game, but I don't have that dilemma elsewhere. The rest of the team really picks itself.

Scotland have a system which is getting better, but it's players who win and lose games. Look at England. They have a system, but if the opposition players jump higher, tackle harder and shoot better, your system is in trouble.

It's a nerve thing. He'll probably be able to do some light training on Monday.

Once he was established in the side I said we would talk about a contract, which we are doing,

He had a good wee spell. We have to define that. You need to look at the games themselves. People go on about the AC Milan game. He has played in different positions, all over the place, a bit like Joe Cole. We've got to make him a player.

I kind of get it second hand sometimes, the stuff that is going on. You take in everyone's physical fitness and mental fitness when you are picking a team. Somebody's mental fitness could be affected by a family illness or a death in the family you take that into consideration. If you feel that people can handle all of that and they are physically right, then you pick the team. I have spoken to John now and then over the last two or three weeks.

We tried something different with our 4-3-3 formation. At times we looked fantastic and at other times we took liberties at the back and looked a bit shoddy.

It's fantastic, my first cup since coming to Celtic and I hope there's many more.

That wasn't a dignified response from the man who manages a club the size of Rangers, was it Ryan Wilson, Renfrew, said

I haven't been there for a competitive game for a long time but I scored my first ever league goal there, so I have happy memories.

We may not be thanked for putting our necks on the line but I hope he looks at that.

The manner in which we lost the goals is a concern,

His presence will always be here, ... But I don't think he would like to be known as a figure that weighs heavily on everybody else. I think he'd like to say 'well, I've done my bit, you get on with your bit now'. The place is adorned with his pictures, which is quite right. But I've been to some clubs where it (the memory of a former great) can be a noose round your neck. It's not such a big problem here. He's well loved rather than worshipped. I think loving something is better than worshipping something. With worship you're kind of pushed into it. It can be a scary thing. It can be indoctrinated into people to worship a particular god. Love is a different. That has to gradually come on. You can't push anybody into loving anybody, but they all loved Jock.

It is obviously a huge disappointment to lose a player of Chris's quality. The club has granted Chris his wish to move on and I would like to wish him all the best for the future.

We are grieving about this result but we should also be thinking about Chris. I hope he'll be back soon.

I don't think there will be too much of a problem getting a work permit. I spoke to the player and he loved it here and we will try to make an arrangement to keep it ongoing.

John was hoping he was on his way back. I hope it's not as serious as some thought.

For some strange reason we got on together. Maybe it was because I liked talking about football all the time. We'd sit down on the settee, have a cup of tea and chat about the game. He seemed to enjoy my company and vice-versa. You know, I've met football legends and legends of the entertainment business and they've sometimes been quite disappointing in terms of personality. But Big Jock walked in the room and you knew straight away you were in the presence of somebody special.