Strachan in defensive mood

Realistic Strachan prepared for another onslaught

Celtic are in defensive mood for United game
writes Patrick Glenn



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• <LI class=publication>The Observer,
• Sunday November 2 2008
• Article history

With Celtic's prospects of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions having appeared to expire at Old Trafford 12 days ago, Gordon Strachan's side will spend the return game with Manchester United in Glasgow on Wednesday trying to locate a pulse.
Even within Celtic Park itself, there is widespread acknowledgment that the search is likely to prove futile. Strachan and his players emerged from their 3-0 beating on match day three of the Group E campaign convinced that, at their best, Sir Alex Ferguson's English and European champions are the most formidable force in the world.

As Strachan reveals, this unanimous conclusion left them equipped not only to rationalise, but to shrug off the severe criticism that attached to their performance and continue their domestic dominance with victories at home to Hibernian and away to Kilmarnock.
'It's a question of perspective,' Strachan says. 'I didn't need to ask my players to give the right response to what happened at Old Trafford, because I thought the whole thing was blown out of all proportion. Listen, United beat us in the way they do all but one or two of their so-called rivals in the Premier League.
'In league matches at home, they score an average of 2.8 goals. They got three against us and the first two were offside. West Brom, a club who have spent millions we couldn't on strengthening their squad, were beaten 4-0 at Old Trafford recently and it could have been considerably more. Did you see the match against West Ham the other night? United could have been five or six up in the first half an hour.
'That wasn't the case with us. In fact, until they got that first offside goal, our goalkeeper [Artur Boruc] didn't have a save to make, while theirs [Edwin van der Sar] had two from good attempts by us. Ask West Ham, West Brom or any of the teams who go there and they'll all agree that it's a place where you really need a break, and we didn't get one.
'I've asked all my players, the internationals, the Scottish guys who beat France twice in the Euro 2008 qualifying and gave Italy a hard time, and they all agree that United are the best in the world, better than any club side they've met and any of the international teams they've played. So I didn't have to ask them to recover from what happened at Old Trafford. I only had to ask them to continue doing what they've been doing.'
'We've played some of the biggest teams on the continent at Celtic Park,' says Scott McDonald, who seems certain to have to play as a lone striker on Wednesday. 'Last season, for example, we played Milan and Barcelona. The Spaniards take possession and like to hold on to the ball, stroking it around with short passes. That actually gives you a chance to get back and regroup.
'United give you problems all over the field because of their constant movement at a high tempo. Wherever they get hold of the ball, they're off like lightning, leaving people behind and running at the defenders. And they have the guys with the pace and the skill to do it. That's why they cost so much money.'

Strachan admits that United are the only opponents he has faced in his time at Celtic who would cause him to play in an emphatically defensive manner. 'When you take on most sides, you think you can beat them,' he says. 'But they're different. They're the one team where you would give more thought to what they can do and try to find a way of preventing them from doing it.
'There's no shame in that, it's what we ourselves have to face regularly in domestic football. The thing about them, of course, is that, for the past 10 or 15 years, nobody in the business has been better at chasing a game and breaking down defensive opponents. That's because they've had more practice at it than anyone else.'

 

Is Crosas out?

 

* doing that. We want to win the game. play 4-4-2.

 

To be honest we can win the game playing 8-1-1 and I'd be happy.

 

Lone striker we shouldn't be playing a lone striker at least not at home i really hope it doesn't come to that i want to see us attack just look at hull today they went a goal down and came back if man u can concede 3 goals at old trafford then we should be able to get the goals at cp.

 

I think Celtic need to have a go at Man U to have any chance of winning it.

 

If the man wants to play 4-5-1 then so be it.

He clearly doesnt want to throw Sheridan/Hutchinson in at the deep end, and I see his point !

 

Well how are we going to succeed in europe if we play Rangers tactics at home.

 

If it gets us the win, I'm all for it.

but if we lose, people shouldn't blame this, it will be cos we simply weren't good enough on the night.

 

Good point.
I'd settle for playing defensively all game if we end up winning the match.

 

* that. go for it. we're not expected to win. we have nothing to lose. we've beaten bigger teams at cp. have a go for * sake. we're not rangers.

 

Would you rather play defensively and win or 'go for it' and lose?

 

lets see...........play boring defensive football, sneak a goal, and still end up 3rd in the group. or, go for it, get the crowd excited, have a * go at them, let them know they've been in a game, and lose. hmm i dont know. who says defensive football will win you a game against man u? dont all teams play that way against them.............and lose.

 

I reckon we'll beat them. We're startin to play football, even without the first 11. C'mon the Glagow Celtic!

 

Well defensive football against Man U would work a lot better for Celtic instead of trying attacking football where we would be helplessly exposed at the back and gifting Man U a lot of goals.
I didn't say we'd be guaranteed to win a game if we played defensively, I was just asking what you'd prefer and in my opinion, playing a defensive game against Man U is more likely to help the team get a result. Winning is more important to me than entertaining football.
Yes a lot of teams play defensively against Man U and lose but you also have to remember that a lot of teams who try to play open attacking football against them get torn apart.
I'd rather go for a boring win than an exciting defeat.

 

Shouting go for it is all well and good,but we might get badly beat we could end up wishing it was only 3-0.
This aint just any old team we are playing...people keep forgetting this.
Lose by one or two goals but come away pride intact.
Go at them and maybe lose 6-2,team feeling really low and the scottish game slated in the papers yet again.I for one would like to have a little pride left after the game.
We should show this team the respect other do.

 

fair points lads. but i reckon the best form of defence for us is attack. i'm not saying throw caution to the wind, i'm just saying have a go. our defence is pretty *, not good enough to defend for 90 mins against them.

 

I think we've got to trust the manager here. . . He's the professional snd I think his reading of most games has been no bad.

I dont wanna see us going gung ho at Man utd. We would be too likely to lose too much possetion and they will punish us.

Keep it tight and, the with the dynamic of Celtic park, we will get chances.

 

defensive no again we have to win no like thys alreade.

 

4-5-1 doesnt have to be defensive football, alright we may use it defensively.

Look around europe, tonnes of big clubs are using it, pack the midfield and in attack you have three going forward,
almost
4-3-2-1, with a few of the midfielders, and we have a lot that like to go forward, with brown coming onto a bit of firm and mcgeady and maloney excellent going forward.

balance the flare with a couple of boys who can put in a tackle, for me robson has to start in the midfield, we need someone who can clatter in a tackle.

I would go with this
Boruc
wilson, odea, caldwell, naylor (only because of injury)
maloney hartley, brown, robson, mcgeady
skippy

let brown, maloney and mcgeady support skippy where they can, and hartley robson and brown (where needed) let Man U, know we are not here for cuddles and kisses.