Post by Taxigirl on Nov 19, 2005 10:29:47 GMT
soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=186242&cc=5739
12:30 UK - Celtic Park
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan insists he will not be intimidated by external influences.
The Hoops boss has guided his team to the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League after a disappointing start to the season.
The ex-Scotland international is set for further speculation after midfielder Roy Keane left Manchester United by mutual consent, with Celtic widely tipped to be the player's next destination.
Across Glasgow, Strachan's close friend and former team-mate, Rangers boss Alex McLeish, is facing a three-match spell to save his job - starting at Celtic Park.
Ibrox chairman David Murray will assess the future of his manager after the matches against the Hoops, Porto and Hibernian this month.
But Strachan claims he is unaware of the pressure McLeish is under because he refuses to take notice of anybody outside of Parkhead.
He said: ``We just quietly get on with it. I don't take notice of the media anyway.
``That is a fantasy world. I deal with reality. It is not my concern what people are saying.
``I don't know what anybody is going through because I don't read papers, listen to radio or watch television.
``If I put the news programme on and the sport comes on, I get a fright. I try and keep away from it.
``I protect myself against it. I saw what was being said, so I had to take action which would protect me against that.
``I ignored everything so I could deal with reality. It is really easy to do that - like giving up tea and coffee.
``If you get past the first couple of days, then it is no problem and easy.
``Some people say you might be interested in what people have to say, but I am not.''
But Strachan admits external influences can have a catalytic effect on his players.
He added: ``Sometimes, the players might use criticism as anger to run faster.
``I would be worried if that made them play better because I would want to know why they had not been playing like that in the first place.
``Sometimes, people need that, so I haven't got a problem with that.''
But Strachan is expecting a Rangers backlash as the Ibrox players look to respond to criticism in light of their poor run of results.
Celtic will go 15 points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of the table with victory at Celtic Park.
Murray has demanded an improvement and Strachan believes the Light Blues players will respond.
But the Celtic boss is not convinced his team hold any psychological advantage after the CIS Cup win last week.
Strachan said: ``Rangers will want to win the game, but so do we.
``If they want to run 50% harder, then we will run 50% harder, if they want to play 50% better then we will have to play 50% better. That's all you can do.
``I don't know if we have a psychological advantage. You will need to ask Rangers how they are feeling about it and then we could compare how we feel.
``I just know we're all right just now and are feeling quite good about ourselves.
``There are a lot of places where we can improve, but we will keep these negatives to ourselves.''
McLeish, meanwhile, braced himself for the axe as Rangers manager when he was summoned for crisis talks with chairman David Murray.
The Ibrox boss has revealed how he spent last weekend preparing for the news that he no longer had a job ahead of the meeting in Edinburgh.
The Scottish champions are 12 points behind Celtic and Hearts in the Bank of Scotland Premier League and he feared the dismal CIS Insurance Cup defeat to their Old Firm rivals 10 days ago would be the final nail in the coffin.
McLeish was instead handed a stay of execution and told his position would be reviewed again in early December, meaning he has the daunting task of transforming the club's fortunes in their next three games.
Away trips to Celtic and Hibernian in the SPL flank a crucial Champions League match against Porto.
McLeish claims at no time did he ever consider walking away from Rangers even when he thought his job was under threat.
But, asked whether he thought his meeting with Murray would end with him picking up his P45, McLeish replied: ``Well, I'm sure it went through my head at some stage - just about every hour of the day for the previous three or four days before that.
``It was always in my head but, when the chairman made the phone call to Hibs four years ago, I said to him I was ready to manage Rangers and that I felt I was the right man for the job at that time.
`I still feel I'm the right man for the job and I told him that at the meeting.''
Speaking of his decision to accept the challenge, the Rangers boss added: ``I'll certainly be there fighting, which is the reason why I accepted the fight.``I would totally regret having walked away from here. I know I would. I know my own mind and the type of person I am.``I'm grateful, not for the opportunity, because, as the chairman said, I deserve that.''
12:30 UK - Celtic Park
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan insists he will not be intimidated by external influences.
The Hoops boss has guided his team to the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League after a disappointing start to the season.
The ex-Scotland international is set for further speculation after midfielder Roy Keane left Manchester United by mutual consent, with Celtic widely tipped to be the player's next destination.
Across Glasgow, Strachan's close friend and former team-mate, Rangers boss Alex McLeish, is facing a three-match spell to save his job - starting at Celtic Park.
Ibrox chairman David Murray will assess the future of his manager after the matches against the Hoops, Porto and Hibernian this month.
But Strachan claims he is unaware of the pressure McLeish is under because he refuses to take notice of anybody outside of Parkhead.
He said: ``We just quietly get on with it. I don't take notice of the media anyway.
``That is a fantasy world. I deal with reality. It is not my concern what people are saying.
``I don't know what anybody is going through because I don't read papers, listen to radio or watch television.
``If I put the news programme on and the sport comes on, I get a fright. I try and keep away from it.
``I protect myself against it. I saw what was being said, so I had to take action which would protect me against that.
``I ignored everything so I could deal with reality. It is really easy to do that - like giving up tea and coffee.
``If you get past the first couple of days, then it is no problem and easy.
``Some people say you might be interested in what people have to say, but I am not.''
But Strachan admits external influences can have a catalytic effect on his players.
He added: ``Sometimes, the players might use criticism as anger to run faster.
``I would be worried if that made them play better because I would want to know why they had not been playing like that in the first place.
``Sometimes, people need that, so I haven't got a problem with that.''
But Strachan is expecting a Rangers backlash as the Ibrox players look to respond to criticism in light of their poor run of results.
Celtic will go 15 points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of the table with victory at Celtic Park.
Murray has demanded an improvement and Strachan believes the Light Blues players will respond.
But the Celtic boss is not convinced his team hold any psychological advantage after the CIS Cup win last week.
Strachan said: ``Rangers will want to win the game, but so do we.
``If they want to run 50% harder, then we will run 50% harder, if they want to play 50% better then we will have to play 50% better. That's all you can do.
``I don't know if we have a psychological advantage. You will need to ask Rangers how they are feeling about it and then we could compare how we feel.
``I just know we're all right just now and are feeling quite good about ourselves.
``There are a lot of places where we can improve, but we will keep these negatives to ourselves.''
McLeish, meanwhile, braced himself for the axe as Rangers manager when he was summoned for crisis talks with chairman David Murray.
The Ibrox boss has revealed how he spent last weekend preparing for the news that he no longer had a job ahead of the meeting in Edinburgh.
The Scottish champions are 12 points behind Celtic and Hearts in the Bank of Scotland Premier League and he feared the dismal CIS Insurance Cup defeat to their Old Firm rivals 10 days ago would be the final nail in the coffin.
McLeish was instead handed a stay of execution and told his position would be reviewed again in early December, meaning he has the daunting task of transforming the club's fortunes in their next three games.
Away trips to Celtic and Hibernian in the SPL flank a crucial Champions League match against Porto.
McLeish claims at no time did he ever consider walking away from Rangers even when he thought his job was under threat.
But, asked whether he thought his meeting with Murray would end with him picking up his P45, McLeish replied: ``Well, I'm sure it went through my head at some stage - just about every hour of the day for the previous three or four days before that.
``It was always in my head but, when the chairman made the phone call to Hibs four years ago, I said to him I was ready to manage Rangers and that I felt I was the right man for the job at that time.
`I still feel I'm the right man for the job and I told him that at the meeting.''
Speaking of his decision to accept the challenge, the Rangers boss added: ``I'll certainly be there fighting, which is the reason why I accepted the fight.``I would totally regret having walked away from here. I know I would. I know my own mind and the type of person I am.``I'm grateful, not for the opportunity, because, as the chairman said, I deserve that.''