‘Terrific’ – Scotland Legend Reflects On Celtic Pre-Season

Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has described the Scottish giant’s pre-season as ‘terrific’ as he looks ahead to their defence of the SPFL.

As a player, he turned out for Aberdeen, Manchester United, and Leeds United, earning a reputation for his skill and tenacity. After hanging up his boots, Strachan switched to management, taking charge of teams like Coventry City, Southampton, Celtic, and the Scotland national team.

He’s a regular on TV these days, sharing his no-nonsense views on the game. Strachan’s never short of a memorable quote or two, making him a favourite among fans and pundits. One memorable quote for fans at Parkhead to cherish this summer is the word ‘terrific’ around their pre-season form.

“I don’t often get excited about pre-season,” Strachan has told topoffshorecasinos.com. “Managers typically don’t, players focus on fitness. The fans like it, of course. They’ll always be concerned if their team is performing badly and delighted if their team has done well.

“There’s a lot of bluster on social media and seasons are getting defined by what a club produces on tour. Seasons are going to be tremendous or doomed… but, I have to say, after watching Celtic’s pre-season and the games, this is the first time that I’ve ever been excited by a pre-season performance from a team.

“Celtic had a terrific pre-season, and they carried that form into the opening SPFL fixture against Kilmarnock. It could have been any score on Sunday.”

Celtic have won 13 of the last 14 titles, and faced a Kilmarnock side they’re comfortable against this weekend. They beat Killie 4-0, never looking in any danger. Hibernian and St Mirren are up next, but Strachan is delighted they’ve set themselves up for the new campaign with a strong pre-season.

“I look at the pre-season form and think there are a couple of things that have happened to Celtic since last season. The players have adapted more to what Brendan Rodgers is looking to do tactically, and the way that he wants to play is a bit of hybrid of what made Celtic such an exciting team to watch under Ange Postecoglou and his possession-based, technical football. The players are more comfortable with this approach now.

“Last season, after a slow start, there were questions being asked of Brendan. We weren’t really sure what direction the team was heading in. It was difficult for him because Celtic were so successful the season before, and the football was a little bit muddled.

“Brendan obviously wanted to put a stamp on the team in terms of playing style, and I think he’s found a brand of football that incorporates the best bits of Ange and his own ideas. It’s difficult for a manager when you take over a club that won everything the season before, and Brendan found that even with his experience of managing Celtic in the past.”

Ange refers to former boss Ange Postecoglou who moved to Spurs, and while Rodgers seemingly struggled at first, Strachan is happy he’s found a way to play which suits the Scottisg side’s strengths.

“There are little differences that you notice between the two managers playing styles. Under Ange, the two fullbacks would come inside and do their thing in the middle of the park. Now, Taylor is the only fullback that does that. Brendan doesn’t want his two full backs coming in at any time, he wants his right back to overlap and add more width to the team.”

Despite the so-called struggles, Celtic clinched a domestic double, winning both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup. Their league performance was solid, although they faced stiff competition, especially from Rangers. In the Scottish Cup, they triumphed in the final against Rangers, a highlight of their season.

However, their performance in European competitions was less impressive, with struggles in the Champions League reflecting the need for further squad investment.