Strachan praises players' 'fantastic drive' against brave and dangerous Hibs

Published on Sunday 26 October 2008 21:41

Celtic 4 McManus (32) Sheridan (36) Loovens (76) S Brown (82) Hibernian 2 Nish (41) Fletcher (50)

CELTIC in the past few years have clearly developed an acute understanding of the truism that, whatever heat they may feel in Europe, it is in domestic matches such as this that league championships are forged.

Resilience and a deadly application of ambition are at the core of a consistency of performance in potentially difficult circumstances that has produced a remarkable statistic. It is that, of the 33 matches they have played immediately after a midweek outing in the Champions League, they have lost only one.

In the aftermath of this latest demonstration of their fortitude, Gordon Strachan was justifiably impressed by his players' drive, their determination to overcome a Hibernian side who were, for most of the 90 minutes, seriously dangerous opponents.

But this readiness to shrug off the kind of morale-crushing defeat they sustained at Old Trafford and take care of the next piece of business does not simply arrive as a matter of course. The manager knows that the same group who have undergone a punishing experience may well, figuratively speaking, require a massage to remove the aches.

On this occasion, the remedial work took the form of the removal of both full-backs, Mark Wilson and Lee Naylor, central defender Glenn Loovens and midfielder Aiden McGeady, as well as a reversion to the accustomed 4-4-2 formation (from the 4-1-4-1 employed against Manchester United). Andreas Hinkel and Barry Robson were on the flanks of the defence, with Shaun Maloney on the left of midfield and the 19-year-old Cillian Sheridan partnered Scott McDonald in attack.

"We were worked pretty hard by Manchester United," said Strachan, "especially the full-backs and the wide players. So we wanted to mix up the players in those areas. We knew, too, that the way Hibs play, they also work your full-backs. I think our players' drive is fantastic, the way they go through these matches, coming one after the other.

"I also thought the match itself was terrific. Goals, great play, tackles, controversial decisions, it was all there. I'm sure anybody watching it would have thought the same."

Strachan's allusion to controversial decisions would concern two events. The first was the moment his players claimed a penalty kick when Lewis Stevenson seemed clearly to trip the marauding Maloney. Although television replays later confirmed that the offence had been committed marginally outside the box, it should have brought Celtic a free kick from a threatening area.

The other incident occurred a few seconds later, and may have been linked to the first. McDonald appeared still to be in a rage when he made a wild, dangerous lunge at David van Zanten. The little Aussie's instant, hands-up remorse betrayed not only his realisation that it had been a reckless challenge, but his worry that the card referee Calum Murray was about to produce would be red. Like that of every home fan, McDonald's relief and gratitude that it was yellow were almost palpable.

The score at the time was 2-2 – Colin Nish and Steven Fletcher having brought Hibs back from two down after Stephen McManus and Sheridan had scored – and the loss of a man at that stage could have had damaging consequences for Strachan's side.

An admirably forgiving Mixu Paatelainen responded to the question of McDonald's booking by saying: "No, I didn't think it was an ordering-off. It was a rash tackle, a forward's tackle, and I don't want to see people being sent off. All in all, our movement was good and our passing made us really dangerous. It was fantastic to come back from two down, although I wasn't pleased at the way we lost the goals, especially the first and the third, but people make mistakes."

Loovens would leave the bench at the start of the second half to replace the injured Stephen McManus, in time to score the goal that would complement the first-half opener by the man he replaced. With young Sheridan also on the scoring credits along with Scott Brown, this was an unusual day in more ways than one.

It was John Rankin who blundered at the opener, hitting fresh air as he tried to clear Shunsuke Nakamura's poorly struck corner kick and allowing McManus to hook the ball past Yves Ma-Kalambay. Sheridan was the beneficiary of a long ball from McManus and a dummy by McDonald which freed him to carry the ball past Ma-Kalambay and slide it over the line from 10 yards.

Nish's was a rather accidental goal, the big striker in the way of Fletcher's shot from the right, deflecting the ball past Artur Boruc. Fletcher's equaliser, however, was the product of a wonderfully fluent move, Ian Murray releasing Nish on the right and his cross impeccably measured for his partner, who hit the volley first-time from eight yards.

Loovens's simple header from a corner on the left highlighted the neglectfulness in the Hibs defence, but Brown's goal was beautifully executed. The midfielder played the ball forward to McDonald, took the return in his stride, moved in from the right and sent a low, perfectly-controlled shot far to the right of Ma-Kalambay from 15 yards.