Nakamura makes right impression

Hartson (37), Beattie (88)

Referee: I Brines. Attendance: 56,532

WITH embarrassment for Celtic confined to matters off the pitch on Saturday, Gordon Strachan was finally able to enjoy a feeling of justifiable satisfaction at the first meaningful victory of his managerial tenure.

While the club's matchday programme editor was unable to recognise Shunsuke Nakamura - a heavily-trailed poster of the Japanese midfielder actually featuring a photograph of Chinese defender Du Wei who spent last week on trial at Parkhead - Strachan successfully identified the most influential role his 2.75million capture from Reggiana could fulfil on his debut.

Given an attack-minded roving commission, Nakamura made a hugely positive first impression on a support in desperate search of encouragement in the wake of the cataclysmic opening to Strachan's reign. Offering intelligent support to his strikers, Nakamura has an unerring first touch and the ability to pick out a telling pass quickly.

There will be far more testing afternoons for the player who was omitted from Japan's World Cup squad three years ago because coach Philippe Troussier felt he lacked physical strength. Nakamura was hardly examined on that score on Saturday by a Dundee United side who, while always reasonably competitive, appeared short of a collective belief they could take something from the match.

The first acid test for Nakamura will come at Ibrox on Saturday week, but even on the evidence of his 84 minutes against United before he left the field to a standing ovation, it is clear Strachan has recruited a player with the creative ability required to fulfil the manager's vision for a more rapid and fluid style for Celtic.

"He is a very clever player," observed John Hartson, the Welsh striker having claimed his fifth goal in three games to set Celtic on their way to three badly-needed points. "He finds holes to play in when the other midfielders get the ball and he gives them plenty of options. He showed some great touches and I agree with Alan Thompson who said he is maybe what we have been looking for here since Lubo Moravcik left, someone with a bit of magic.

"He will maybe find it more difficult away from home, going to places like Pittodrie and Easter Road where they will kick and harry you, but hopefully he will learn to cope with that. It's early days for him here and we don't want to put too much pressure on him."

Nakamura currently speaks no English and had an interpreter with him in the dressing room on Saturday to relay Strachan's instructions, but Hartson does not believe the communication problem will prove any great handicap.

"When you are playing with good players, it doesn't matter if they are Argentinian, German, Welsh or whatever," said Hartson. "Good players can join in and understand their team-mates on the pitch. In most of our games, you can't hear what the other lads are saying anyway, because of the noise of the crowd. I'm sure Shunsuke will want to learn English so he can enjoy the other lads' company, but there are so many Japanese people here watching him that he isn't going to be lonely."

Nakamura was denied a dream start to his Celtic career when his first-minute header was cleared off the line by Stuart Duff and he soon displayed his vision with a cute lofted pass over the United defence which set Maciej Zurawski clear, the toiling Polish striker wastefully sending his shot straight at goalkeeper Derek Stillie.

While the man whose nickname of 'Magic' has so far appeared a ludicrous misnomer continues to wait for his first goal for Celtic, the form of Hartson is a huge boost for Strachan. A constant source of discomfort for United's central defenders, Hartson soothed the increasing tension around Parkhead when he swatted aside David McCracken's challenge on the left edge of the penalty area and steered a low right-foot shot beyond Stillie eight minutes before half-time.

McCracken's claims that he was fouled by Hartson were half-hearted, the defender no doubt realising like everyone else that he had simply been out-muscled. United had a far more genuine grievance 13 minutes into the second half when Lee Miller tumbled inside the Celtic penalty area after a typically injudicious challenge from Bobo Balde.

In fairness to referee Iain Brines, his view of the incident appeared to be obscured but the United striker said: "Balde caught me in the chest, there was no reason for me to go down otherwise because I would have been clear on goal. It was disappointing, but sometimes you just don't get those decisions, especially at Parkhead or Ibrox."

As Celtic's pursuit of a second goal became more riddled by nerves, Stillie making a fine save to keep out a Nakamura free-kick and substitute Shaun Maloney directing a free header wide of target, United belatedly sensed they were capable of taking a point from the contest. It was Nakamura's late replacement, however, who put the match beyond them. Craig Beattie further enhanced his claims for a place in the starting line-up ahead of Zurawski as he lashed a sweet first-time volley from Maloney's cross beyond Stillie two minutes from time.

"Craig is a natural goalscorer and very rarely misses in and around the box," said Hartson. "He is entitled to be knocking on the manager's door and asking to play. I was the same when I first came here and came off the bench to score a few times. It didn't matter to me that Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton were the strikers, I was banging on Martin O'Neill's door and telling him I wanted to play."

United's disappointment was further compounded by an ankle injury sustained by Barry Robson which may jeopardise his participation in Thursday night's UEFA Cup tie against MyPa in Finland, although manager Gordon Chisholm was able to take pleasure in another outstanding performance from right-back Mark Wilson who underlined the shrewdness of the Tannadice club in tying him up on a longer contract.