manager: we want to continue winning spl run

Paul Cuddihy
ON the same day that striker Georgios Samaras picked up his Player of the Month Award, Gordon Strachan was named Manager of the Month.

The Celtic boss, naturally, is more concerned with the prizes that are handed out at the end of the season, but at the same time admitted that the awards were an acknowledgement of his team’s form throughout the month of September.

“It means that somebody appreciates your work,” he said, “and by the same token I just appreciate the work the players have done.

“It’s been good to watch them enjoying themselves, it’s been good to watch them entertaining people and it’s been a decent period of performances for us.”

After their midweek exertions in the UEFA Champions League, Celtic return to domestic action this afternoon when they take on Hamilton at Celtic Park.

The SPL new boys have enjoyed a decent start to the season and impressed many observers with their determination to play attacking football.

It’s a big test for Billy Reid’s side and, given Celtic’s record in domestic games after a Champions League tie – they have only ever lost one match after 13 group stage ties - the Hamilton boss won’t even be able to pin his hopes on any so-called ‘European hangover’.

“The record now is truly phenomenal,” Gordon Strachan said. “We had a great game against Aberdeen, and between Aalborg, before and after, we won both games. If you look back at the stats, you’ll see we’ve got a fantastic record before and after Champions League games so it shows that we can do it.

“Our mindset is good, we’re confident about the way we’re playing, though I’m sure Hamilton feel the same and will be looking forward to their visit to Celtic Park.

“If the game’s half as good as the one against Aberdeen, then it will be good value for money.”

The SPL Champions are in the middle of a good domestic run, with three consecutive league wins, along with a 4-0 victory over Livingston in the League Cup.

Within those wins over Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen has been great football, stunning goals and some last-gasp drama thrown in for good measure as well.

And while the Celtic manager was understandably disappointed not to have returned from Spain with anything to show from his team’s efforts, nevertheless, he hopes that his players will take heart from a good showing against a strong Villarreal side.

“We don’t want to get the performance out of our system because it was a terrific performance,” he said.

“I can’t do anything about the points until the next time we play Champions League football but the performance was excellent.

“It was the most positive since I’ve been at the club in terms of looking like we could score goals, looking like we’re a threat, looking like we could keep possession so from that point of view, then the players can take a lot from it.”