After his controversial start to his managerial career at Celtic, Gordon Strachan was entitled to enjoy his team’s Scottish Premier League triumph, following their 1-0 win over Hearts.
Celtic suffered their worst European defeat when they lost 5-0 to Slovakia’s Artmedia Bratislava in the second qualifying round of the Champions League last July, prompting supporters to call for his head before the domestic season had even started.
“I have been a manager for eight years and I was a player for 25 years, but this it the worst football night I have ever had,” Strachan said at the time.
Strachan survived and a 4-0 second leg win over Artmedia rescued some pride for the the coach and his players. However, the European exit, which is estimated to have cost his club £10 in lost revenue, was far from Strachan’s thoughts as he contemplated leading to their 40th league title.
“To win by 20 points is scary,” he told BBC Sport after the 1-0 victory over Hearts. “Nobody could have dreamt that after the start we had.
“After we got beat by Dunfermline here, we’ve gone 16 games – 14 wins and two draws – that’s not bad going.
“I don’t care who you are, to keep up with that you need to be a good side. These players have been fantastic.”
“We’re not saying that we’re a great side – far from it. What we’re saying is that we are a side that is improving all the time,” added the manager.
“We wanted to try and get the championship back after last season.
“And we wanted to get respectability back from the start to the season – and they’ve done that.
“Over the season,we’ve been involved in some great games.
“It was exciting tonight but not a great game.”
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