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You can tell Fergie that we could have had six or seven ourselves TALKING CELTIC Strachan defends Hoops' Euro performance at Old Trafford with a pop at Sir Alex
(Evening Times Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) PRE-MATCH, they refused to indulge anyone with revelations of their uneasy relationship, but, followingWednesday night's thrilling encounter at Old Trafford, Gordon Strachan and Alex Ferguson have effectively shown that their old feud still burns strong.
Both managers attempted to glaze over their true feelings for one another in the build-up to the game but in the post-match sniping it seems that the mocking veneer of respect has been exposed.
Ferguson started it with his remark that United could have knocked 10 past Celtic on Wednesday night and that Louis Saha ought to have broken the European goalscoring record.
It was a harsh summation of Celtic's efforts and Strachan was still bristling about the comments when he sat down with the assembled media to discuss this afternoon's meeting with Dunfermline.
"We could have had six or seven as well so that would have been a heck of a game, " said Strachan. "Jan (Vennegoor of Hesselink) had the best chance of anybody in the game from the header so that would have been different.
"And I don't know if he is counting the penalty as one of those chances. I'm not having that as a chance."
Strachan is still of the opinion that his side could have earned a historic result had they kept their concentration levels high at Old Trafford.
As it was, the Hoops were left to rue mistakes that were ruthlessly exploited by United and Strachan has called on the high profile names at Parkhead to live up to their billing.
Aiden McGeady was also uncharacteristically quiet on Wednesday with Gary Neville policing the winger effectively.
The Ireland international has been Celtic's best performer so far this season and Strachan has urged him to replicate his domestic form in Europe's premier competition. "We were all urging him on, " he said. "We know he has the ability and the talent but he will be judged at the end of his career on how he plays in the big games.
"People remember the big names and the big players and not the games against the nonLeague sides. But hopefully he will get more big games and that is going to improve him.
"I don't want to speak about individuals, but one or two who are normally good at passing never got that going."
Vennegoor of Hesselink scored the opener and his physical attributes look as though they will be well utilised by Celtic.
The Dutch striker has scored three goals in three games and Strachan believes he has got something of a bargain.
"I thought he was immense and actually unplayable at Old Trafford for an hour before he tired, " said the Celtic manager.
"Gary McSheffrey went to Birmingham from Coventry for GBP4million and Dean Ashton to West Ham for GBP7m, so make your own mind up about how much he is worth."
HOOPS captain Neil Lennon has also joined in the applause for Vennegoor of Hesselink and knows that it was vital for the club to add another dimension to their forward line.
"The way he took his goal on Wednesday night was top drawer, " said the Celtic captain. "He just rolled Rio Ferdinand and then the way he stuck it away with his left foot, which I thought might have been his standing foot. He has been excellent and he's surprised me because I didn't know how good he was, and he's a nice guy into the bargain who has brought a bit of personality into the dressing room.
"We did need that sort of option once John (Hartson) had left because we had players who were quite similar. He's got off to a great start and there's no guarantee that he's going to be a 30-goal a season man or anything like that, but he looks like he's very accomplished."
For Lennon himself, though, Wednesday night's game proved a point to himself as much as anyone watching.
Talk that he might quit Celtic was in the air throughout the summer, but the midfielder believes he made the right decision in prolonging his stay in Glasgow for another year.
"I wanted to prove to myself that I could still do it, " he said. "I felt really good last season but "we didn't have any European nights. It would have been a lot to give up this season.
"I have played at Old Trafford a few times, but it was a great occasion on Wednesday night."
CELTIC scored two goals against a defence that has conceded just four goals at Old Trafford in the last nine months and Lennon is taking heart from the developments that are taking place in the Parkhead squad.
"I thought we hung in there and played well ourselves, so there are a lot of positive things to take out of the game, " he said.
"I thought there was great commitment and we hung in there even when we were 2-1 down and it might have been easy to fold.
"I think it's the first time since Juventus that we have scored two goals away from home and we created a lot of chances. If we weren't creating the chances, we would be disappointed, but it's not as if we sat in all night and just defended."
Copyright 2006 Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Source: Financial Times Information Limited
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