Exactly a year ago Gordon Strachan stepped down from Celtic with no tears shed from supporters.
Despite the disastrous reign of Tony Mowbray there wasn’t any suggestions that the club should go back for Strachan.
Although Strachan brought success to Celtic the style of play that his side used and the managers attitude were out of sync with the desires of most fans.
Phrases like ‘I was bored’, ‘It was plod, plod football’ and ‘It was been like being in a coma’ were typical of the comments and thoughts of many supporters who tried but failed to warm to Strachan and his ways.
Strangely enough it was Strachan that used those phrases in a frank and honest appraisal of his new clubs displays delivered to the Middlesbrough website.
After taking over a side that was in the promotion hunt Strachan’s record was played 33, won 9, lost 13 and drew 11 leaving ‘Boro well short of the play-off’s.
Not having Strachan as your club manager is much more amusing than having him in charge of your club with his heart-on-sleeve attitude to the media that he dislikes always good value.
“You look at our general play and I was bored with it to be honest, let alone the fans,” Strachan admitted condemning his own side’s performances.
“It was plod, plod football. Occasionally there was some good football, but I’m a fan of football and I didn’t enjoy what I saw.
“I’m not one of these purists, what I want to do is win but fans also want to see tackles, shots, crosses and chances.
“In some games this season my heartbeat was the same all the way. I want to feel alive and I’m sure the fans want to feel alive. I enjoyed the Newcastle game – that’s what I’m after.
“You must win the game but you want football you enjoy watching as well.”
He added:Â “The fans have been fantastic and they have not seen anything like what I would like them to see. It’s not been easy for them.
“I want them to come away and feel like they’ve been alive. I want that myself. It was been like being in a coma for the last two weeks.”
Strachan will have Middlesbrough back in training on May 20 with a pre-season trip to La Manga to cut short the summer holidays of Willo Flood and Barry Robson before Scott McDonald has even arrived in South Africa for the World Cup.
The crowds at the Riverside Stadium dipped markedly in the second half of the season, putting his words into action will be needed to win over the fans- and give the former Celtic boss a chance of putting together a promotion winning campaign.
Middlesbrough website interview
The difficulty being, that you can only ally success with free flowing exciting play if you are a Barcelona/Arsenal type of side. If you have the cash, you can buy anyone you desire and the fans will have their bread buttered on both sides.If you are Boro, you are in the Championship and the term “different league” takes on a meaning all of it’s own. At Celtic, Strachan did all that was required of him success wise-until the last season. He was hamstrung by a vaccuous board who literally threw the flag at Rangers.No investment-ONE STRIKER NEEDED-at New Year. No ambition, only bean counting. I think we should take a reality check and remind ourselves that wee Gordon gave us 3 League Championships in a row.He’s taken us to the promised land and the last 16-TWICE-of the Champions League.If we are fortunate to land a leader who will produce such fruits this time around, we should be grateful and take the bounty. Or would we rather play Barca style and watch the other lot take the honours,CL spot,players of the year and financial windfall that comes with laughing up yer sleeve at the better team? Thanks Gordon-I’m grateful.
I find it difficult to comprehend WGS moans when he puts the team out and defile it with McManus, Flood, Killens, Millers and Robson. What does he expect?
Plus he played McManus in the midfield on occassions….
Broadly in agreement with you Eddie but the failures/complacency of January 2009 are as difficult to understand today as they were as we watched a 7 point lead going into New Year slip away.
A lot of Strachan’s time at Celtic was virtually faultless but after securing 3-in-a-row, despite the assistance that Rangers were given that season, he should have came up with more imaginative signings than Shaun Maloney, Georgios Samaras and Marc Crosas for the following season.
It could have been that he had intended leaving at the end of that season had the league not been won, there certainly looks to be a lack of forward planning.
Similarly in January 2009 he may have known that he was leaving and everyone decided that the club had enough to get over the finishing line.
Unless there is a blockbuster book to come no one will ever known what was happening at those times.
From the defeat at Aalborg onwards the 2008/09 season was in freefall except for the December 27 win at Ibrox and winning the CIS Cup.
Without the success the quality of football gets examined more closely.
Strachan’s initial success was built on three foreign signings- Boruc, Zurawski and Nakamura plus the emergence of McManus, Maloney and McGeady into first team regulars.
After his first season and the signings of Gravesen, Vennegoor of Hesselink and Jarosik, he barely looked outwith the SPL for signings and no one else came through from within the ranks.
Strachan will always inspire incredible arguments, his record certainly can’t be argued with, but it’s an incredible confession he’s just made about the style of his team over the bulk of the season