Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has hit out at critics who labelled his tactics during the Champions League defeat by Benfica as defensive.
Strachan rested top scorer Scott McDonald and handed Chris Killen his second start for the club as a lone striker, with Aiden McGeady and Jiri Jarosik the wide men in a five-man midfield.
McGeady, Scott Brown and Massimo Donati all had shooting opportunities before Celtic were pegged back in the final quarter.
Oscar Cardozo's 87th-minute goal left the Hoops bottom of Group D but Strachan believes his tactics had offered scope for attacking as well as the rearguard action of the latter stages.
He said: "We were described as a defensive team on Wednesday - the same team that played against AC Milan apart from one. It was the same system and that was hailed as a fantastic performance and 'up and at 'em'. It's a system that Rangers and Hibs use, but nobody calls that defensive. But we play it again and that was a defensive performance. I couldn't see that. I wouldn't call Jarosik and McGeady defensive players by any stretch of the imagination."
Celtic may need to repeat their home win over Milan when Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk visit Parkhead but Strachan has faith in his team to progress.
"I think if we had lasted another three minutes, I'm sure even the harshest of critics would have said it was a fantastic result," the Hoops manager said.
"What gives me heart is the players. We are trying to play a system, it's working not too badly. It got us to the top of the table, it has got us three behind the leaders of our table in the Champions League, it has got us through to the next round of the League Cup. But our system needs to be tweaked a bit, we need to work it even more and to try to improve on that. So it's the players that give me heart."
Strachan started with McDonald on the bench at the Estadio da Luz to avoid losing his main striker, as Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Maciej Zurawski are out injured.
Celtic are also without a recognised right-back with Mark Wilson and Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe missing but Strachan was insistent that he would never use the injury list as an excuse.
"It's not a problem to us, I get on with it," he said.
"I'm not looking for excuses. The same people were out when we played AC Milan - we can deal with it. There can't be a blame for everything that happens in football. I think people have to say 'well, why did that happen?' It's football, it's just football sometimes. We do not have an answer to everything that goes on in the world, it's the same with football."
26 October 2007
Celtic midfielder Teddy Bjarnason has urged Gordon Strachan to give the club's key players a rest - so that he can take their place.
The Iceland international recovered from a broken metatarsal to take his place on the bench during the Old Firm defeat at Rangers last Saturday.
And the 20-year-old, who made his Celtic debut in the 2-1 defeat by Hibernian in May, is hopeful of getting his first game of the season as the club's heavy schedule continues.
Celtic suffered an energy-sapping late 1-0 defeat at Benfica on Wednesday and have Mark McGhee's in-form Motherwell to contend with at Parkhead in the Scottish Premier League.
And Bjarnason is waiting in the wings if Strachan feels his midfield needs freshening up.
"There have been loads of games and people must be starting to tire," Bjarnason told the Celtic View.
"That's when I'll be hoping to get my chance, when the manager has to use more players, and I'll be ready to take it. But I'll just have to wait and bide my time. The team is playing well this season and they have shown that by beating AC Milan, last season's Champions League winners. They have had a lot of difficult games and they have done very well, so I have to be patient."
Motherwell centre-half Mark Reynolds is also hoping to capitalise on Celtic's return from Portugal and tough 90 minutes in the Estadio da Luz.
The Scotland Under-21 defender said: "I do know from personal experience that doing a lot of travelling before games does take it out of you. They have a busy schedule so hopefully that will work in our favour, but at the same time they have a massive squad full of quality players that they can pull in who have fresh legs. We just need to concentrate on our game and as long as we turn up and put on a good show for our fans then hopefully the result will take care of itself."
The Steelmen last week followed up their CIS Insurance Cup win over Hibernian by foiling the Edinburgh side's bid to go top of the SPL with a 2-1 victory at Fir Park.
The Lanarkshire side have won three games on the road in the league this season as well as their 4-2 cup triumph at Easter Road.
And such form has convinced the 20-year-old that they should go to Celtic Park with confidence.
He told the club's official website: "The team is not scared of going anywhere or playing against any team at the moment and we know that on our day we can compete and beat anyone in this league, including the champions. Celtic are one of the top teams in Scotland and Europe so we are looking forward to going in against them and proving to everyone that we are a serious threat to be reckoned with this season."
23 October 2007
A football chief has revealed how a Fifa Vice President asked him to pay Football Association cash into his own bank account.
Former chairman of the Scottish FA, John McBeth, said top Fifa executive Jack Warner asked him to make the match fee cheque payable to him personally.
It is one of a series of suspect dealings involving Fifa revealed in tonight's Panorama which asks why Fifa's Ethics Committee - run by Sebastian Coe - is not taking action.
McBeth first expressed concerns about corruption in Fifa after being chosen to fill Britain's post on the FIFA Executive Committee in May this year.
He pointed the finger at football officials in Africa and the Caribbean - but was dropped just days before starting his new job amid accusations of bigotry and racism from Vice President Warner.
However, he is adamant that this was merely a smokescreen - and that he was sailing far too close to the truth for some Fifa members.
"There are one or two people on that executive committee that I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw," he said.
"I was talking about the football people that I've met and dealt with in Africa and the Caribbean. It was football people I was talking about. I wasn't talking about the nation. I'm not a racist bigot and I think it probably says more about Jack and him trying to deflect away the criticism that I was making of corruption."
McBeth reveals for the first time how Mr Warner, who represents Fifa in North and Central America and the Caribbean, had asked him to pay a match fee directly into his personal account.
He said: "Trinidad and Tobago came to play Scotland at Hibernian's ground in Easter Road in Edinburgh. And after the game he asked me to make a cheque out to his personal account for the game. And I said 'We don't do that, it should go to the association'. I then found out later that he'd approached several other staff in my organisation - to do exactly the same thing."
Warner has also previously been found guilty by Fifa's Ethics Committee of touting thousands of World Cup tickets through his family travel company in Trinidad.
Yet he escaped with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
The Panorama investigation has also found that some of FIFA's actions in relation to a sponsorship deal amounted to criminal activity, punishable by up to five years in prison in Fifa's home nation, Switzerland.
Fifa attempted to dump its sponsor MasterCard and replace it with Visa, contrary to a long-standing agreement, and was taken to court in New York by MasterCard, where the judge condemned its actions.
The man who led Fifa's marketing team Jerome Valcke admitted lying to both MasterCard and to Visa.
The prosecution told the court: "Disraeli once said there were three kinds of lies - lies, darned lies and statistics. We have learned from the Fifa Marketing Group that there are more. We have learned about the six degrees of prevarication, white lies, commercial lies, bluffs, pure lies, straight untruths and perjury. Mr Valcke even lied when testifying about his lies. But in Fifa's world that's OK."
And the Judge agreed: "Mr Valcke and his team's dealings with Fifa's long-standing partner MasterCard constitutes the opposite of "fair play" and violates FIFA's own requirement that 'its negotiators deal honourably with its business partners'. FIFA's marketing director lied to both MasterCard, Fifa's long-time partner, and to Visa, its negotiating counterparty to both of which Fifa under Swiss law owed a duty of good faith."
Fifa swiftly announced that it had "parted company" with Valcke.
It then emerged that someone at Fifa had falsified documents in the case - a crime punishable under Swiss law by a sentence of up to five years in jail.
Yet, despite his involvement in the case, Valcke has since been allowed to return to Fifa and is now General Secretary - the second most powerful position in world football.
Panorama asked Lord Coe why the ethics committee was not looking into these issues.
He declined to answer or give any details of his job, referring all queries to Fifa itself, the body whose members he is supposed to be monitoring.
Fifa Ex-co members Jack Warner and Jerome Valcke have also declined to comment.
19 October 2007
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown will not be risked against Rangers tomorrow if there is any chance he could worsen his tweaked hamstring.
The Scotland international, who has impressed since joining from Hibernian for £4.4million in the summer, sustained the injury while on international duty for Scotland against Ukraine on Saturday.
Boss Gordon Strachan has denied Celtic have an injury crisis ahead of the crucial clash at Ibrox - but did admit there are a few players who are struggling. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Paul Hartley and Mark Wilson will all miss the match, while Gary Caldwell still needs to prove his fitness if he is to provide cover at right-back.
Strachan said: "Crisis is too big a word but we definitely have problems. Jim O'Brien eventually played at the back against Gretna in our last league match and he was right-back number six, I think. Jan and Paul can't do any training and Scott hasn't been able to work with us since he came back from the Scotland squad after the win over Ukraine. We'll look at Gary later to see if he has any chance of playing against Rangers but Scott won't be risked if there's any chance we could hamper him for even longer."
O'Brien, who has yet to start a first-team game for Celtic, has already declared his candidacy for the right-back slot - even though he prefers playing further up the park. However, Caldwell is likely to get the nod if he recovers from a knee problem - and then keep the position for next week's trip to Benfica.
Unsurprisingly given the injury situation, Strachan has questioned the logic of playing the game at 12.30pm on a Saturday when the national team has played just days before.
12 October 2007
Hibernian boss John Collins has revealed he has turned down an approach from QPR to become the Championship club's new manager.
The 39-year-old Scot has been in charge of Hibs for 12 months and led the Edinburgh club to their first piece of silverware in 16 years when they won last season's Scottish League Cup.
However, he will not be moving to London to join the R's, who are on the lookout for a new manager after sacking former boss John Gregory earlier this month.
"There was something, but it was just a phone call. But that's done, it's in the past and it won't be happening," he told The Scotsman.
"I have a job to do here and I intend to see it through. I never broke a contract during my playing career and I've no intention of doing so now."
New Rangers owners and F1 magnates Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore are seeking a high-profile appointment in a bid to turn around the fortunes of the ailing Championship club.
06 October 2007
Hibernian sprung a surprise with a 1-0 win away at Rangers to leapfrog the Old Firm side and go top of the SPL table.
Hibs' victory came courtesy of David Murphy who struck on the hour mark to give his side all three points and a place at the top.
Dundee United were 1-0 victors over Motherwell – a result which moves them up to fourth in the table.
The two sides started the day equal on points but The Tangerines are now three better off after Darren Dods hit the net with just over ten minutes remaining.
Hearts were the day's biggest victors after they beat Falkirk 4-2 at Tynecastle.
Andrius Ksanavicius, Marius Zaliukas, Andrius Velicka and Christian Nade gave the hosts a four-goal advantage but Graham Barrett and Pedro Moutinho both got their names on the scoresheet in the last five minutes to give the scoreline a degree of respectability.
Abime Koudou scored in the first minute of the 2-2 draw between Kilmarnock at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
A Simon Ford own goal pulled Inverness level but Colin Nish looked to have given the hosts the win before Don Cowie struck to give Falkirk a share of the spoils.
04 October 2007
Hibernian have announced at their AGM that they intend to build a new east stand at Easter Road that would raise capacity to 20,000.
If the finances can be put in place, work could begin as early as the New Year and could be completed in time for the beginning of next season.
Planning permission is already in place for a two-tier stand that will be very similar to that of the main stand, which was rebuilt some years ago.
Increased attendances and a record number of season ticket holders have convinced the board of directors that perhaps the time is right for a new east stand.
Chairman Rod Petrie told last night's meeting that they have already started the costing process to evaluate whether the economics of building the new stand can actually match the emotional desire to finish off the stadium.
A profit of £7.4 million pounds was reported for the 12 months to July 31st this year, but Petrie did point out that the funding is not in place yet to fund the project.
02 October 2007
Referee Stuart Dougal has admitted that he made an error in awarding Hibernian a penalty during the Edinburgh side's 4-1 victory over Kilmarnock.
Clayton Donaldson won the first of his two spot kicks on Saturday after a challenge by Frazer Wright.
And, on the Scottish FA's Whistleblower site, Dougal said that, after reviewing television evidence, it should not have been given as a foul.
Television pictures clearly showed that Wright played the ball first.
However, the referee's admission does not affect the yellow card shown to the Kilmarnock defender during the Scottish Premier League game.
Dougal said: "I was approaching play from behind and saw Mr Wright slide tackle his opponent. From my angle, it appeared as if he had played through the opponent, thus fouling him, to win the ball and I was sure of my thoughts. However, after viewing the incident on TV, I can see that Mr Wright played the ball cleanly first just before there was contact with the attacker. People will question why the stand side assistant referee didn't get involved, but he could not see if there had been initial illegal contact. We were using radio communication equipment with immediate contact."
The penalty, scored by Donaldson on his way to a hat-trick, was awarded at a time when Hibs were 1-0 ahead.
"Making decisions is mainly down to angles and, on this occasion, while we were both in the recognised positions for this type of move, our angles were such that we were not best placed to see the incident as clearly as was shown on TV," added Dougal.
01 October 2007
Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies blamed his side's lengthy injury list for Saturday's heavy defeat at Hibernian.
Killie have virtually an entire team missing because of various injuries and Ryan O'Leary was forced to play at Easter Road with a broken nose.
Jefferies said: "Hibs deserved to win the way they did, but it was always going to be a tough game coming here with the guys we have out. The second goal killed us and I don't think anybody in the ground thought it was ever a penalty. John Collins and Tommy Craig looked at me, shook their heads and didn't think it was a penalty. The player fouled said to Frazer Wright he didn't think it was a penalty. But the only one that matters in the ground is (referee) Stuart Dougal and he's seen something, yet different from everyone else in the ground. The linesmen didn't put up his flag, so it was totally the referee's decision. But if you say too much you get into trouble. It came at a bad time and we feel hard done by, but when things are going against you, it didn't surprise me."
01 October 2007
Hibernian manager John Collins was full of praise for hat-trick hero Clayton Donaldson after beating Kilmarnock.
"He did ever so well," Collins told BBC Sport after the 4-1 win. "His movement was great and he held the ball up well for others to run on to. He scored three but he could have had a few more goals. He's had to be very patient and wait for his chance but he's getting stronger and fitter and his confidence is growing."
Donaldson fired Hibs ahead early on with a sharp finish and converted two of the three penalties awarded by referee Stuart Dougal.
Alan Combe saved the second of Donaldson's penalty attempts and also made great stops to deny Rob Jones and Steven Fletcher.
"Their keeper was superb and we still managed to score four," added Collins, who was also pleased with the SPL debut of teenager central defender Darren McCormack.
"That is probably the best we've been this season. We controlled the game and bossed the opposition. We've maybe been too quick to get forward in previous games but today we really stretched Kilmarnock, moving the ball from side to side."
