Strachan cools Scottish double football talk

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan claimed his team's League Cup Final victory over Rangers will have little bearing on the destination of the Scottish Premier League title.

The Parkhead side are now on course for a league and cup double following Sunday's 2-0 victory over their Old Firm rivals.

With a three point lead over Rangers, Strachan's team are favourites to make it four league titles in a row.

However, the Celtic boss believes Sunday's closely-contested final demonstrates how tight the title race will be and does not feel his side have gained any psychological advantage.

"I don't think the League Cup win will make any difference at all in the SPL," said Strachan whose team currently lead the table by three points from their Old Firm rivals.

"There is little between the two sides and that was demonstrated in the final.

"What the game proved is how hard it will be to win the league and how determined Rangers will be to beat us to it.

"If both sides continue to show that level of determination, and I'm sure they will, then the title race is going to be a close call."

After the regulation 90 minutes had finished goalless in Sunday's final, Celtic took an early lead in extra-time through Darren O'Dea.

The Irish centre-half, playing at left-back in place of the injured Lee Naylor, rose to meet Shunsuke Nakamura's flighted free-kick to send a looping header over Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Fellow Republic of Ireland star Aiden McGeady secured the win with a last gasp penalty, after being felled by Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot who was sent off for his troubles.

Strachan was delighted for both goalscorers but revealed O'Dea may not have been with Celtic for the final if he had got his own way.

The Celtic manager said: "I can't be more pleased for Darren. If anybody deserved something this year it was him as he's had his disappointments.

"He had wanted to go out on loan to improve as a player for us but I felt we were going to need him between then and the end of the season."

Strachan continued: "The two guys that scored came through our academy and that's a bonus for us.

"Aiden has fantastic energy and that's what he gave us on Sunday. He played in a more central position in the first half to support Scott McDonald and then went wide in the second and he did well."

Strachan had sprung a surprise before kick-off, starting with McDonald in a lone-striking role with his misfiring strike partners Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras on the bench.

"There is a lot of talk on tactics but at the end of the day its about how the players perform in the game. It's good footballers who win matches, not tactics."





The People's Liberation Army band plays at the end of China's annual parliamentary session in Beijing. AFP/Peter Parks