Losses Pile Up for Celtic

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Irish Voice Sport

Losses Pile Up for Celtic

September 28, 2007

By Cathal Dervan

GORDON Strachan has sought sanctuary in the stats book after Celtic suffered their second consecutive away defeat on Sunday when they followed the Champions League defeat in the Ukraine with a late, late loss at Hibernian. Goalkeeper Artur Boruc had a nightmare at Easter Road, practically gifting Dean Shields the 86th minute winner that wrapped up a 3-2 victory for Hibs.

But manager Strachan reacted with stats of his own when informed that Celtic have hardly kept a clean sheet away from home in the past 11 months.

Strachan claimed, “That is a stat and it is fact, but let me tell you my stats over the last two years. We have won two titles, one of which was won with six weeks to go, the other with four weeks to go, we’ve won two cups and reached the Champions League knock-out stages for the first time ever.

“I do believe that the object of the game is to score more than your opponents. At this point in my first season we had scored 17 goals, the next season 12 and this season 24. Against us in my first season, we had eight, then five in the second season and now we have six against and if you take Artur’s howlers it would have been four.

“We are on the 16-point mark, the same as the first two seasons. So I quite like my stats and my facts. When I came here my job was to do a lot of things, one of which was to win titles and play in an attractive manner.

“I am happy with the way the players are playing. I like watching them and we were a bit unfortunate on Sunday, but that’s life.”

Celtic skipper Stephen McManus, at fault for the first Shaktar Donesk goal in the Ukraine, added, “We have had a couple of bad results but you move on. The mood in the camp is great and nobody is down at our place.

“The manager has shown us a few of his own stats. He likes a stat but he is only doing his job because it can be pretty tough playing at the Old Firm with people trying to nail you here and there. There are ups and downs in football. We’ve lost two games but that can happen at any club.

“You grit your teeth and get on with it and try and do something about it. I feel defensively we are a good side. It’s not just about the back four and the goalkeeper it’s about the team as a unit. I’ve held my hands up to one mistake but that’s done and dusted.”

The Hibs win on Sunday was, claimed Strachan, quite ridiculous. He continued, “The only thing I am not going away with is points. One would have been a bit of an injustice and not getting any is quite ridiculous.

“In the number of times we have been to Edinburgh against Hearts and Hibs, that is without doubt the best we have played. What I’m seeing at the moment is what I want. I want energy, I want flair and I want variation.

“Am I going away a disappointed man? Yes, because of the result. The performance was fantastic and everyone is scratching their heads. We should never have got beaten there.”

Boruc gifted Hearts two of their three goals including the late winner and Strachan added, “Things like that happen during a game and there is nothing you can do about it as a manager.”

Defender Mark Wilson and midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura are both knee injury doubts for the Champions League clash with AC Milan at Parkhead next week after sitting out Sunday’s defeat, while Aiden McGeady is likely to feature despite taking a knock at Hibs.

Strachan must serve a two-match touchline ban following a Scottish Football Association hearing into his dismissal against Hearts in April. He served a two-match touchline ban at the start of last season, and under SFA rules a second offence in a rolling three-year period automatically results in a four-match ban.

However Strachan appealed against the sanction and, although he was not cleared, the ban was altered to two games.

It is not known how this latest ban will affect the Celtic manager’s punishment for his most recent sending-off, at Aberdeen last month, against which he has also appealed.

Ireland Deal

TROUBLED Irish midfielder Stephen Ireland has signed a new five-year contract with Manchester City just weeks after the whole Grannygate affair.

“I am delighted to commit my future to Manchester City,” said the 22-year-old from Cork. “The last week has been extremely difficult for my family and me but it is a terrific boost to sign a long-term deal, which I hope shows my commitment to the club and the fans as well as the club’s commitment to me.

“I am very settled at the club and the support I have received from my partner, family and everybody around me has been fantastic. The events surrounding my withdrawal from the Ireland squad last week have been well publicized and are not something I want to dwell on. However, I want to reiterate my regret over what happened.

“I received some very upsetting news when I was told by my partner that she had suffered a miscarriage and unfortunately became swept up in an unforeseen series of events on an issue that was deeply personal to us.

“At no time did I realize that an issue which should have been private and confidential between my partner and I would receive so much media attention — but now it is time for me to move on.”

Stokes Sorry

SUNDERLAND teenager Anthony Stokes wants to get back in favor with Ireland boss Stephen Staunton despite his non show for Don Givens’ under-21 side when they played Germany in August.

Stokes told the Irish Sun, “If I get my club form right then, hopefully, I’ll get another Ireland call-up. As far as the Ireland situation was concerned, I had a niggling injury so I wouldn’t have been able to go over there and play anyway.

“It was just a misunderstanding. I spoke to the gaffer about it but I genuinely didn’t realize I had to contact Ireland.”

Miller Stars

SUNDERLAND substitute Liam Miller came up trumps for Roy Keane with his first goal of the season in the last minute of Saturday’s 2-2 derby draw away to Middlesbrough.

“It’s been a long wait. I was hoping my first goal would have come sooner, but that’s the way these things work out,” said Miller.

“I have caught a few sweet in my time, and luckily I saved another nice one for Saturday. That was probably up there with the best of them.”

Soccer Shorts

IRELAND are through to the elite phase of the European under-17 Championship qualifiers after wins over the Ukraine, Denmark and Slovenia last week . . .

STEPHEN Staunton’s Ireland side have climbed five places up to 32nd in the latest official rankings list from FIFA despite taking just one point from the make-or-break Euro 2008 qualifiers against Slovakia and the Czech Republic, while Northern Ireland have dropped nine places to 36th . . .

STEPHEN Hunt has received the minimal one game ban for his red card against the Czech Republic and will miss the forthcoming euro qualifier against Germany at Croke Park, but will be available for the game against Cyprus four days later . . .

NEW Irish midfielder Darron Gibson is doubtful for the games against Germany and Cyprus next month after breaking a tie in a friendly with the Manchester United under 21 side in Portugal last week . . .

MIDFIELDER Barry Molloy has agreed a new contract with Derry City which will keep him at the Brandywell for the next three seasons . . .

PROMISING UCD midfielder Derek Doyle is out for the rest of the season after breaking his leg during the Premier Division defeat at Sligo Rovers last weekend . . .

SUNDERLAND’S former Irish midfielder Graham Kavanagh has joined Sheffield Wed-

nesday on a six week loan deal.

GAA Shorts

JOE Dooley is the latest name linked with the vacant Offaly senior hurling job, while his brother Johnny has been confirmed as the new hurling boss in Westmeath. Aidan Fogarty, Padraig Horan and Paddy Kirwan have also been named as candidates for the Offaly position . . .

THE Clare hurlers have a new boss after it was confirmed that former selector Mike McNamara will take over as coach of the county team with immediate effect on a one year contract. McNamara trained the side when they won the All-Ireland in 1995 and ’97 . . .

FORMER Armagh captain and All-Ireland winning skipper Kieran McGeeney is in line for a rapid return to football as the new manager of the Kildare county team after meeting with officials this week. Teammate Paul Grimley is likely to join McGeeney as trainer . . .

THE Clare footballers will be managed next season by Frank Doherty, who guided Caltra to the All-Ireland club football title in 2004 with James Hanrahan and Kieran Kelleher as his selectors . . .

JASON Sherlock and Ciaran Whelan have reportedly committed to the Dublin senior football squad for at least one more season despite speculation they would retire at the end of the current season . . .

ALL-Ireland winning boss Pat O’Shea is a certainty to be re-installed as manager of Kerry for another term despite his commitment to working for the Munster Council as a games promotion manager . . .

TYRONE football captain Brian Dooher has undergone an operation in a bid to beat a groin injury, while striker Stephen O’Neill faces a six month layoff following surgery to repair a knee injury . . .

MICK O’Dwyer has been confirmed as manager of the Wicklow footballers for another season after guiding the county to the Tommy Murphy Cup in his first year in charge . . .

FERMANAGH will have to play their home games in the NFL away from Brewster Park for a second season as development work lags behind schedule at the Enniskillen ground . . .

CORK football boss Billy Morgan faces a six month sideline ban if found guilty of verbally abusing a linesman during the All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry.

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