Strachan aware of Bhoys budget for summer

CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan claims he was told at Christmas what his transfer budget would be for the summer. The Glasgow giants need just 11 points from nine games to guarantee the league title.

Celtic will have to wait for UEFA to inform them whether that will give them an automatic place in the Champions League group stages but Strachan has revealed the size of his transfer funds have already been decided.

He said: “I have already been told what will be happening financially.

“I was told that about Christmas time and I am okay with that. I know what I’ve definitely got but if someone injects more money into the club, for whatever reason, then I will try my best to spend it wisely.

“I don’t think a certain place in the group stages would affect my budget for the summer.”

Celtic can go 17 points clear of Hearts with victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle tonight but Strachan insists the title race is not over yet.

He explained: “We just want to win as many games as we can, as quickly as we can. I’m not thinking that far ahead to the Champions League. I’m telling you we have not won the title.

“If somebody will give me some money then I will have a bet on it. We want to be thinking about winning the games.”

Celtic will be without Roy Keane for “three to four” weeks after tearing his hamstring during the 3-0 victory over Dunfermline in the CIS Insurance Cup final on Sunday.

The influential midfielder is just four games away from securing a championship-winning medal.

But Strachan is confident his team can cope with the absence of the Irishman. “It is a real shame because he has been really buzzing,” he said.

“One of the commentators on Sunday said they could have put him down for man of the match for the first hour.

“He was excellent and he has been playing excellent with a nice partnership in a nice midfield. It changes the balance a bit. But we have proved before that we can still win games without Roy Keane.”

Keane reiterated his threat to hang up his boots in the summer but Strachan is not too concerned at those words. I spoke to him a wee while after the game and I am just disappointed for him,” he added.

“He’s fine and laid back about it. There’s nothing changed from the conversation we had before he signed.

“If you ask Roy a question he will give you a straight answer. Players always decide their future.

“I decided my future at Leeds on a Monday morning after playing in front of 40,000 people.”

The former Scotland international is also convinced his players are fired up to wrap up the title quickly after the jubilation and emotion of the weekend.

“I was wondering how they were going to be,” said Strachan. “But they are absolutely buzzing.”

Strachan has also been impressed with the response of his new-look squad after a tough start to the season.

He explained: “The squad have done well to handle an incredible transition.

“About 14 players left and I don’t know how many came in so it was a big change. We have taken to each other as a group.”