Strachan's Bhoys won't be sidetracked
The Hoops boss has guided his team to the top of the Premier League and is set for further speculation after midfielder Roy Keane left Manchester United, with Celtic widely tipped to be his next destination.
Across Glasgow, Strachan's close friend and former team-mate, Rangers boss Alex McLeish, is facing a three-match spell to save his job - starting at Celtic Park today.
Ibrox chairman David Murray will assess the future of his manager after the matches against the Hoops, Porto and Hibernian this month.
But Strachan claims he is unaware of the pressure McLeish is under because he refuses to take notice of anybody outside of Parkhead.
He said: "We just quietly get on with it. I don't take notice of the media anyway.
"That is a fantasy world. I deal with reality. It is not my concern what people are saying."
But Strachan admits external influences can have a catalytic effect on his players.
He added: "Sometimes, the players might use criticism as anger to run faster.
"I would be worried if that made them play better because I would want to know why they had not been playing like that in the first place.
Strachan is expecting a Rangers backlash as the Ibrox players look to respond to criticism in light of their poor run of results.
Celtic will go 15 points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of the table with victory today.
Gers chairman David Murray has demanded an improvement and Strachan believes the Light Blues players will respond.
But the Celtic boss is not convinced his team hold any psychological advantage after the CIS Cup win last week.
Strachan said: "Rangers will want to win the game, but so do we."
Strachan admits the international week has left him frustrated with so many players across the globe.
Japan international Shunsuke Nakamura only returned from Tokyo yesterday, while Stilian Petrov is late arriving back from America after representing Bulgaria in a friendly on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Strachan has also told Didier Agathe to follow the example of team-mates such as John Hartson and Aiden McGeady - and wait for his first-team chance.
The wing-back, who was a mainstay of the team under Martin O'Neill, has failed to break into the starting line-up since Strachan took over.
Agathe has admitted he may have to move on if his chances are limited but the Hoops boss has urged him to let his feet do the talking when he gets his chance.
Strachan said: "If you are part of the 11, you will feel reasonably secure, but the others will probably have their quiet moments to see what they can do.
"But it is not a big problem because he has a contract until the end of the season.
"If he wants to discuss anything, then I am here. If he sees himself as part of the future, we will just get on with it. That's up to him.
"He's not getting back in because Paul Telfer and Nakamura are playing really well.
"But he trained well this week so that was good. Other people like Adam Virgo, Alan Thompson and John Hartson have not played and they have got on with it.
"We have to chop and change and, when he gets in, it is up to him to stay there.
"We have a settled side at the moment but Aiden McGeady took his chance after being out for a while.
"He got his chance at Falkirk because he was ready and was in the manager's face in training.
"He turned in a fantastic performance against Falkirk. He got himself back in there and that's the way it works.
"Knocking on the door doesn't make any difference whether I pick them or not.
"I will speak to them, but it doesn't make any difference whether I pick them.
"Performances pick themselves. Aiden never knocked on the door."
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