Desmond: Strachan gets fair chance

Celtic major shareholder Dermot Desmond insists manager Gordon Strachan was never in danger of losing his job after the team’s disastrous start to the season.

The Hoops collapsed to a 5-0 drubbing by Artmedia Bratislava in the Champions League second qualifying round, first leg, in July.

Days later Celtic allowed a 3-1 lead at Motherwell slip and the team eventually scrambled a draw in the Bank of Scotland Premier League opener with a last-minute equaliser.

However, the Celtic Park board had always vowed to give Strachan – who has since taken the team to the top of the table – a complete season before reviewing his position.

Desmond told Bunkered magazine: “Everyone has to get a fair shot. At the worst times, we said to Gordon the first review of his performance for the season would be after the last match is played.”

Desmond has promised to underwrite a £15m (€22.2m) share issue to help fund the club’s new academy with £10m (€14.8m) of his own money.

But the Irish millionaire insists the Glasgow giants will never follow the Roman Abramovich path of untold riches at Chelsea.

Desmond added: “Fans do often come up to me and it is nice to meet them. They are passionate about the club, just as I am, and I enjoy their camaraderie.

“The only time I don’t like people coming up is when they say you should be putting more money into the club because that’s the only cure.

“Everyone thinks that you can be an Abramovich and all your problems are solved but that’s not the way I will proceed at Celtic.”