Burns: Strachan struggling to win affection

Celtic coach Tommy Burns believes manager Gordon Strachan is still struggling to win over the Parkhead fans because of the success he enjoyed against the Hoops when he was an Aberdeen player.

Strachan, who played for Aberdeen in the early 1980s when they enjoyed a sustained period of success, was once attacked by a Celtic supporter during a game at Parkhead.

Despite winning the Bank of Scotland Premier League title in his first season, the former Southampton and Coventry boss is finding it hard, unlike his predecessor Martin O’Neill, to gain the affection of the fans.

Burns insists Strachan, who guided the Bank of Scotland Premier League champions to the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Tuesday, is misunderstood.

The former Hoops boss said: “The Celtic supporters still think of the manager as the man who used to play for Aberdeen in the 1980s and cause us a lot of problems at Celtic Park.

“That is probably a compliment to him as he was a fantastic footballer. Gordon has now graduated to the coaching side of things but a lot of people still do not like him.

“He has an impish way about him and a really confident manner and some people just don’t like that. People always form an instant judgement when they see guys like Gordon on the television.

“But when you have had the opportunity to work with Gordon and sit in and listen to what he is saying, then you see someone who is absolutely steeped in football.

“And not only is he a very good football coach but he is a also a very good person. Gordon is a very considerate and kind man and he always says ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to everybody.

“That is why I was delighted for him when Celtic got the result against Manchester United.”

Strachan survived a tricky period at the beginning of his Celtic career in 2005 when the Hoops were dumped out of the Champions League qualifiers by Artmedia Bratislava 5-4 on aggregate after losing the first game 5-0 away from home.

Burns, who is also a member of the Scotland coaching team, believes Strachan has since shown his mettle.

He said: “Gordon endured the most difficult start imaginable to his managerial career at Celtic but people are starting to realise now just how good a coach he is.

“To lose so heavily in the Artmedia game hurt him and he knew that people would remember that.

“But that just drove him on to succeed. Gordon just wants Celtic to be as successful as they possibly can be and he has to do all that within a tight budget.

“He has reached the last 16 of the Champions League without anything like the resources that Manchester United have or the previous Celtic manager had.

“But it is where we like to think this club should be.”