Magic moments: Dunfermline 0, Celtic 4

WHAT a difference a week makes. From the depths of despair, mixed in with a fair sprinkling of anger, following last Saturday's Old Firm game, Celtic fans now have the luxury of a fortnight-long gloat about advancing up to second place in the league while our biggest rivals tumble down to fifth. All thanks to an incredible weekend in which Rangers lost 3-0 at home to Hibs and Gordon Strachan's Bhoys beat Dunfermline 4-0 at East End Park.
Two results which any fan of the Hoops could barely have dreamed about beforehand. And the best thing about it all is that, while Celtic achieved their result without playing particularly well, two of their summer signings will have gained considerable boosts to their confidence by getting on the scoresheet for the first time.
Shunsuke Nakamura's second-half strike was certainly welcome for a player who was a peripheral figure for much of this match. His goal was almost a carbon copy of an effort he had in the first half, which was also set up by Maciej Zurawski.
Aahhh.. Magic. The misfiring Pole whose teething troubles in adjusting to the Scottish game had caused so much angst to so many Celtic fans and evoked so much mirthful scorn from gloating media observers who should have known better.
Perhaps the former Wisla Krakow striker reads this blog, for had I not said in my own match preview:
Zurawski - who is, believe me, a class player - will start up front with Hartson. My own hope is that Magic Maciej is much less selfless this weekend and instead turns poacher, sniffing about the porous Pars back line for his first Celtic goals.
Those words certainly came true. And just as well, for this was an at times alarmingly poor performance from a Celtic side which clearly missed the influence of the suspended Neil Lennon and Alan Thompson.
Given those absences, Strachan opted to stick with the same defence which has played the last few games - Artur Boruc in goal, Paul Telfer and Mo Camara at full back, Bobo Balde and Stephen McManus in the centre.
Midfield was always going to be a problem. And the manager was hit by a late blow when Shaun Maloney was ruled unfit due to a back injury.
He opted for Adam Virgo in a holding role beside new captain Stilian Petrov, with Nakamura starting on the left and Craig Beattie on the right.
Zurawski again partnered John Hartson up front, but this time the Pole showed he would not be content to play second fiddle.
Celtic actually started the match poorly, being pinned back by an eager Dunfermline side who threw a couple of inviting crosses into the penalty box for their giant Polish striker Bartosz Tarachulski to attack.
Yet it was his compatriot Zurawski who opened the scoring at the other end after just five minutes. Collecting a Camara pass on the left side of the Pars penalty box, he cut back past two tackles before rifling in a fizzing low shot which beat keeper Bryn Halliwell at his near post.
If that was sublime, Celtic's second was ridiculous. After 10 minutes, a miskicked clearance by a Dunfermline defender saw the ball ricochet back to Halliwell, who sclaffed his kick along the ground. It then rebounded off Scott Wilson's ankle straight to Hartson at the edge of the box, who simply steered it into the empty goal before wheeling away to celebrate with a big, daft smile on his face.
At 2-0 up so early in the game, I would have expected Celtic to take command. Instead, they slipped into possibly their worst passage of play since that disastrous Artmedia match in Slovakia. Possession was surrendered with alarming frequency and the home team sensed they were still in with a chance.
The problem was all in midfield, where Nakamura was failing to pick up the runs of Pars right back Greg Ross and Virgo was struggling to get anywhere near the ball as the impressive Lee Makel dominated possession.
After a series of scares, Dunfermline looked to have been given a lifeline when, in the 29th minute, ex-Celt Mark Burchill chested the ball down in the box and was bundled over clumsily by the hapless Virgo. It was a clear penalty, which Burchill himself took, sending his kick low to Boruc's left-hand side. But the big Pole reacted well, and parried the shot for a corner. It was the wake-up call Celtic needed.
Strachan switched Beattie to the left of midfield to match the runs of Ross and Celtic began to make chances again. A fabulous run by Zurawski ended with him pulling the ball back for Nakamura, whose shot from the edge of the box was straight at Halliwell.
Then a surging Camara run saw the ever-eager left back square the ball for Beattie in the box. But the big man's first touch was poor and, from an acute angle, he slashed his shot into the side-netting.
Celtic were in many ways fortunate to go in at half-time two goals ahead. And the start of the second half showed only minor signs of improvement. A slack piece of play by Balde on the edge of his own box saw him dispossessed but the danger was cleared. Then Boruc did well to hold on to a skidding shot by Darren Young.
But it then became clear that Celtic's pace on the break would be too much for a ponderous Pars defence. Beattie surged clear of Tod to set up Hartson for an effort which Halliwell saved at the second attempt.
Then, on 58 minutes, the magical Zurawski showed almost balletic balance and control to skip past two challenges out on the left wing and advance into the area before sliding a pass across the six-yard line for Nakamura to net with ease.
Another debutant off the mark. And three points in the bag.
Seconds later, Strachan made a long-overdue switch, taking off the toiling Virgo and replacing him with young Paul Lawson.
Zurawski was cruelly denied his second goal when his fine header from a Camara cross was wrongly ruled offside. Then the game's other two Poles got involved in the action. And it was Boruc who again came out on top, spreading himself bravely to block an effort by Tarachulski.
And poor defending in the box saw Darren Young get in a free header that went wide.
Zurawski got a deserved second goal on 74 minutes when he cashed in on more poor defending. Hartson's flick-on of a long ball forward should have been cleared by Scott Thomson, but he let the Pole muscle his way on to the ball before hammering his shot past Halliwell.
There was still time for a Noel Hunt header to be cleared off the line by Telfer. And for Aiden McGeady to replace Zurawski in the last minute - a gesture by Strachan which afforded the Man of the Match the confidence boost of a standing ovation from the delighted Celtic support.
It had been far from a vintage team performance, but Celtic were guided to victory by the efforts of the aforementioned Magic man, Boruc, Petrov and - a couple of lapses apart - some stout defending by Balde.
The rest of the back four battled away well. Beattie showed great diligence and his pace will be a real threat. Nakamura was anonymous for most of the first half but came more into the game after the break. Hartson got his goal and set up one but was fairly average. Virgo was simply out of position and fared poorly. Lawson brought a degree of composure to Celtic's passing in the last half hour.
A satisfying result, though, especially as Lennon, Thompson, Pearson, Maloney and Agathe will be available for the next match, and possibly even Sutton, too.
But will there be any new faces - or departures - in the last couple of days of the transfer window?
Watch this space!

Dunfermline v Celtic preview

Well, what a week that was. The emotional fall-out of that Ibrox defeat (which I still believe the referee Dougal bears main responsibility for). Then the pain of watching the draws for the Champions League and even UEFA Cups taking place without our name being even mentioned ... except amid our eternal protagonists' guffaws when they drew Artmedia.
I am sure they will find they are no pub team but, as we latterly discovered, they have severe limitations.
The ramifications of that debacle in Slovakia still cast a pall over the entire club. The financial cost was immediately evident. The personnel cost became clear with Aliadiere's huffy defection to West Ham and the obvious reluctance of the continent's more prominent free agents to cast their lot in our direction.
Yet amid the wreckage I glimpse glints of hope and inspiration. And one of my greatest wishes is that we follow the example of a club which was one of the first victims of Martin O'Neill's re-born Celtic.
How could we forget that heady night five years ago when we mugged Ajax 3-1 in their own magnificent Amsterdam ArenA? Sure, they had talent. But we were street-wise.
Only thing was, in the return leg they played us off the park and we ended up praying for the whistle to secure a 1-0 defeat. Imagine cheering a home defeat!
But we did, because it secured our passage into the Champions League.
So what did Ajax do? They learned their lessons, got themselves tougher, and won the Dutch league that season by a country mile. They also showed up well in the next season's Champions league with a team built almost entirely from players they had reared through their own youth academy.
The lesson for Celtic is clear. We cannot expect to attract top-level foreign signings now that we have failed to reach the ECL promised land. Now the priorities must be:
1. Win the league.
2. Do it with as many of our own home-reared players as possible.
To that end we are extremely fortunate that we have as manager Gordon Strachan. Now, I know that sounds almost as treasonous to those who have already decided the wee man is a disaster. But let's examine the evidence of what he has achieved so far in his short reign.
At the end of last season Celtic fans demanded:
1. Get rid of the deadwood.
Result: YES. A ruthless forced exodus.
2. Get the team playing more attractive football.
Result: YES. The team now attacks with verve and invention.
3. Sign a playmaker.
Result: YES. I think we're all agreed Nakamura fits the bills, even if his lack of defensive diligence has forced a re-shaping of midfield responsibilities.
4. Give the young players a chance.
Result: YES. Maloney and Beattie have become valued members of the first team. Darren O'Dea has been brought into the squad. Aiden McGeady says it makes a tremendous difference to the youngsters to know the manager is on the training ground and appreciating what they do.
5. Use substitutions to better effect.
Result: YES. Strachan's switches (especially when he brings Maloney on) have added fresh impetus to Celtic.
6. Work hard on tactics on the training ground.
Result: YES. The uninitiated may find it hard to believe that for the last five seasons the first any Celtic player knew for certain about his task for a game was one hour before kick-off when Martin O'Neill read out the team. Players had been told general facts about the opposition but no-one knew for sure where they would be playing. Strachan is more in the Mourinho mode with his attention to detail. If Thompson had stayed on the park a bit longer last weekend, we might have had a chance to find out how succesfully Strachan had sussed out Rangers.

Yes, you've guessed it: I like Gordon Strachan. I like the progress he has made so far. My only complaint is that he didn't grasp the nettle quickly enough, but let the O'Neill old guard confuse his focus in the first few weeks.
With Lennon and Thompson out and Balde set to leave, all we need is a Hartson injury to leave our new manager having to find a completely new team. Yet some people will still call for his head after inevitable preliminary stumbles.
However, I do not believe one of those stumbles will occur this weekend.
Dunfermline are a poor team led by a tactically-inept manager. Unless they replace Leishman, they will tumble towards relegation.
It's hard to pick a starting line-up, given that Agathe and Pearson are apparently now close to fitness again.
My own hunch is that Strachan will start with Boruc in goal; Virgo at right back, Camara on the left and Balde and McManus in the middle.
I think the manager will eschew the midfield diamond for a more straightforward four-man midfield with Telfer and Petrov in the holding roles and Maloney and Nakamura in the wide positions, taking turns to switch flanks.
Zurawski - who is, believe me, a class player - will start up front with Hartson. My own hope is that Magic Maciej is much less selfless this weekend and instead turns poacher, sniffing about the porous Pars back line for his first Celtic goals.
My belief is that we will play with a pace and control that Dunfermline will simply be unable to match.
Should we get a goal within the first half-hour, the scoreline could become impressive.
The Pars forward line should not trouble our defence. Famous last words? I certainly hope not.
A sizeable win would buy Strachan the time he needs to complete his August purchases (and sales!) and truly impose his far-sighted will on our team.
I wish him every success.

The Art of War: Ibrox preview

THE big build-up is on as players, coaching staffs and fans on both sides prepare for the crucial, possibly season-defining, clash of the Old Firm at Ibrox on Saturday lunchtime.
Every coaching manual under the sun will be being thumbed at this moment but I base my own predictions on the oldest coaching manual of them all: The Art of War, written by Sun Tzu around 2,500 years ago.
The adviser to a Chinese warlord, he laid out the basic tenets of strategy that have to be adhered to if you wish to guarantee victory over an adversary.
So, as the Battle of Ibrox approaches, let's just have a wee gander at what he reckoned needs to be done:

SUN TZU SAYS: Without constant practice, the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle; without constant practice, the general will be wavering and irresolute when the crisis is at hand.
The one major plus for Celtic since Gordon Strachan arrived is that he is a training ground coach. He has drilled the players to full fitness. Week by week they have shown signs of understanding better his tactics. Meanwhile, there have been signs of a culture of slack at Ibrox. They were extremely lucky to beat Inverness. Their victory over Anorthosis owed much to the energy of Ricksen, who is unavailable. And their loss at Aberdeen showed that their whole defence is unsettled. In fact, the whole team doesn't look fully fit.

SUN TZU SAYS: All warfare is based on deception.
Gordon Strachan has dropped big hints about changes to personnel this week. The wee man has shown himself to be imaginative (sometimes TOO imaginative, as with Ross Wallace against Artmedia). Will he spring another tactical surprise this weekend?

SUN TZU SAYS: When able to attack, we must seem unable. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
Rangers will be roared on by their fans to pour forward into attack against us, reckoning (perhaps justifiably) that our back four is our weakest link. But one goal lost in the last three games suggests rapid progress is being made by Celtic's defensive unit. More to the point, any reckless attacking by Rangers may well give us the opportunity to make use of our potent counter-attacking ability, with our pacy players (Maloney, Petrov, Zurawski, Beattie, Aliadiere?) liable to split their porous defence wide open.

SUN TZU SAYS: If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him.
With Ricksen already out, Celtic's forwards should be aiming to rile the Rangers new boys Rodriguez and Fanfan into rash tackles, especially around the box (with Nakamura-San about!). And we should be right in the face of Ferguson, Lovenkrands and Novo from the start, as they may be unable to resist the urge to earn themselves a red card.

SUN TZU SAYS: If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.
Strachan has stated frequently that he wants the Celtic team to be able to play a high-speed pressing game for 90 minutes. This prevents the opposition from picking their passes to their forwards. It also gives Celtic more chance of winning possession in areas where swift counter-attacks can reap valuable rewards.

SUN TZU SAYS: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
We must be utterly prepared for the Rangers tactics of a quick ball over the top for Novo and Lovenkrands to get goalside of our full-backs and behind our central defenders. Telfer and Camara must stay deeper to close gaps between themselves, Balde and McManus. In midfield, Lennon, Petrov and Thompson must win their individual battles with Rae, Ferguson and Murray. Up front, Hartson, Nakamura and A.N. Other (I'd play Beattie) must be prepared for the physical assaults and intimidation they will face. There must be no fear. We must be sure of ourselves and utterly confident of victory.

SUN TZU SAYS: Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
If we keep a clean sheet, there is no chance that we won't get at least one goal against their disjointed and one-paced defence. Their hesitancy at set pieces is already apparent.

SUN TZU SAYS: Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.
Let's not make their central defenders look good by just clattering long balls towards John Hartson; get Nakamura on the ball and get him to thread balls inside their full-backs for the runs of Petrov and Zurawski/Beattie/Maloney/Aliadiere.

Hey, you don't get previews like that from the likes of Traynor and Leckie, do you?
For what it's worth, Mr Sun Tzu reckons we'll win 2-0!

Making sense of Murray's convoluted empire

THREE times in the past fortnight David Murray has deemed it necessary to deliver a message via his poodles in the Scottish press. First, he expressed his contempt for Graham "YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE" Spiers by all-but ordering Rangers fans to stop reading The Herald because its chief sports writer did not afford him the continual unquestioning reverance that the likes of the Daily Record's James Traynor so regularly does.
Then Murray reacted quickly to a suggestion that Rangers FC plc would have to pay some of their Champions League earnings to former shareholders ENIC. Club executive Martin Bain pointed out that the payments were the liability of Murray Holdings Limited - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Murray International Holdings Limited, who are, by virtue of common control, a related party to Murray Sports Limited, who own Rangers Football Club plc. Confused? Heck, I've hardly started.
Finally, Murray put out the message over the weekend that even though Rangers looked to be in line for a 10million pound Champions League cash boost - and also that their finances were looking good and everything in the garden was rosy - there wouldn't be as much as a single Turkish lira for Alex McLeish to spend unless he got rid of the likes of Lovenkrands, Ball, Mladenovic or even, perish the thought, Stefan Klos.
This information was a bit of a shock to the typical Rangers fan with his supremacist theories and total faith in the fiscal magnificence of his club's supremo. Yet outsiders may have detected a certain nervousness about the conflicting and increasingly frenzied messages emerging from Ibrox.
So, purely as an academic measure, I decided to take a look at the last published accounts of the overall holding company of the Murray empire, on which every major financial decision taken at Rangers Football Club is dependant.
At first glance, it all appears fairly mundane. Murray International Holdings is ostensibly involved in the metals, property, mining and private equity businesses. In the year to January 31, 2004, it made an annual profit of 18million pounds on a turnover of 248million.
Which was an improvement on the 6.6 million loss it made the previous year on a turnover of 266million.
But then you start to notice the incredible influence which a subsidiary company has on the overall accounts. And you start to wonder about how many people' jobs are being put at risk to placate one man's ego trip.
Straight away in their accounts you notice the 7.6m write-down of a loan note in 2003. This refers to a loan given to Murray Sports Ltd (ie, Rangers). The accounts also note the write down in the same year of a 4.27million investment in the share capital of Murray Sports.
Sums due to Creditors in 2004 are up from 254million to 310million but this is balanced slightly by having Debtors of 129 million.
Except that the amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings are 10m; amounts owed by joint venure undertakings are 4m; amounts owed by related parties are 9.6m.
And then there's the 53m loan note to Murray Sports, "due for payment in the event of a sale of all or substantially all of the shares, assets or businesses of RFC Investment Holdings Ltd and/or subsidiaries."
It adds that "interest is payable at commercial rates only in the event that Murray Sports has sufficient accumulated distributable profits". Try getting a deal like that for YOUR business!
By whatever method it was reached, Murray International Holdings Ltd announced it had net borrowings of 230m. Oh, but it has also guaranteed bank borrowings of subsidiary and associated undertakings of 140m. Hmmm, perhaps RFC plc make up a bob or two of that amount.
The accounts noted that MIH had sales of 4.5m to Murray Sports but purchases of 296,000. Wonder who is footing the bill for those Lear jet flights!
Murray International Holdings' accounts were boosted by several significant disposals throughout the year, including the sales of PPG (Lothian) Ltd, VIDA Sports, Short Sided Soccer and the event catering division of Le Bistro Catering Ltd.
The listed companies under the MIH banner include (all 100 per cent holdings unless stated otherwise):
Murray Group Management, Murray International Metals (90 per cent), Austin Trumann Steel, Premier Alloys (90), Northern Steel Stocks, Forth Steel (93), Multi Metals, Premier Property Group, PPG Metro (52), PPG Land (95), GM MIning (60), Eden Waste Recycling (57), Charklotte Ventures, Response Handling (95), Azure Support Services (70), Le Bistro Catering (70), Carnegie Information Systems (95), November Liesure.
David Murray owns more than 90 per cent of the shares of MIG while his son DD Murray owns almost all the rest. But a Bank of Scotland subsidiary, Ubercor Investments, own 11.5 per cent of the issued share capital, while Noble Grossart Investments own 5.5 per cent.
Murray's good friend Sir Angus Grossart is, of course, on the MIH board. He is also chairman of the Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
To me, it is all so far a tawdry tale of how an otherwise-admirable Scottish business has been hijacked to provide a financial safety net for an otherwise bankrupt football club whose owner has had ambitions beyond his club's capabilities.
But then you realise that the accounts were issued BEFORE the company bought ENIC's 20.2 per cent stake in Rangers in August 2004 and BEFORE the company underwrote Rangers' share issue for almost 50 million and, in effect, took EVEN MORE DEBT into the company.
Murray International have recently been making big noises about it being an exceptional year in the metals business. They certainly need it. The company also bought over the Alexander Dennis bus group.
If I worked for that firm, I might feel slightly nervous that my owners were diverting so much of the conglomerate's liquidity towards a failing football club.
But then again, maybe I'm just biased. I'll certainly be an interested spectator when their accounts to January 31, 2005, are released at the end of next month.
So let me ask an expert: Weeron, what do you make of this?

Thomson beats the boos: Celtic 3 Falkirk 1

INSPIRED by two fantastic strikes by Alan Thompson, Celtic stormed back to grab three points from a surprisingly determined Falkirk side. Yet the victory was noted more for the impatience with which the home support greeted their team's struggle against the First Division champions.
Given Celtic's 8-1 victory against the same club in last season's CIS Cup - and that with a weakened side which even included the almost-exiled Juninho - many fans may have perhaps expected a canter against the Bairns in their first SPL match at Parkhead for many seasons.
But their manager, former Celtic centre-half John "Yogi" Hughes, has made a number of shrewd signings and still has the benefit of two silky midfield performers in John O'Neil and Russell Latapy. And it was the ease with which this pair kept possession for long periods that did much to raise the ire within Celtic Park for long periods.
What true Celtic supporters must remember, though, is that we are witnessing a team in transition. Several of the players have changed. The tactics have certainly changed. And Gordon Strachan will need some time to get the team playing as he wishes. He will also need some time to get the players he needs.
Despite all that, Celtic started well. Hartson chested down a long Thompson pass and Zurawski thundered in a bouncing shot from outside the box that Matt Glennon in the Falkirk goal did well to divert for a corner.
Then right back Paul Telfer gathered a clearance, flicked it up and sent a magnificent looping shot towards the top corner, only for Glennon to somehow get a hand to it and divert it for another corner.
From there on frustration set in as Falkirk's mass defence denied the likes of Zurawski and Nakamura any room to fashion openings.
But before the break that frustration turned to horror. Neil Lennon challenged for a ball on the halfway line and appeared to be fouled. But the referee waved play on, the ball was chipped over Stephen McManus and Falkirk striker Darryl Duffy hared in on goal. Mo Camara came over from the left flank to provide cover as Celtic keeper Artur Boruc spread himself to save the expected shot. But the referee ruled, probably correctly, that Camara had played the man before the ball and awarded a penalty.
Duffy took the spot kick himself and wrong-footed Boruc to put Falkirk ahead 1-0 at the break, a scoreline that was greeted with a smattering of boos and a plethora of apprehension.
Normal service seemed to have been resumed three minutes after the break when a Thompson chip set up Nakamura to cross for John Hartson to thunder home a typical close-range header.
But the expected deluge of goals did not arrive and, indeed, Duffy missed a decent chance to put the visitors in front again.
Frustration grew. Thompson's silly booking for dissent drew attention to his errant passing. The ineffective Zurawski, who is struggling to come to terms with the packed defences Celtic face on a regular basis, was withdrawn and the ever-busy Shaun Maloney came on.
And with 15 minutes to go a Stilian Petrov cross was chested back by Hartson to Thompson 20 yards out, who thumped a glorious volley high into the top corner of the net. A beautiful moment which was marred by the scorer's crass gesture of cupping his hands to his ears to mock the minority of fans who had been expressing disgust at his earlier misplaced passes.
In acoustic terms, Celtic Park is a magnificent amphitheatre where every moan and groan and boo can be heard. Chairmen hear 300 booing them out of a crowd of 60,000. Henrik Larsson heard about a dozen perform the same almost-treasonous act. The shameful actions of just one individual can ruin a minute's silence observed impeccably by 59,999 others.
Given that, there is no doubt Thompson heard the grumbles about his display. But he is a PROFESSIONAL footballer. He is paid to play the game. And the people who pay him are the same people who grumbled about his passing. The same ones he mocked with his display.
Now, I for one would never cat-call a player wearing the hoops. But we all know there are plenty in the stadium who know precious little about the game and merely come along to vocalise their discontent about the hand that life has dealt them.
The fact is, Thompson probably earns more in a week than most of these people earn in a year. It is his duty to rise above petty point-scoring and have the humility to admit his own failings.
As if to rub in his point, Alan then thumped home a third from a free-kick given after Petrov was fouled as he charged towards the box. And there we have another candidate for the grumbling support.
Apparently, the captain of Bulgaria has been "hiding" in recent games. He has been doing nothing of the sort. He has been working his legs off to accommodate the new Strachan set-up which sees us playing a "diamond" shape in midfield. Lennon sits deep while Petrov and Thompson fetch and carry and either pass to Nakamura or feed the overlapping full-backs.
Celtic fans will take time to get used to this arrangement. My personal view is that it gives us a great chance of overwhelming Barry Ferguson in central midfield on Saturday.
I have to admit I was disappointed with Thompson but I was also disappointed with a section of the Celtic support. We have to realise the times they are a-changing. Players' roles are also changing.
But I will guarantee you this - Lennon, Thompson and Petrov will NOT be hiding at 12.30pm on Saturday. And their energy will be the rock on which a famous victory will be built.

Full of Eastern promise: Celtic 2, Dundee United 0

He came from the East; the Far East, with promises of skill, invention and excitement. The Celtic marketing people may be excited by the promise of gold in yonder Asian market but the 60,000 fans who rolled up to Celtic Park yesterday were only interested in one question: How good is Shunsuke Nakamura?
By 4.45pm they had their answer: Very good. Excellent, in fact. A little Oriental bundle of speed, trickery and no little courage. It was only a shame he didn't score, though he came so close. It was fitting that when he bounced off after 86 minutes, to be replaced by Craig Beattie, that the stadium rose as one to give the Japanese midfielder a rousing standing ovation. Fittingly, the stadium announcer declared Shunsuke to be Man of the Match. An appropriate end to a dazzling debut.
Yet the fact there was some discussion among the fans over who Celtic's best player was up to that point is a fair indication of the pleasing nature of so much of the team's performance. Neil Lennon and John Hartson performed admirably. And Shaun Maloney, once again, was a highly impressive substitute in his 25 minutes on the park.
As I had predicted last night, Nakamura started as the tip of a four-man midfield diamond formation, with Lennon deepest and Stilian Petrov and Alan Thompson taking turns to either assist the captain in his ball-winning role or get forward to link up with the forwards.
The back four and keeper were the same as on Tuesday, while Zurawski passed a fitness test to edge out Maloney.
Nakamura almost made a sensational start when his first-minute header was cleared off the line by Duff. Then his flighted through ball released Zurawski, who charge through on goal, only to shoot tamely at United keeper Stillie.
Celtic's passing and moving was pleasing on the eye but relatively ineffective until the 37th minute when Hartson took a long Camara pass, muscled his way past McCracken, then lashed the ball into the net.
At the start of the second half, Boruc did well to save from McIntyre. Then Hartson, incredibly, hit the bar twice within a minute with headers.
In 64 minutes, Nakamura was denied a much-deserved goal when his free-kick was superbly saved by Stillie. And after Maloney came on for Zurawski, the buzzing sub almost scored with a shot and then a header.
Celtic were now playing with a fluidity, pace and control that was a joy to behold. The hard work being done on the training ground now seems to be bearing fruit. It augurs well for the future as top players such as Agathe and Sutton, plus new boy Virgo, regain fitness.
Towards the end, Nakamura was replaced by Craig Beattie, who continues to impress with his power and enthusiasm. And after Crawford missed a good chance for United, Celtic's two young subs linked superbly to seal the three points. Maloney darted down the right, then crossed for Beattie to slam home a right foot volley.
A suitable end to a bright afternoon which will surely mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Celtic story.

Where will Nakamura fit in?

Cast your mind back to the beginning of season 1997-98 when Wim Jansen's Celtic career began with two demoralising defeats at the hands of Hibs and Dunfermline. "The second-worst thing to have hit Hiroshima" blared the headline in the Daily Record. Pundits were predicting his demise by the end of September.
But the Dutchman was not daft. He had spotted what was broken, and set about fixing it. Certain players disappeared from the squad to be rarely seen again. He made sure his tactical orders were followed to the letter. After a couple of hard-working performances, genuine progress was made and a historic league title followed.
Now Gordon Strachan finds himself in the same position of having to make changes quickly to rescue a poor start. The changes were not made quickly enough to save our European campaign but the SPL title is there for the taking.
I now reckon Strachan will begin to impose his tactical ideas more robustly on the Celtic line-up. My hunch is that Tuesday's line-up gives us the clues as to the direction he is taking.
We will stick with a back four, with the two full backs given licence to push forward to provide support on the flanks when the ball is on their side of the pitch. The centre-backs will have to show more determination in shutting down opposition players, winning headers and not letting players get goal-side of them.
Having changed the shape of the team to incorporate two deep-lying midfielders (Lennon and Thompson), Gordon has given himself the option of playing new boy Shunsuke Nakamura in a roving role just in front of them. I suspect he will also position Stilian Petrov a bit deeper on the right, giving more of a "diamond" shape to the midfield.
Up front, Maloney will start with Hartson if Zurawski isn't fully fit after his ankle injury.
My predicted line-up is:

Boruc

Telfer Balde McManus Camara

Lennon

Petrov Thompson

Nakamura

Hartson Maloney

I did predict last week that the days of Thompson and Hartson, in particular, were numbered under Strachan's policy of super-fit players sticking to a slick passing-and-moving game.
Both, however, showed much more commitment on Tuesday and appear to be really working hard on their stamina. Their experience may prove valuable in the short term.
As for where this leaves the likes of Aliadiere, well, there are only 11 starting jerseys.
Here's hoping our Japanese friend lives up to the hype.
(I'll post a match report on Saturday night)