AS the media speculate why Gordon Strachan has stepped down as manager of Celtic football club, PA’s Ronnie Esplin dismisses at least one theory: Strachan’s rather frosty relationship with journalists.
As he writes in www.sportinglife.com: “More ridiculous were the claims that the dislike of Strachan [by some Celtic fans] was down to his open contempt for the Scottish media.
“Coming from a support which has constantly maintained that the mainstream television and radio stations and the newspapers in Scotland have been the media arm of the club at the other side of the city for 100 years and more [ie Rangers], that notion is laughable.
“In fact, the idea that all of the Scottish media hated Strachan is a myth.
“He had to wade through a core of sycophants before each press conference and those not in the inner circle regularly laughed at the preferential treatment he would dish out to his favoured few. Even if that preferential treatment was at times only a civil reply to a question.”
Meanwhile, Roddy Forsyth, in the Daily Telegraph, also touches on Strachan’s relationship with the media, in assessing the chances of Motherwell manager, Mark McGhee, being appointed Celtic boss.
He writes: “[McGhee] would bring a reforming agenda to Celtic Park, where he believes that the relationships with the media and support both need to be overhauled.
“Motherwell were voted the most media-friendly club in this year’s Clydesdale Bank SPL awards and McGhee takes a keen interest in how such matters are handled.
“Although he and Strachan are close friends and neighbours – they live only 50 yards apart in Glasgow’s elegant Park district – McGhee is neither as sharp nor sarcastic in public as his former Aberdeen team-mate.”
