Gordon Strachan Heart Quotations

I took Hearts seriously even before a ball was kicked,

I've never thought about it that much; I just try to have a plan of how to play the game. Within that plan you have to take teams that are good at defending physically and make them think. In the first half we didn't make Hearts think enough. We made them defend physically, which they handled. We made them think more in the second half. Again, you just can't play the one way all the time. If the team you play against can get in that mentality, then all they have to do is defend. If you can make opponents think, then defend physically, then think... that is what you are trying to achieve that with your team.

The players gave me exactly what I expected of them, both the guys who have been here doing it for the last five years and the newer ones who stood shoulder to shoulder with them and didn't let them down. The vision I have for Celtic must include the heart and character they showed tonight but we also have to play better and get fitter.

What you have tomorrow is two teams in a rich vein of form. I won't kid my players - they are playing against a very good Hearts team.