Strachan's Celtic start new season in Scotland under pressure

Champions Rangers will kick off the Scottish Premier League season this weekend with a huge psychological advantage over Old Firm rivals Celtic.

Gordon Strachan took over as manager of Celtic in May to lukewarm backing from the fans and that has largely evaporated after Wednesday's 5-0 defeat by Slovakians Artmedia Petrzalka in their Champions League second qualifying round first leg.

Strachan's men today head to Motherwell where they blew the championship in the last few minutes of the final game of last season.

Old Firm managers are always believed to be merely three games away from a crisis and Strachan, who took over when Martin O'Neill resigned, knows he needs to oversee a much better performance at Motherwell.

The first Old Firm fixture of the season is not far away either with Rangers, managed by Strachan's former Aberdeen and Scotland team-mate Alex McLeish, playing hosts to Celtic on August 20.

Strachan and McLeish have been busy in the close-season transfer market.

Celtic made an eye-catching swoop when they bought Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura from Italian club Reggina.

Strachan bolstered his attacking options by signing Arsenal's Jeremie Aliadiere on a one-year loan and forward Maciej Zurawski from Wisla Krakow.

Celtic also acquired Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc from Legia Warsaw, utility player Paul Telfer from Southampton, Mo Camara from Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion's Adam Virgo.

McLeish has picked up Argentine striker Federico Nieto from Almagro plus French duo Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan from Paris St Germain and Olympique Marseille's Brahim Hemdani.

Rangers begin the defence of their title against Livingston tomorrow, with McLeish coming up against rookie manager Paul Lambert.

Former Celtic captain Lambert played under McLeish 10 years ago at Motherwell.