Despite crashing 3-0 at Manchester United with the first two goals looking offside, Celtic boss Gordon Strachan refused to criticise the match officials. "The (first) two goals were offside but I'm not going to scream about them," said Strachan. I'm a football man and I know when I'm and well beaten.

"You need a decision when you come here and to get two like that was a blow."

"We cannot be faulted for our guts and determination," he added.

"What we do fall down on is being anywhere as good as them at passing the ball to each other.

"We gave the ball away unnecessarily eight times in the first 15 minutes, which is a problem. I try to mould a team where everybody can pass the ball and tonight that didn't work.

"Physically we couldn't match them and that told the longer the game went on.

"I'm just pleased that we had enough guts to stay in there and it wasn't a rout because that's happened here a few times."

Holders United are yet to lose a goal in Group E, and visit Celtic Park for the return fixture on 5 November.

"Over the last couple of years we've played some terrific sides, but that's the best," said Strachan.

"It's one of the best performances I've ever come across in watching European football. You will need to be some team to beat them.

"We'll try our best to give a performance the next time we play. We'll try and make it a decent game of it."