strachan has the last laugh but knows there's more urgent work to be done

'Oh Captain! My captain!
Our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack,
the prize we sought is won.'
Walt Whitman

Had Walt been a Celtic fan he might have been moved to pen his immortal lines in celebration of this season's title triumph (had he been around after Black Sunday he'd have had to change that last bit to 'Our ship has weathered every rack... except the one just before you get to port... the prize we sought is being wheeched away on a helicopter...').

This might not be the greatest Hoops side ever to win the championship (does the boss get extra credit for winning the league with a mediocre team? Just thought I'd ask) and we'll have to wait and see how good Gordon Strachan becomes as a manager - especially given the financial restrictions he has to work under - but nobody can ever detract from him the fact that he won the league (and the league cup for good measure) during his first season in charge. He deserves great credit, not to mention gratitude, for that.

It was quite a challenge he took on as well. Stepping into MON's shoes was hard enough: having to replenish a squad bereft of several experienced players, besides those simply making up the numbers, was equally Herculean.

I don't know whether, when they sat around to discuss this season's objectives, Lawwell and Quinn demanded a league victory, but everybody else certainly did. Given that there were quite a few among our support who didn't actually rate WGS as a manager it's hard to say how many actually expected the outcome we've been able to enjoy in the last few weeks - not since 1970 has the league been delivered so early - but the fact that he has achieved this has given him a platform on which to take us forward.

There's not much time for resting on his laurels, though, and arguably Strachan has as big a job in terms of rebuilding his squad this summer as he did last year, not least because at least one of the players we'd hoped would be hanging around for a few more years has already indicated that he'd rather be somewhere else, thanks for the nice fat contract all the same.

No doubt there has been many a debate about the Petrov situation, but if he goes he will be the first player in a while we have wanted to keep who has left the club - and won't it be interesting to see where he ends up?

Should Petrov realise some much-needed cash, and provided it's used to rebuild the team with more players, I'd be happy enough to thank him, shake on it and get on with supporting the players who actually want to be at CP. It's all very well clamouring for players to be bought, but the money has to come from somewhere - we can't continue to run at a loss - and it's about time some business was being done in terms of funds coming in as well as going out.

The three or four good players Strachan acquired in the transfer market last season performed better than we could have hoped for this season. The players augmented them with through frees and who were obviously stopgaps, played their parts to the best of their abilities, but we'll be looking to see most of them replaced by first team regulars who are younger and of better quality.

WGS goes into the next domestic campaign having to fight off a new Rangers manager funded by the proceeds of the latest pawning of the Ibrox family jewels, although it could well be the case that more of a challenge might come from Mad Vlad on the Eastern front.

In addition, thanks to the efforts of Martin O'Neill's sides, we have come to expect more of a show in Europe than a brief hello and goodbye at the qualifying stages of the Champions League. A Barcelona victory against Arsenal in this year's final (with Henke scoring a hat-trick) will see us straight into the group stage. Even defeat in the third qualifying round, should it come to that, will keep us in the UEFA Cup.

Regardless, Strachan will simply have to put together a team that's better equipped to compete at the next level than the one we have at the moment.

After the defeat at Tynecastle Strachan said that we would be back next season 'bigger, stronger, fitter and faster.' With two players already on their way and a few more coming, we certainly hope he's right.

Meantime, enjoy a champion off-season. See you in July

MARMADUKE BAGLEHOLE