Celtic manager Gordon Strachan denied suggestions of a crisis at Parkhead as he offered up a bullish defence of his side's recent form.Wednesday's Scottish Cup quarter-final replay defeat by Aberdeen at Celtic Park was the fourth game without a win for the stuttering champions.

The Parkhead side could go into Sunday's SPL match against Gretna at Almondvale six points behind leaders Rangers, who play Hibernian on Saturday.

Strachan claimed he inadvertently used the word 'crisis' after the Dons defeat then offered up a wide array of well-researched statistics to explain his side's current predicament.

"We have 10 games to go and if our league form is the same as in the previous 10 games then that would give us 28 points and that would make for an exciting finish." the former Coventry and Southampton boss said.

"As I said the other night, I can't ask for any more apart from the ball going into the back of the net.

"The second half display against Barcelona and the next three games after that have been more than good enough to win matches but form - as in picking up points or going through to the next round - is not the best.

"Against Aberdeen the other night we had our highest total attempts on goal at home this season. We won more more tackles than Aberdeen.

"People want passing football and we had nearly 500 passes to their 200.

"So we are getting everything that we want, apart from putting the ball in the back of the net.

"But with 10 games to go we have equalled the number of goals that we scored last year.

"These are facts I'm giving you and I get confidence from these facts.

"Some people don't want to listen to the facts, some people have already made up their minds. But I can't do anything about peoples' opinions.

"The only thing I can deal with is my team and I am happy with their performances, apart from winning games of football."

Referring to the relative barren run of top scorer Scott McDonald, whose last of his 25 goals this season was scored on February 27 in a 2-1 home win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Strachan said: "People ask what we are going to do about it.

"What do you do with people like Michael Owen when they have spells when teams don't score?

"Man United played against Portsmouth and got as many chances as them and still got knocked out of the FA Cup.

"We cannot panic. We know that we have enough ability in the side to score goals and we have shown that this season.

"I think only the Peterborough partnership of Aaron McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith have scored more than regular partnership of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (and Scott McDonald), so that is encouraging."

Strachan refused to acknowledge the section of Celtic fans who are not happy with the current situation and took a veiled swipe at those who have been calling radio and newspaper phone-ins to criticise him.

Asked what his message would be to the fans, he replied: "Thank you.

"I thought the support in the last couple of games has been fantastic.

"People ask how we score goals in the last five minutes of games and it's because the support pushes us on.

"The people I come in contact with, those I can touch and feel, have been very supportive, so we thank them."

More Football News from TEAMtalk