Football: STRACH CRACKS WHIP

FUMING Gordon Strachan ordered his first team squad to undertake an unscheduled punishment training stint after Tuesday's dismal 0-0 draw with Leicester City.

The Hoops stars were expecting a day off on Wednesday after their week-long training camp at Bisham Abbey and friendly matches against Leicester and Fulham.

But Strachan was so furious with his side's performance at Leicester he ordered his men to report to the leisure suite at a Glasgow hotel as soon as they arrived back in Scotland on Wednesday morning.

Half of Strachan's squad headed to the gym with the other half ordered into the swimming pool.

Adding insult to the incident the Hoops stars had to hire taxis to get them to the hotel after the club coach failed to show up at Glasgow Airport.

A club insider admitted: "The players were far from happy about losing out on a day off after being away from home for more than a week.

"Most of them already had plans for Wednesday - being ordered into what was basically a punishment session wasn't on the agenda.

"Gordon's hands on approach has come as a shock to the system for most of the players, because Martin O'Neill was hardly ever at training and things were much more relaxed.

"A few players are pretty unhappy about things but Gordon loves to be involved in training and they'll just have to get used to his ways."

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