Celtic 3 - 0 Falkirk: The science of team-making defies proper analysis. Managers can plan, boards can spend and fans can hope but a team is formed out of a mixture of circumstance, luck and applied football knowledge.

The science of team-making defies proper analysis. Managers can plan, boards can spend and fans can hope but a team is formed out of a mixture of circumstance, luck and applied football knowledge.

Gordon Strachan has spoken regularly about his vision for Celtic and for moments in the second half against Falkirk on Saturday it became a glorious reality. This was a period of almost total Celtic dominance marked with pace, fluidity of passing and the creation of several good chances.

Circumstance certainly helped. Falkirk were sure that Stephen McManus's opening goal was the result of a hand- ball and the awarding of a foul for the challenge on Shaun Maloney was certainly soft. There was luck of a perverse sort that deprived Celtic of Scott McDonald before the match and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink during it. This led to the pairing of Georgios Samaras and Maloney, who combined brilliantly for the Greek to score two goals.

The applied football knowledge must be ascribed to Strachan who watched a reassembled team give a performance that was pleasing to the eye and cruelly destructive of a Falkirk side who threatened only intermittently.

The first half had a semblance of parity but Celtic's football in the second period left Falkirk gasping. Maloney admitted afterwards that the pace and power of the side had improved considerably in the 18 months he spent at Aston Villa. His partner on the pitch agreed with him off it. "We have really good players," said Samaras. "We are stronger than we were last season."

Certainly, the defence was largely untroubled. Artur Boruc had to make three saves but he has had more upset in a hotel room. Allegedly. Andreas Hinkel and Mark Wilson were enterprising at full-back and Glenn Loovens had a debut when moments of anxiety were rare. It seems to be fashionable to denigrate McManus but he was his usual combative self and his raking left-foot passes from defence provided several moments of alarm for the Falkirk defence.

However, Celtic were most impressive from middle to front. Shunsuke Nakamura had moments of genius. Once he should have been prosecuted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Defenders for his treatment of Gerard Aarjes. Scott Brown drove forward with pace even if he has to find a regular purpose. Paul Hartley was industrious, neat and vital to the cohesion of the side.

Maloney was excellent. He is quicker, more inventive than McDonald. However, he must work on his finishing. He could have scored a hat trick and his execution inside the area was negligent. He is a better player than McDonald but can the Scottish internationalist score 20-plus goals a season? Samaras took his two goals well, matching pace with confident finishing. With Maloney and McGeady both driving down the flanks, the Greek's mobility was rewarded in tangible fashion. Strachan, too, had a bonus when Marc Crosas made his debut. The former Barcelona midfielder struck two flashing passes to change the direction of play and was confident and tidy in possession.

However, the Celtic manager was understated in his assessment of the game. He knows the Old Firm match on Sunday will provide different challenges. McDonald, he said, could be fit for that game and Strachan would be reluctant to omit a player who consistently scores goals.

Crosas, in contrast, is an unlikely participant in next week's encounter. Strachan may find another occasion to test whether the midfielder can keep his composure under more pressure than was exerted by Falkirk. Samaras will almost certainly start if Vennegoor of Hesselink does not recover from his ankle injury. The Greek was taking nothing for granted. "I don't know what will be the team against Rangers," he said. "The only thing I can say is that everybody at this club will be ready and fit, mentally and physically, for this game. This is the best game in Scotland. We must be ready for the challenge."

There is a danger of being overly impressed by Celtic. Falkirk's style ensures an open game and the champions revelled in the space. However, there are strong indications that this is a stronger, more mobile Celtic than the team of last season. This, of course, is only a theory. It will be tested in the most severe conditions in an Old Firm match next week.