EVEN a master of the one-liner can pick the wrong word occasionally.

Gordon Strachan is well enough aware of the sensitivities in Scottish football, not least after having walked the verbal tightrope as manager of Celtic, to recognise a loaded remark and apply a handbrake between brain and mouth.

So when he said on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday programme that the game in this country might have to "manipulate" Rangers, Hearts and Hibs into the top flight it was a slip which caused a predictable social media eruption.

The stampede to the keyboards was inevitable, but it was unseen by Strachan and he was unrepentant when asked to expand on his comment yesterday. What he did concede was that manipulate might have been the wrong word.

He remained vehement in his belief that the SPFL Premiership continues to suffer from the absence of three of the country's five best-supported clubs.

When the online criticism he had received was relayed to Strachan yesterday - at a media conference to announce his squad for the imminent fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and England - he convincingly demonstrated that he couldn't care less. "It doesn't matter to me one little bit. That's my opinion. I think everybody in Scottish football agrees with me.

"But you're scared to say anything these days. The majority want big games, full stadiums, atmosphere, build-ups. That's what we're after. That's what the sponsors want. That's what we want: people viewing around the world, seeing stadiums that are full, not with a couple of people standing behind the goal."

One moment burned its way on to Strachan's retinas. Three years ago he saw Kilmarnock's James Dayton score a wonderful long range goal against Dundee United at Rugby Park. On the television coverage there were row upon row of empty seats as he celebrated.

"It was goal of the season. He ran towards the goals and there was nobody behind the goals! I think it's the only goal of the season you will see in any league in the world where you can run behind the goal and there is nobody there. You have to sell a product. You have to make it."

What Strachan did qualify yesterday was that he was not advocating any breaking or bending of the rules to accommodate the three big clubs, it was just that he was desperate for their return as soon as possible (in other words the end of next season, if two are promoted this season and the third at the end of 2015-16).

"I can't wait for these three teams to be back in it again. That's what I want to see. I don't know how you do it, but that's what I want to see. That's what the people round the world want to see. I'm sure 95 per cent agree with me. It's like anything you say in the public eye.

"There might be 99.9 per cent, but you find that 0.1 shout the loudest. 'Manipulation' might not be the right word, but somehow we have to get these teams back so that we can enjoy football. Should it be a bigger league? I couldn't tell you.

"I understand the argument that the clubs got themselves in this mess. But that's what I want to see, all them being back in there. Fill the stadiums. Make it exciting. Queue to get into a stadium, not walk up with five minutes to go and pick your seat anywhere. You listen on the TV and you can hear people shouting at each other on the pitch."

There will not be any worries in that respect when Strachan is next on active service. Scotland against the Republic of Ireland in the Euro 2016 qualifiers is the biggest game the national team has faced since Italy were at Hampden in the final Euro 2008 qualifier seven years ago.

It takes quite an occasion to eclipse an Auld Enemy fixture, but this one does. "It's kind of blown away the England game, which is great," Strachan continued. "When you take over as manager of Scotland you think 'right, ok, let's get on a roll, see what we can do', and we have got to this point where we can fill the stadium with people who genuinely think, rather than hope, that we are going to win.

"It's great the players can actually put a smile on the punters' faces, make them happy. You can make them unhappy as well. That's something you have to deal with."

Strachan has described the upcoming match as "a derby", "a cup tie" and a "British-type" game. It will be a clash of players who know each other well, with a high degree of familiarity from frequent meetings at Scottish and English club level. The Scotland manager will stress the need for discipline and cool heads.

"I remember saying this to Celtic players the first time I met them, I have noticed that the team who loses their temper first always loses. We got two sent off in my first Old Firm game. We lost our discipline and our focus because we got caught up in that game. I have seen it happen in Scotland v England games.

"People lose their focus because they want to win so badly. Or they want to show they want to win so badly, there is a big difference. If you want to beat someone so badly then run quicker than them, jump higher than them, run further than them, you don't have to kick anyone.

"Sometimes I see players thinking 'the crowd wants me to kick somebody'. Well, the manager doesn't want you to kick anyone. Your teammates don't want you to kick anyone. They want you to stay on your feet. They want you to be there at the end of the game."