ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE THE MICK? Strachan kicks out cheeky Toon bid to land skipper McManus... ON LOAN.

Byline: By Keith Jackson 

GORDON STRACHAN has booted out a cheeky offer from Newcastle United to take Celtic skipper Stephen McManus ON LOAN.

Strachan revealed yesterday he has received only one enquiry about any of his players since the transfer market opened for business on January 1.

The Parkhead manager declined to name names.

But Record Sport has been informed the offer in question was an outrageous counter proposal from the Magpies that would have deprived Strachan of his club captain until the end of the campaign.

We understand the request came about after Strachan contacted St James' Park director of football Dennis Wise to ask if Newcastle would allow Spanish leftback Jose Enrique to switch to Glasgow on loan for the final four months of the season.

Wise said he would be willing to strike a deal but only if McManus moved to Tyneside on a similar shortterm package - a suggestion Strachan, far right, immediately dismissed.

Record Sport hasalso learned that Newcastle were keen on constructing a permanent swap deal involving the pair but those talks broke down when Wise demanded McManus PLUS a pounds 3million fee for his pounds 42,000-a-week fringe man.

Now Wise and manager Joe Kinnear must decide whether to make a straight cash offer for McManus while Strachan has given up any hope of luring 23-year-old Enrique north.

When asked about McManus' situation yesterday and a possible pounds 4m bid from Newcastle the Celtic boss said: "We have had no bids for anybody. None whatsoever. We had an enquiry when I asked someone in England about a loan and they asked about one of our players on loan. I said no. I can't tell you who it was with.

"We have not had any bid whatsoever. The loan thing has not gone through. I asked for one of their players on loan, they asked for one of our players on loan and it was a quick 'no'.

Strachan also refused to comment on his attempt to snatchWillo Flood from under the nose of tonight's Co-operative Insurance Cup semifinal rivals Dundee United.

Flood is on loan at Tannadice from Cardiff but Celtic are poised to weigh in with an offer of pounds 50,000 for the Irishman following tonight's Hampden clash after getting the green light from the Welsh club.

Strachan did admit to becoming increasingly frustrated at having to trawl around the bargain basements for his signing targets.

He said: "It's not only me. The players are frustrated because they want to play with great players, the fans want to see great players, we want to sign great players, you want to watch great players ... but that's the market we have to deal with it.

Nobody has bid for any of our players so they can't be that great. I like the squad I have here, they are a great squad to work with, but one request to swap somebody on loan is all we have had."

Asked about Flood, Strachan said: "We can't speak about players who are not here. That's only fair, only right.

"That's the case every transfer window. We have enquired about one or two, things are ticking over and we enquired about one on loan last week.

"The market is dead. If you go to England the market is just horrendous so we can't even get involved in that."

Strachan, though, will put his wheeling and dealing on the back burner to remain fully focused on tonight's clash with United. He has just one injury concern - ironically over McManus who is waiting on the results from a scan on his injured knee - and is determined to field his strongest possible side even though he regards this competition as little more than a distraction from the serious business of the SPL title fight.

Strachan added: "We'll be at full strength - absolutely. I have no problem with that as the players are fit.

It will be a right strong side.

"This competition is only meaningless until we get knocked out and all of a sudden we're told it's a disaster so the best way of enjoying life is making sure you don't get knocked out.

"What would I do with this competition if I had the choice?

"It is a big question to ask, I don't have my head round that. I would have to go away and think about it. I just hope the powers that be are using it in the right way."

A crowd of under 20,000 is expected to turn up for tonight's game which will be broadcast live on the BBC.

Strachan said: "I think that is more to do with economics than football. To get there is not easy on a Wednesday night, the game is on television and how many times have we played Dundee United recently? It is quite repetitive.

"But you can't say the football is bad because the last time Dundee United and Celtic played it was 2-2, a terrific game.

"Rangers and Dundee United drew 3-3 so it is not the quality of the football that is keeping people away. In two games between the Old Firm and Dundee United we have had 10 goals."