Ange Postecoglou

All you've done here is prove my point. Cheers.

 

If we were 2-1 up at HT, then went defensive, I would wager good money on them putting at least 2 past us with 45 mins to play. I think they have enough quality for that (or we are frail enough to permit that).

The only time I can recall us showing caution was the last few minutes of the second AZ leg, where Hart hoofed it long a few times toward the end, after that sideline chat with Ange. Will be interesting to see if the gung-ho style is (ever) adjusted moving forward (I'd love to see a more mobile (defensively minded) player alongside CalMac at some point, just to see whether that makes us a little more solid). Maybe that will come when McCarthy is fitter (I did see someone mention Jovanovic as a 6, which I thought was interesting).

 

against quality sides your defense is your first line of attack. And our defense has been a bombscare against pretty any decent side. That needs sorted big time as its a major worry for any Celtic fan. Its all good and well keeping the 0 against the likes of Ross County etc, we need to try and do it against harder opposition too. A more pragmatic approach when its needed would be a wise move. After 2-0 up we should have closed ship and played on counter attack.

 

Now you're speaking with logic and truth. I don't disagree with anything that you wrote there. But before you made it out the manager was the sole reason for the defensive issues.

Yes, obviously Ange gives them their instructions - it doesn't mean the players will follow them or carry them out.

Yes, obviously Ange "coaches them" - but how much coaching have they had since the transfer window closed on September 1 and there was a long international break?

Let's not just lazily overlook these things. If we have these major defensive issues in a few weeks time after we've been able to settle in Scales and CCV, reintroduce Julien, get Jota up to speed on his defensive duties, etc etc, then that's when I would start questioning Ange's methods.

Obviously since I've been following Ange for over 20 years as a manager, and even longer as him as a player who played in defence (!!!), I don't have concerns that Ange won't fix these issues.

 

Yeah sometimes it is actually like that. This is one of them.

If you go through my early posts you will see I am not one if his fanboys. I now he is stubborn, I know his teams leak goals. But these goals are all down to the players. Not the system.

You have 8- EIGHT- Celtic defenders on or near the penalty box for the first goal, and yet they still they concede. How? You then have two defenders supposedly marking the striker and the cross, but the first allows the ball past him instead of clearing it, the second allows the striker to get in between them both to finish. For the fourth you have 5 Celtic defenders in frame 3 of them move away from the strike to the side Hart is already covering to open the path for the ball to the far post. Ridiculous.

And you think you can play pragmatically with that defensive lot in Spain against their very technical players? Good luck.

 

What I've done is actually proven you have NFI.

 

Keep dreaming.

 

In fact, if you check the stats (I did it in an earlier post a few hundred pages back and won't do it again), Ange has always IMPROVED the defence of every club he has moved to when you compare it to the season before he arrived and then the second season that he is manager of the new club.

 

I always was.

 

Do you think you have the players to do that for 60 minutes in Spain?

 

I feel like Ange makes subs when it’s too late.

 

You might think they would put 2 past us but we also might have scored as well. Absolutely nothing wrong with playing 20 yards further back, inviting Betis on to us and then with the pace we had on the wings, doing to them what they done to us as they push for an equaliser, balls over the top into the channels for Jota and Montgomery to chase.

Instead even at 2-0 we just kept pouring forward and had the likes of Juranovic our LB in the AM position at times leaving us horribly exposed in wide areas.

Look I love the football Ange has us playing but it is ok to go 2 goals up away from and then say, right lads let’s sit back here a bit, invite Betis out and go long into the channels every now and again. That way you are still creating chances for your attacking players without committing everyone bar your two centre backs into the oppositions final third. Betis were doing it to us all night. AZ done it to us constantly in the away leg and both got a lot of joy from it.

 

Some stats:

 

nah mate, you were lazy and uncritical. Don’t even try deny it.

 

His defensive record is *. No point dressing it up. Needs to learn and fast.

 

I´ve been sceptical all along regarding the logic behind Angeball, given the state of the Celtic squad.

Every football fan wants their team to play optimistic, attacking football with flair.
But it won´t work if you´ve got a defence so lacking in quality.

The defence should have been dealt with as a matter of priority in the recent transfer window.
Not getting it right will haunt us all through the season.

I´ve been critical of the signing of Starfelt since day one. He wasn´t a standout in Sweden before his move to Rubin, so why would he be a rock solid CB with Celtic? Whoever signed off on that signing (and the rumoured fee) needs removed.
Not acting on the left back position? Playing Juranovic there? It´s criminal not doing what needs doing.

Ange operates with what he´s got, but in my opinion, until he´s got the proper tools it won´t work.
At least not when you´re up against quality teams, or for that matter, teams daring to exploit the weaknesses of this Celtic team.

He needs to be pragmatic. It´s the only way.

 

You don’t have to do it for 60 minutes - but you have to have the tactical flexibility to be able to do it.

It’s game management 101 basically. Slow down the tempo of the game, take the sting out of things, control things. For me it’s the difference between being a coach and being a manager.

You saw how well Betis did it when they went two up actually. A game that was open and had been played at a frantic pace until then was suddenly a few notches slower.

 

Not one of us gives a * about Brisbane Roar or Yokohama.

You! Stop with your * and take Ange’s virtual 3rd leg out of your mouth, and * off….

 

He had no one to sub on

 

It's not about giving "a *" about Brisbane or Yokohama, it is about looking at Ange's consistent record of improving * defences.

If you want to lazily ignore mitigating factors, fine, but I won't "* off" and in fact I will remain here exposing idiocy.