Ange Postecoglou

Now you're taking that too far

 

Doesn't really say much, game changed with the red card which is probably true. Annoyed he doesn't talk about how bad it's been though.

 

Win the cup and start work towards improving next year. It's been an immensely successful season and if we have a good summer and start with a strong squad come August we'll forget about these meaningless results.

Still * off mind.

 

Everything Ange Postecoglou had to say in his post-match interview with BBC Sportsoundafter Celtic's victory against Hibernian...

Thoughts on the game?

I think it got a little bit chaotic at the end and up until the sending-off, I thought we were in a good position and we were looking to finish strong but the sending-off gives them a bit of lift and then it is chaos after that with red cards and penalties. It got a bit of chaotic in the last sort of half hour and it got on top of us.

It was a difficult night for Scott Bain. How does a player recover from that?

He will recover. I thought he was really good up until that point. I thought he had handled himself really well. Some of this is on me, I am making a lot of changes and putting guys in that have not played for a long time. In many ways, it is a little bit unfair on them but I guess it is just my way of doing things. I just feel that sometimes you need to put people in the game and it is easier coming into the team when it is a settled line up than when I am making so many changes so a lot of this is on me but I just thing it is something that we needed to do.

Do you need a stronger squad for next season?

Come on, mate. Do you want us to win the league by 20 points next year? Is that the thing? I get it and I understand the questioning but if you want to measure us on the last three games, then you probably need a different manager as well. This squad has handled Champions League. It is in the final of a cup competition and won a cup competition and won the league. The squad is fine and we will strengthen as we always do. Like I said, this is on me and I am making a lot of changes this evening and playing a lot of guys who have not played and that is why we are getting the results. I just think in this crazy world of Scottish football that if you can't see past what the obvious is then... I said it during the week that if people want to make assumptions that we won't be a strong next year, then that is great. I think that is probably in our favour.

Will you play a stronger team at the weekend?

Yeah, we are preparing for a cup final and we will put out a team that we think will be strong and play well. We can't hide from the fact that our last three performances have been disappointing and that is my responsibility as I decided to change the team so much. Maybe the reasons behind that people don't agree with but that is where my responsibility lies. Beyond that we will play on Saturday and try to put on a good performance ahead of a cup final.

Injury update on Sead Haksabanovic?

Again, that is a legacy of him not playing that much. It has been a weird second half of the year for us. You talk about squad but the reality is we have had a squad that we can't make use of as we have not had any midweek games, whereas at the start of the year we were rotating quite often and players were playing regularly. While now guys are not playing for long stretches but unfortunately for Haksabanovic, he looks to have picked up an injury.

 

I actually feel like it always happens, when theres a Cup final and the League is won early - especially this one being a Treble i'd say it's natural players take their eye off the ball not wanting to miss it so go into games giving 50% to keep ticking over.

Once the final kicks off nobody will be worried about an injury, it'll be 100% back to trying to win the game.

When O'Neill won the Treble he lost the last 2 League games before it, before the 2004 Cup final we only won 2 of the Last 6 League games, 2007 we lost 3 of the last 4 League games before the Cup final. Only Rodgers won all games after the split the Invincible Treble but the next 2 Trebles we only won 2 of the 5 and 3 of the 5. 2013 we won 2 of the last 4.

People have just forgot as we haven't won the League early since the Invincible but they only kept going to stay Invincible.

90% of other times it ends this same way. Strachan's first season we only won 1 of the last 5 games, it's just everyone forgets it.

 

Love the guy but the last few weeks have been unacceptable..

I'm fine with him changing it up but he's watching this pish and can't seem to motivate them or get them playing well at all. Ok, we now all know some are beyond persevering with but it's still not on..

We've had a great season and will still end up with a fantastic treble....but he can't be happy with how our league form is fizzing out after all that hard work. Bit if a * way to end the season..

We can only hope he's true to his word about being aggressive in the market. He's watched how hopelessly out their depth some of this mob are and hopefully he acts accordingly....bins them and fills the squad with an injection of quality..

 

I suspect it could have been the final chance for a couple of players tonight. Fully expect him to play our strongest available 11 this weekend in preparation for the final. Then look to improve several positions in the summer.

Bernabei not good enough. He has strong attributes going forward, but still hasn't gotten a handle on the system and you couldn't trust him in the CL when he's constantly giving the ball away in dangerous positions under little to no pressure against Hibs.

Kobayashi simply isn't ready to be 3rd choice, let alone a starter. Struggles with any kind of physicality.

Turnbull not suited to the style of football.

Ralston too limited and seems to have regressed.

Abada and Haksa inconsistent and both better as impact subs against tired opponents.

 

Noticed this meself when ever we have played *,he just seems to stand there with zero expression.I guess its his way of doing things but it annoys the * out of me when we play * and he just stands there watching with the hands in the pockets,i just love to see him have a go at out players a bit more,imo that would get a better response from players rather than just standing watching.

 

It's starting to worry me that he's so accepting of these performances. Can get away with that in Japan not at Celtic. The players feed off thr managers energy and him accepting these * performances is showing in the games. We love him cos he's supposed to be this always demanding character that "Never stops" well we haven't just stopped now we've crashed into the great Wall of China at full speed. These last couple of games need to be big scorelines in my eyes to get some fans back on joard otherwise we're going into the summer with doubt.

 

What did he say in the dressing mate?

 

Ange Postecoglou defended his Celtic squad as he delivered a razor-sharp response to a question on whether he had to strengthen in the summer.

Celtic slumped to a 4-2 defeat against Hibs to go three games without a win after sealing the Scottish Premiership title.

However, Postecoglou was less than impressed when asked if he would have to strengthen ahead of next season as he bristled: "Come on, mate. Do you want us to win the league by 20 points next year? Is that the thing?

"I get it and I understand the questioning but if you want to measure us on the last three games, then you probably need a different manager as well.

"This squad has handled Champions League. It is in the final of a cup competition and won a cup competition and won the league.

"The squad is fine and we will strengthen as we always do. Like I said, this is on me and I am making a lot of changes this evening and playing a lot of guys who have not played and that is why we are getting the results.



"I just think in this crazy world of Scottish football that if you can't see past what the obvious is then... I said it during the week that if people want to make assumptions that we won't be a strong next year, then that is great. I think that is probably in our favour."

Asked for an update on Sead Haksabanovic who limped off injured, Postecoglou said: "Again, that is a legacy of him not playing that much.

"It has been a weird second half of the year for us. You talk about squad but the reality is we have had a squad that we can't make use of as we have not had any midweek games, whereas at the start of the year we were rotating quite often and players were playing regularly.

"While now guys are not playing for long stretches but unfortunately for Haksabanovic, he looks to have picked up an injury

 

These responses are good but all it takes is a cup final defeat to turn the tides lol

 

It's what he hasn't said. Hasn't came out and said how poor we've been. Cuddling and joking with the players after the game etc. He also defended the players which is * bizarre

 

At least someone done some defending the night..

 

He's not doing a Beale and chucking them under the bus.

 

Answered the second question wrong for me ….. we don’t expect the team to win by 20 points next season we expect the team to be made stronger because rangers will try come back stronger next season plus the point we need to be stronger for Europe … how he can say Celtic handled the champions league is wild we finished bottom of the group that’s not handling it so the reporter was right to ask the question about wanting the squad to be stronger


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What he says privately to the players within the confines of the dressing room and training ground and what he says to the media are two entirely different things. So stating that he’s accepting of it is just stupid.

The vast majority of the squad have run through walls for him since he came in the door and they’re on the cusp of delivering a 5th trophy out of 6. You don’t publicly annihilate them, it would be idiocy.

 

Read the his quotes after the game, he practically said it isn't the players faults. Can't be more clear than that. The players were stinking defenders especially. Read through the lines if he's smiling and cuddling the players after the game he's hardly gonny be giving them the hairdryer treatment in the dressing room is he?