Ange Postecoglou

Looking forward to seeing what players Ange brings to the club over the summer.

This means that some players may need to be encouraged to seek greener pastures if they wish to play regular football in the future. This will allow new players to come in to the squad and strengthen it.

Players such as Barkas, Bolingoli, Ajeti, Johnston, and also Soro may be playing elsewhere next season. I like the way Soro shifts the ball around and is quick. His poor tackling and bad decision making on the field however, leaves me annoyed and he seems to not have learned from his mistakes.

 

CL money or not there's not going to be a change of mindset with this board. I predict a modest level of satisfaction and excitement among the fans at the start of next season. At least one of Jota & CCV and three Ange signings. We will have a stronger squad next season but in typical fashion the board won't quite get the blank chequebook out and some will feel we're not going to be ready for Europe

 

As long as he's given enough room to develop this squad and financial backing to strengthen the 11. I'd have every hope we could see a really entertaining next season.

I don't expect Europa league or Conference league semi finals, I don't expect CL last 16, but any that shows the team is still growing, say like a really respectable 3rd place finish in group stage then getting through one round of knock out games in europa would be grand.

Being greedy, maybe a domestic double.

Given how quickly he's turned things around at this club...the board should see clear evidence of giving Ange what he needs to take the on field results to another level, thus increasing, dramatically, the revenue and profits.

 

So true

 

Ange Postecoglou has been acutely aware of the benefits of Champions League qualification since joining Celtic.

Winning the league, which they look set to do, could be worth circa £30million thanks to the guaranteed spot in the group stages that comes with it.


The Hoops boss says he knew all along how important it was to aim for the title because of that.

But at the same time, he insists it's a target the club should always have anyway.

Postecoglou said: "I was well aware at the start of the year that was the likelihood this season.

"We knew it was an important title to win because of all the benefits you get from being guaranteed group stage Champions Leaguefootball.




That's the level we all want to be at with this club, so of course that's a massive incentive




But first of all, we want to bring joy and success to our supporters after last year.

"You want to give them the success and you know that once the season is over, if we have achieved the ultimate and won the league, that their summer is going to look a lot different than it did last summer.

"That’s what we want





That’s what we want to try to achieve.”

Next up in the run-in is a home fixture against Hearts on Saturday lunchtime.

A win would as good as secure the Premiership trophy regardless of Rangers' result, thanks to the superior goal difference Postecoglou's men have.

But the Aussie is well aware of the threat Robbie Neilson's side pose after securing third place at a canter.




Hearts have had a good season," he said. "They are in the cup final and will be in Europe next year.




They are one of the teams I know will be dangerous as they have nothing to lose.

“They can go out and play without fear, as they are sure of their position.

“That’s always a danger as they aren’t going to worry too much about the consequences if they aren’t successful.




They will want a crack at us but we want to finish strong and play our best football at the important part of the year.

“We are going to have to be good on Saturday but we have been consistent for a long time and we will be up for it.”

 

How many league matches are we currently unbeaten?

 

I think it’s 30 odd games

 

wonder if he will go for marco tilio

 

I agree. This does not mean just strong in the tackle. I have noticed in the Euro games we have played this year, especially in the AZ games and against Bayer Leverkusen, and also in our game against Rangers in the sem-final.

Physicality in these European games seems to be the norm with northern European teams, and they have big, strong, athletic players in their teams as well as light and swift and nimble players.

By physicality I mean that they wear you down physically as well as playing at a certain tempo at crucial times in a game.
Not necessarily with 'fouls' as such, but by falling over you 'accidently', running across you or bumping you enough to catch you off balance, stepping on your foot going for a tackle. Grabbing you and letting go at the right time so that they stop your momentum or your pass goes askew. Putting the knee in your thigh as they come in to challenge for the ball. Over 90 mins this takes a toll on you.

They will gauge the reaction and response of the referee early on. If he is not aware of the true intent of these tactics and does not call them as fouls then they will continue and he will be taken advantage of. This also breaks up a team's momentum and allows their team's defence to get in place.

We in Europe, need to have physically strong and reasonably tall players also, especially in defence and DMF, even 2-3 players in this position for DMF in the squad. In a 4-2-3-1 set up playing in Europe, those 2 DMF players can have both defensive abilities and play out to the creative playmaker ahead of them and to the wingbacks and the wingers.

Even in a 4-3-3 set up you could have a defensive midfield diamond, 2+1 ahead, then your 2 wingers and your front man, and have the movement to support each other. The team moves up as a unit and comes back as a unit etc.

 

Actually lost track of the amount of manager of the month awards he's won. He on 4 or 5 in a row now?

 

Here we go 5 in a row

 

Don't want to jinx it...but I want 10.

 

Don’t we all

 

LOVE him or loathe him, it seems there is no way for Celtic to escape the name of Peter Lawwell. The former long-term chief executive may not officially be involved with the running of the club these days, but his influence is still keenly felt – for better or for worse.

So it was that the appointment of Lawwell’s son Mark this week as Celtic’s head of first-team scouting and recruitment was met with cynicism by more than a few, with his own credentials for the role coming secondary to the weight that is carried by his surname.

Celtic would argue of course that his surname carried little weight when it came to him landing the position, and manager Ange Postecoglou was keen to stress that it was his past working relationship with Lawwell, and his expertise, that are the key factors which are exciting him as they rekindle a partnership that paid off handsomely in the past for Yokohama F. Marinos.

Postecoglou acknowledges that Lawwell’s appointment may come up against a little prejudice before he gets up and running, but then again, so did his.

“All I saw was we were bringing in a person I saw was outstanding in his field,” Postecoglou said.

“We have a need for that here in terms of the gaps that exist in this football club off field. That was one of the areas we definitely needed to bring somebody; to manage the whole department.

“I just wanted to get the right person. And for me, and for Celtic supporters, Mark, like myself who wasn’t a popular pick to start with, will get judged on the work he does and I’m sure they’ll be super pleased once he gets up and running.

“I worked with Mark for three-and-a-half years. Obviously Yokahama [are] part of the City Group and Mark’s responsibility there was to help us on the recruitment side and transfers, particularly with overseas players.

“I worked really closely with him for almost four years and we worked really well together. He understood me, how I want my teams to play football, and identified the right type of players for me and we had great success at Yokahama.

“So when I came across here to Celtic, when we were talking about adding staff he was one person I was really keen on bringing across. But he was already working for a really good organisation in City Group and they were pretty keen to hold on to him, so I knew it wouldn’t be a simple task getting him across.

“So I’m absolutely delighted we’ve managed to bring him to the club and he’s going to be an outstanding asset for this football club because in that space - that area of recruitment, the ability to scout the right kind of players and the analytics behind it - he has been at the cutting edge working for one of the best organisations in the world at identifying players.

“To bring that skillset to our club is brilliant.”

In terms of immediate on-field matters, Postecoglou is again urging his men to turn on the style when they take on Hearts in the lunchtime kick-off at Celtic Park today, as he reiterated his desire for them to clinch the title in the manner by which they have now become associated.

“That’s why we are in this position now,” he said. “Not by grinding our way through, but by trying to play in a certain way and taking a real positive approach in every game we’ve played, and that needs to continue to the end.

“If we try and change or approach now, or tighten up in any way, we aren’t going to do ourselves justice. And what we want to show in these last three games is the best of ourselves and try and play the best football we can.

“We have got to just play well, win the game because we have played well, and see what develops from there.

“For me it isn’t about something being given to us. We have had to earn everything this year. We’ve got to earn the title and the way we do that is by getting enough points on the board that we can’t be caught. And until that point nothing will change in the way we think about the games or our focus.”

Postecoglou followed up his PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award this week by landing yet another Premiership Manager of the Month award yesterday – his fourth in succession.

Unsurprisingly though, his eyes remain focused on a much bigger prize.

“It’s good mate,” he said. “We’ve been really consistent since the break over the past few months to be in this position.

“[It’s been] great work by everyone involved and obviously it is pleasing to get these individual things, but ultimately it is about making sure we get the big one, mate.”





ANGE POSTECOGLOU says talk of a permanent deal for Jota to remain at Celtic is premature, following reports from Portugal this week that the winger had told Benfica he wished to remain in Glasgow.

Jota has enjoyed a successful loan spell at Celtic this season, and it is understood that a deal is already in place between the clubs for a permanent move, with Celtic having to pay a fee of around £6m to secure his services.

The Celtic manager said that talks were indeed ongoing between Jota’s agent and the club, but when asked if there had been any significant developments this week on the transfer, Postecoglou said: “Nah, not really.

"We are at that point in the season where people are going to speculate but on our behalf nothing has really changed.

“We are in talks with Jota’s representatives and from our perspective we would obviously like him to stay at the football club. He’s had a great year for us. But with all these things you need agreement from all sides, so hopefully we are working towards that.

“I’m not aware of the chat mate but if you’re telling me there seems to be some significant progress then, yes, they are being premature.”

Another player who Postecoglou is keen to keep around is Cameron Carter-Vickers, who himself has been a huge hit since making the loan move from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

USA manager Gregg Berhalter has already indicated he will call up the centre-half for their summer friendly matches off the back of his fine form for Celtic, and Postecoglou is delighted for him to get such recognition.

“He has been outstanding,” he said. “I know the US have been following him pretty closely and if he get called up, its well deserved.

“And similar with Jota, with Cam, we are talking to him. He is a player we would like to keep at the football club, I know he is really happy, but with all these things you need all parties to agree.

“And until you get to that space there is no real certainty about closing the deal.”