In the aftermath of today’s game, Ange gave his verdict on the performance.
He wasn’t particularly happy with the first half, and most of us would have agreed with him wholeheartedly because there is piss and there is poor and that display was both.
He did not hold back. For the first time since he took over, we saw the critical side of Ange. Even during the match, the commentary team said he was laying into the players for the display. His analysis was spot on. We didn’t work hard enough. There was no movement off the ball. We didn’t pass it quickly, or well, enough.
So far, nothing terribly dramatic, right? Nothing to write home about.
Just a manager giving the team a bit of verbal for a disappointing opening 45 minutes. But then the journalist asked him if he was pleased, overall, with what the team has produced and the standards they’ve set since he came in.
“Are they living up to your expectations?” she asked.
And he said no! Ange Postecoglou actually said that not only are they not meeting his standards yet but they are nowhere near them! This guy, who has taken this team to the top of the league and the first trophy of the campaign thinks there is more to come … much, much more to come. And that should thrill every Celtic fan … and terrify our rivals.
All the time, he refers to this as “a work in progress.”
It reminds me, whenever I hear it, of a question I asked my mate Jonny Garner a few months ago, a question he answered in a lengthy article for this site.
But on the day he said that the team has already surpassed what he thought it might this season … and he had no doubts whatsoever about us winning the league title in the next campaign, regardless of what Ibrox manages to do.
That thought has stuck with me, because it’s obvious that this team is just going to get better and better and better the longer the manager has with the players and the longer he has to get his ideas across.
The man has worked a near miracle already … but there is definitely a sense that the best is yet to come, and that’s borne out by the men who are missing; Turnbull, Jullien (back today and how glad I am, I’ll cover that tomorrow) and Kyogo.
Not only has he raised the games of so many players at the club, but he has made brilliant signings and knitted them all together; it’s obvious that although it looks seamless that there will still be all sorts of minor niggles behind the scenes are people try to integrate and fit in … as that happens and this team starts to properly gel we will see even better from them.
There’s also the tendency for the team to take its foot off the gas at times; Ange clearly wants that to stop, because he really is a high-tempo for ninety minutes’ guy and he’s not really had that as often as he’d have liked. So there are obvious places where you could see this team improving, even accounting for how well they have played so far.
I love listening to this guy talk. Even the hacks enjoy it.
But I bet some of them didn’t enjoy it quite so much today, and I know nobody at Ibrox did.
It’s a definite style. It requires Jota and Abada to play a free role on their sides of the pitch. Watch Jota he goes wherever he want. So does Abada when he is on top of his game. His form dips when he doesn’t.The midfield 3 play a good bit apart from each other. All 5 have to be superfit. The problem is that central midfield position. McGregor or Bitton. They can be completely overwhelmed and outnumbered when the movement is off. The system should suit Forrest but his brother looks a better fit at the moment
Too many have been carried away by the 1st half performance v StRangers, the 2nd half performances v Hearts, Dundee Utd, StRangers and Aberdeen have been disappointing although the all important end results were obviously very satisfying and important.
There is undoubtably a lot of work still ahead required for this squad. However, the difference between last season and now is night and day, it beggers belief how some, from all quarters, could have thought that Mr Lennon was good enough to lead this club forward.
The league title will go down to the wire, in my opinion, and the full squad will be required to get us over the line.
I do not buy in to those who say we cannot keep our tempo up for 90 mins, we can change 50% of our outfield players, and we all know that it is just as hard, if not more so, when you are out of possession, so the opposition will tire at least as much as ourselves.
I still think we are putting subs on somewhat later than required in some games after surrendering the midfield battle, but that’s only my opinion.
All in all, however, if Celtic lift the title this year I can only give full credit to Ange for the transformation of all transformations!”.
Frightening what could be the results when the players do exactly what the manager expects …I’d like to take a moment to applaud that pass yesterday from hetate … sublime ????
The 90 minutes momentum thingy is subject to the condition of Scottish pitches. The last quarter can be a plod, so one hopes there are no previously enforced substitutions. However, Celtic have a manager and players that can pull it off.